AUSTRALIAN RACING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 18 October 1924, Page 12

AUSTRALIAN RACING.

NEW. ZEALAND VISITORS’ IMPRESSIONS. Air. V . G. Stead, Mr. H. A. Knight, and Mr. T. H. Lowry returned from’ Australia by the Tahiti on Monday. In an interview with a Post representative they made some interesting statements regarding racing in Australia and the New Zealand horses in particular. Mr. Knight, though obviously feeling the loss of Ballymena, accepted it philosophically. Mr.” Stead had a good deal to say of the racing in Australia, and moreover was pleased at the success of Nincompoop and Chignon in the Breeders’ Plate and Gimcrack Stakes respectively, for he bred both of them.

, Naturally the chief topic of conversation with Mr. Knight wa s the now well-discussed disqualification of F. D. Jones and M. McCarten in regard to the running of Royal Despatch. Mr. Knight said that he had little more to say, for the whole matter had been given the fullest publicity in the Sydney press, which has "been wholly sympathetic and against the A.J.C. stipendiary stewards. He had looked through the New Zealand Rules of Racing and could find nothing in regard to a reciprocal arrangement so far as the New Zealand Racing Conference was concerned. On the contrary, the A.J.C. rules were definite on this point, and any horse or person disqualified in any State, colony, or country would automatically be di s 9 ua lifie<l by the A.J.C. Part XXXII, paragraph 4, of the New Zealand Rules of Racing, which deals with disqualifications for corrupt practices. concludes as follows: “The provisions of this rule shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to disqualifications imposed by any recognised club in any country.” Questioned, as to the possible action the A.J.C. would take if the New Zealand Conference reversed their decision, Mr. Knight said he thought the . A.J.C. would refuse licenses to Jones and McCarten, and possibly refuse to accept the nomination of any of his horses, but he did not think the whole of New racing people would be debarred. With regard to his appearance before the A.J.C. stipendiary stewards, Mr. Knight said that he went through the evidence beforehand in the A.J.O. office, but could find nothing against. Jones. He could see it was useless trying to do anything with, the stipendiary stewards, and reserved all he had to say for his appeal to the A.J.C. There he was not allowed to re-open the case, but was able to point out the letter which Jones had written to him stating that Royal Despatch was disappointing, and suggesting his sale. The A.J.C. Committee implied that the letter was written for a purpose, which, Mr. Knight points out. either made Jones an unmitigated scoundrel, taking down his own employer, or brought him (Mr. Knight) in as an accomplice. At that he thought there was no need to -go further, and he elected to leave the room. He stated that Jones and McCarten would be returning by the next Sydney "boat, which comes via Auckland next week. Naturally, Mr. Knight is keenly disappointed 'at the bad luck which has attended Ballymena practically right through the trip, culminating with his destruction on Saturday. He said he thought Ballymena was a racecourse certainty for the Randwick Plate on Saturday. Although Gloaming had had all the'limelight,- no allowance had been made for the change of trainers and riders in regard to Ballymena. He did not wish to discredit either Geo. Price or Con Reed, but Ballymena was not an easy horse to train. Mr. Knight thinks that Reed showed bad judgment in the Spring Stakes in not forcing the pace. He held Ballymena back, practically choking him, and when Hie horse was asked to come on he could not. As it was, the race was run absolutely to suit Gloaming. With regard to Ballymena’s defeat of Gloaming in the Hill Stakes, he had some doubt if Gloaming would have won, even without-the inferference. With regard to the racing generally, Mr. Knight said he considered Heroic undoubtedly a great colt, and the be6t_ conditioned of the Derby field and right at the top of his form. Nigger Minstrel, on the contrary, had had to be eased just ' fourteen days before the race. R. J. Mason had again, shown that he was a past r master with two-year-olds, and Nincompoop and Chignon owed much of their success to their superior racing condition. There were others that could go as fast, but could not go on with it. G. Young was riding very' well, and had given a good exhibition on Blackadder in the Epsom Handicap.

Mr. Stead took -six young horses to Sydney, and sold four, Bosh and Fathers’ Voice being the pair that are returning to race in New Zealand. “The extraordinary interest taken in racing in New South Wales is' quite an eye-opener to a New Zealander,” said Mr. Stead. “I have made many trips to Sydney, and each year become more impressed with -the enthusiasm displayed by our Australian cousins over the result of an important hor: e race. The owner of Gloaming should indeed be a proud man. I don’t, .uppose that any horse in recent year.; has received the spontaneous reception our old champion got at Randwick. As he went out for each race the enormous multitude cheered, and after winning the Spring Stakes and Craven Plate (two much-coveted prizes) the people cheered over and over again. I thi*k this is proof of the splendid sporting spirit of all Australians. I furnished returns to the Sydney Sun showing that some thirty-four .-.pecinl weight races had been won . y New Zealand owned horses in the last seten years, yet in spite of this huge sum of money leaving the Commonwealth for New Zealand, the racing folk are such true sports that they forcibly express their appreciation of our New Zealand champions “Old R.. J. Mason is indeed a wonder in the way he has produced Gloaming year after year, and to cap this great effort he turned out the winner of both the Breeders’ Plate and the Gimcrack Stakes, races for two-year-olds of .-52200 each to the winner. No previous owner has won this double, and G. Young was the first rider to do so. T naturally felt proud to have bred the colt and fillv.

“Probably the most interesting subject of discussion during; rny visit is the endeavour to see a solution of the great success of N*ew Zealand horses in Australia. At the start of the .season in one coveted special weight race our horses finished first, second, and third. On the third day of the Bandwick races, in the Craven Plate, .-fcSOOO. weight-for-age, four runners Faced the starter, three of them being from New Zealand. In the intervening races for class horses a New Zealander either won or was second on every occasion this spring. I bad the pleasure of inspecting many studs in New South Wales during my recent visit. The season was good, and the mares, foals.

and yearlings looked splendid. Certainly up to the end of the spring the young horses are being reared under favourable conditions. I am inclined to think that the hot summer must in some way be a set-back. However, we are only guessing; but the fact is admitted that the New Zealand horses reign supreme in the special weight races. An enormous trade is developing between the. two countries. Australians want the best, and we can deliver the goods, the result being very pleasing to New Zealand stud owners. If our Government would only make some effort to bring New Zealand prominently before the Australian public, a good tourist traffic would result. I feel confident that many of my sporting friends are determined to come over here this summer and see for themselves the beautiful conditions under which our thoroughbreds are reared. ” Mr. Lowry stated that Nigger Minstrel would arrive this week from Sydney, and it would then be decided if the colt would race at Trentham in the Champion Plate. He considered Nigger Minstrel unlucky to have been beaten in the A.J.C. Derby, for he had an interrupted passage in the race, following on being stopped in his work.