SPORTING

Grey River Argus, 27 October 1938, Page 3

SPORTING

POVERTY BAY RACES Gay Hunter Likely The single pool system of betting will operate at the Poverty Bay Turf Club’s spring meeting which opens to-day and concludes on Saturday. Gay Hunter is likely to be well fancied in the Makaraka Handicap. Legatee should also be fancied. The fields and prospects are:- — 12.30 FIRST HURDLES, IS miles. —SmaU Boy 11.9, Mahala 9.13, Air Commodore 9.9, Tycoon 9.5, Thrasher 9.3, Illinois, Miss Blue, Bothwell, beven Seas 9.0. Mahala Small Boy 1.10 JUNCTION HACK HANDICAP, 1 mile.—Jayola 9.0, Minnow 8.7 Hmepit 8.4, Quaint, Mendelssohn 8.0, True 7.7, Hinepit and True will be pracketed. Quaint Jayola 1.50 FLYING HANDICAP, 6 furlongs. - Joviality 9.0, Pakanui 8.10, Golden Blonde 8.6, Huntette 7.9, Flying Comedy 7.2, Lordly Knight, Perfect Lady 7.0. Joviality Lordly Knight 2.30 MAKARAKA. HANDICAP, 1 mile —De Friend 9.3, Gay Hunter 84, Legatee 7.13, Pennycomequick 7.11, Minnow, Skvway 7.3, Quaint 7.0. ? Gay Hunter Legatee 3.15 MAIDEN .SCURRY, 6 furlongs.— Tu Rahiri, Native Song, Blonde Princess, Malmetie, Mimicry, Final, Hunting Royal, Whetu, Acessl 8.0. Malmetie Native Song Royal Whetu 3.55 ROSELAND HACK HANDICAP, 7 furlongs. —Tycoon 11.7, Red Hunting 11.3, Head Shepherd, Birkology ill. Illinois 10.12, Perfect Lady 10.9, Queen’s Dream, Royal Stuart, Gay • Laura, Gazei'il 10.7. Perfect Lady Red Hunting 4.35 OCTOBER HACK HANDICAP, 6 furlongs.—Gold Ballad 9.0, Gay Mimic 8.8, Red Hunting. Okawa 8.3, Guiding Light 8.2, Quaint 'B.O, Perfect Lady 7.9, Reay Bridge, Sunny Lass, inu, Red Glory 7.7. Okawa Gold Ballad Racing Note? Sly Fox: Sly Fox is being raced by his breeder-trainer, Mr A. Mclntosh, .of Gisborne, and he looks like maturing into a horse of the same quality of hi s full-brother, Sporting Blood. It was not till towards the close of last season that he struck real form. In all he has started only 19 times for six wins and £1592 10s in stakes, a; portion of which (£150), earned at Trentham in July, owner has not yet received. Counterblast:

Counterblast, who is the second winner for the estate of the late Sir Charles Clifford, is a four-year-old daughter of the Archery horse Jericho and the Antagonist mare Counterscarp, the dam also of Countermarch, Counterplay, and Tunneller. Jericho, who has not had many horses yet representing him, is now at the Stonyhurst Stud. Lord Cavendish:

A three-year-old brown gelding by Beau Pere out of the Absurd—Bonny Portland mare Lady Cavendish, a fine sprinter who included the Auckland Railway Handicap among her successes, Lord Cavendish is a halfbrother t 0 the V.R.C. Oaks winner, Golden Hair, so he is notably bred. His breeder-owner, Mr G. F. Moore, has always neld a very high opinion of him, and there seems.little doubt but that this gelding will at least develop into a very servicable performer.

Night Dress: It was Night Dress’s third win in line at Wellington, after having been a complete failure as a three-year-old last season and early this term. He is a brown gelding by Nightmarch from the Winning Hit —Equipment mare Ball Dress, u winner of the Douro Cup, and he was secured last January from the late Sir Charles Clifford for 150 guineas by Messrs A. S. Elworthy and D. Gould, for whom he has only lately become a profitable Investment. Auto Sweep: Aut n Sweep has gone his best races on the Trentham track, where he has been three times placed at good prices. He ran one of his best races on Saturday, moving right round the field to follow Son and Heir, and Night Dress into the straight, and he camo, home resolutely. It is remarkable that a horse who has occasionally shown such good form should still be a maiden. Beaupartir. Beaupaitir, who was having only his second race, was most unlucky to miss. He ranged up handy early, but then lost his place, and this undoubtedly cost him the race, for he came home brilliantly, to run the leader to half a length. He is a brown colt by Beau Pere out of the Chief Ruler- ■ Miss Cute mare April Fool, dam also of Scandal (who ran second in the Taiti Handicap first up last week, and he is being raced by his breeder, Mr T. H. Lowry. It is interesting to note that he has been left, in the Derby field. Sister to Great Flight: Great Swoop, a two-year-old filly by Magnus from Swoopalong, is making steady progress, and may be useful. She is a full-sister to Great Flight, who opened her winning account at Dunedin recently. Both these fillies are chestnuts

Defaulter: Defaulter has now won two out of his three starts this season. If he had not unluckily lost the sprint on the . first day at Dunedin through loafing on his rider after gaining th« front, he would have had a sequence of ten wins. However, he promises to build Up another sequence this season, and y the Derby for one event now looks to be at his .mercy. He cost Mr H. D.

Greenwood 170 guineas as a yearling] and has already earned £3160 in stakes. Picking Them SYSTEM OF PUNTERS. From time immemorial men, and no doubt women, too, have gambled in one way or another. The range of choice is wide and varied, but no matter the choice, there has always been a never ending search for a system that carries with it that . degree of success that will make it a certainty. . But in no branch of gambling is offered so many channels for the system seeker, as in horse racing (writes “Orion” in the “Auckland Star”). Some of the systems are wierd, but you could not shake the operator’s faith in them. Picking up the official racecard of the Auckland Racing Club I notice that the page which at one time set out a plan of the Ellerslie course is not now included. It is also missing from the race cards of other clubs. I mention this because I can remember when dozens of people would make use of the plan to “get a winner.” They would take a pin. and push it through the judge’s box and out the back of the book. The urge then was to support the horses whose names the pin pierced. It have found a winner occa-

sionally, but. it was a pretty weak reed to rely upon. Then again we had the fellows who worked the events out in “Chinese fashion” as they termed it. Beginning at No. 1 they would count down the list of horses, crossing out every thirteenth until only one was left. Again some would take 'the impost of the top and bottom weights and divide by two, thus backing the horse whose weight was nearest the answer. Another system was the “alphabetical” system, and I should not be surprised if some people still believe in it. It is simply to begin at the top-weight and run through the alphabet until you reach a horse whose name begins with the letter which you have then reached. And so one could go on. Systems are invented, have a short run and die. But there is one system which has at least something to recommend it and while it may not show a profit in the long' run, it. does bring in winners. “This i£ the “second up” system. In short it is that the banker supports any horse which races twice in . the one day, and which has finished first, second or third, in its first start. . The two starts must be on the one day, and not one on each of a two days’ meeting. A couple of years back I knew of a syndicate wnich set out to support the third and fourth favourites in each race. I understand that it was successful, but the difficulty was

this—that the operator on the course could not always tell which horses would eventually wind up in the order of favouritism in which he was concerned. But while there is not perhaps much to be. said in favour, but-much against systems, for picking winners, there is something to be said for a system of betting. ' To me the regulation of the amount to be invested seems more important, and I give below a system for the consideration of those who like to have a little flutter and know their liability at the outset. It doesn’t matter whether you bet in half-crowns, five shillings, ten shillings or pounds, the unit is the same, and its great point is that you kno.w exactly when y’ou bet how much you can lose. It is pretty safe to say that thd average backer will have three bets a day. Agreed on that, let me assume that the backer has selected A, B, and C as the three best bets of the day, and he bets live shillings a time. It is fairly reasonable to assume that the average win dividend would be £4—sometimes a dividend would be less, sometimes more. However, £4 is a fair average. x Here then is the system. The backer places 5s on A, ,5s on B, and 5s on C. He then places 5s on A, all up B, 5s on A and all up C, and 5s on B’ all up C. Next he plac'es 5s on A all up B, all up ,C/ His outlay is then . 355. That is the extent of his liability. And what can he win? Well if only

one of the three wins he receives £l. If two win he receives £6. If the three hnnnen to win he receives £3l. u may be too much to hope for three winners in three bets, but the point about the above is that the total ha bility is 35s and the possible profit considerable. RACING FIXTURES. October 27, 29-Poverty Bay Turf October 29—Banks Peninsula Racing October 29—Rangitikei R acmg Mub. October 29—Rotorua and Bay of Plenty Hunt Club. November 4, 5-Whangarei. Racing Club. , z. . u November 5,7, 9, 12-Canterbury Jockey Club. . ‘ . . November s—Napier •' Park Racing Club. , ■November 12—Napier Park Racing t Club. .• November 12, 14—Avondale Jockey ■ Club. November 19— Levin Racing Club. I November 19—Southland Racing [ Club. November 19, 21—Waikato Racing Club. ■ TROTTING FIXTURES. October 29— Invercargill T.C October 29—Thames T.C. November 8, 10, 11—N.Z. Metropolitan T.C. • • November 19—Wellington T.C. November 24, 26—Forbury Park T.C.