THE TURF.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 253, 20 September 1930, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE TURF.

(BY “BINOCULAR.”)

Chutney. Mr J. Onion’s mare Miss Pickles, by Pickles —Sauce, was a competitor at a recent pony meeting at Roseberry, Sydney.—With such a combination of names, the winner’s name might well have been Chutney. Swelling Their Accounts. At Menangle races on September 2, the Menangle Park Hundred, one mile, was won by the six-year-old mare Puff. (Tractor —Thistledown). The Novice Handicap, one mile, was won by Coucal (Magpie —Fadelma), a four-year-old sister to Goshawk. In the Picture. ' At the Goodwood ' Racing Club’s meeting at Perth on August 30, New ZeaLnd-bred horses were in the picture. The Goodwood Plate, six furlongs, was won by Autobiography (Sutala —Egotism), and the Goodwood Purse, seven furlongs, by Lilt (Lucullus—Lisp). Constellation ran third in the hurdle race, two miles, and Atum Lad third in the Final Handicap, seven furlongs. Saltash Sold.

Afr Percy Miller has disposed of the imported sire Saltash to Mr B. J. Moran, of Cowper, Clarence River, and the horse will now be a stud-mate of Chrysolaus. Saltash gained his greatest notoriety from the deeds of Strephon, whom he sired in his first season at the stud, and because of the record price (6570 guineas) paid for Dominant as a yearling. Last year the horse had 10 winning representatives. Saltash is by Sunstar from Hamoaze, and is a brother to the successful English sire, Buchan. In England he started. in seven races, and won the last three. Surprise Win. Wise Force would probably create a mild surprise by beating Amounis at Caulfield on September o. He had a splendid record as a two-year-old, winning four races and gaining places in each of his remaining four starts. In his first race this season he was beaten by Waterline in the Underwood Stakes, one mile, on August 23rd, but the extra furlong in the Memsie Stakes apparently not only enabled him to turn the tables on the New Zealander, but to finish better than the brilliant Amounis. Sweepstakes Cut Out.

Those who follow racing closely in Melbourne were a little surprised when, on looking in their race-books at Flemington at a meeting last month, they noticed an important change in the conditions of the races. As long as most people can remember the conditions of all races at Flemington have provided for sweepstakes and added monev, but the sweepstakes have been withdrawn. The sweepstakes took the place of acceptance fees and the money was returnd to the owner of .each winner. This system was originally copied from the English Jockey Club, and it was popular with owners. The .Victoria Racing Club will have to adhere to the sweepstakes system so far as the Melbourne Cup and classics are ooncerned, for the reason that the programmes for these were published some time ago. The change in connection with last month’s meeting was made surreptitiously, and no announcement was forthcoming ns to whether 'anv future races would be likewise affected. Doubtless this-was an economy move, and probably .it foreshadows other drastic alterations and curtailments, says an exchange. The Turf in Japan.

Racing in Japan is very popular, and the principal course, as shown by photographs in recent exchanges, is well equipped with up-to-date stands and othev appointments. . One stand accommodates 10,000 imople The racing, which begins at 9 o clock U 1 ® morning, is restricted to horses bred in Tanan and thev must not race until See vears old and not over distances shorter than one mile. The. Japanese show wisdom in not encouraging sprint racing. The sport and breeding are

Racing Overseas.

Horses And Horsemen.

supervised by the Government, whose sole object is to obtain first-class cavalry horses. A penalty is carried for every race won, and after winning 15 times a horse must retire from the turf. . If it is approved by a departmental committee it is allowed to be used for stud purposes. Nor are horses allowed to be raced atfer they are six years old. Some years ‘ago Diplomat, who was in the Merton Stud in New South Wales, was purchased by the Japanese Government for stud purposes, but of recent years goodclass horses have been imported from England, two recent purchases being Priory Park and Shinn Mor, who were first-class performers. Priory Park won the City and Suburban and Royal Hunt Cup, and Shian Mor was third in the Derby won bv Call Boy. Horses have also been purchased in America for stud purposes in Japan. Nothing to Learn. “Well, certainly we have nothing to learn in that regard from the English courses,” remarked Mr A. V. Kewney, secretary of the V.R.C., who is now in England, when asked his opinion of the accommodation and general conduct of racing in England. Mr Kewney has been busily engaged inspecting totalisators, and he has not seen any machine in England that he could recommend for use on the bigger courses in Australia. The tote in England is only in its infancy, and people are now beginning to realise that the members of the Betting Control Board have gone about the installation—or the type of machine installed—in the wrong way. Little headway is being made. Some courses will not have a tote for another two years. The tote was heralded in England as a big revenue-producing concern, and as an institution that would give a great fillip to racing. But racegoers have become so tired of the Jack of facilities for tote wagering on.'the courses that the machine has lost much of. the popularity it gained when first introduced. - Had a lot less time been wasted in experiments and a definite type of tote installed on each course, the publio would have taken to the machine naturally. Now it is going to be a hard fight to regain popularity for the tote, and in the meantime the cost of conducting these out-of-date contrivances is exceeding by far the amount that is being received by the Betting Control Board in percentages.

Lax Control. Several cases of horses going out to race in ordinary shoes have come under my notice here recently (writes the Melbourne sporting scribe “Musket” from London to his paper, the Sporting Globe). It is not always done with the intention of having a horse beaten; 'but to say the least it is • extraordinary that such should be permitted. At a recent meeting there were three starters in a race, and one was made a 2-1 on favourite. He. went to the post wearing shoes, and immediate!the fact was broadcast among the regulars. The result was a rush to back the second favourite, and the wearer of the shoes came to 5-4 on. But somebody must have known something, for big money then came for the favourite, and he came to 7-4 on, at which price he started. It was a grim struggle, and the favourite just won. Were the shoes carried in the knowledge that he could beat the other two even with them on and in order to get a longer price? If so it was a risky

procedure. It is in such matters that the control of racing in England is so lax. The honorary stewards do not seem to worry about such, “trifles” and thev would never feel it incumbent upon them to inquire into alterations in the betting 'market. It appears that they only act when* reports are made to them —invariably upon matters of no import to the general public. English racing clubs 'are lacking in their duty to the publio in not having on each course a stipendiary to watch for sharp practices which he could bring under the notice of the honorary stewards forthwith. If the term stipendiary steward is considered to be too ostentatious the officer could be made a racecourse detective.

English Statistics. Up to July'2l a compilation of statistics in London Sporting Life shows that H.H. Aga Khan was at the top of the winning owners’ list. His nine horses won ten races worth £33,268 10s. Lord Derby, who had for some years “topped the poll,” was second. He won 29 races with 13 horses that - returned him £24,094. Lord Derby, however, was the most successful breeder. He gathered in £22,241, 10 of his horses winning 24 races. The Aga Khan, with a smaller output, won six races with five horses, and the profit was £15,949. French breeders collected £13.754 for 25 wins with 27 horses. R. C. Dawson was easily at the head of affairs among the trainers. For his patrons he won 13 races, the 11 horses returning £34.252. The 19-ye'ar-old Son-in-Law, by Dark Ronald from Mother-in-Law, was, up to the period mentioned, the leading sire. Sixteen of his progeny won 24 races, to the value of £31,457; his outstanding representative being Rustorn Pasha, from Cos, winner of the Eclipse Stakes. This bay colt won two races, amounting to £12,103. Fred Fox and Gordon Richards were fighting out the jockeys’ premiership. Each had won 53 races* and the percentage worked out: Fox, 14.32; and Richards, 14.58.

“COME ON, STEVE.” . CRACK JOCKEY AND AUSTRALIA. In the course of a conversation I had with Steve Donogliue at Epsom, writes an Australian pressman at present in England, he showed keen interest' in racing in Australia. His first query was, “How is Frank Dempsey P Is he still riding and doing well?” After I had satisfied him on that point he said that Frank had been very popular in England, and that he was a great rider. Donoghue said it was too late at this stage of his career to think of going to Australia as a rider, but his ambition for a long time had been to visit that country. He‘felt sure that the longing would be too great to subdue once he retired from raco riding, and therefore when that time arrived —he was not thinking of retiring at present—he would make every endeavour to visit Australia, about which he had heard so much. Donoghue added that he had been told that Australian racecourses were perfect, and he was anxious to have personal experience of them.

Donoghue is not achieving the phenomenal success that came his way some years ago—that was ,a bright patch which often occurs in the career of a leading jockey—but he still rides his share of winners. On Derby Day he was successful on the Charley’s Sister fillv in the Caterham Stakes, and all over the Epsom Downs could be heard the familiar cry, “Come on, Steve.” The filly is decidedly smart, and is owned by Sir Victor Sassoon, who raced several homes in Melbourne under the name of Mr “Eve.”

Donogliue’s ill fortune has gone further against him of late, for he recently, sustained a leg fracture. — “Binocular.”