RACECOURSE SURPRISE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22056, 12 March 1935, Page 10

RACECOURSE SURPRISE

LITTLE-FANCIED WINNER FEW TICKETS PURCHASED , . J LUCKY OWNER AND TRAINER A dividend of over three score paid by Salesman in the first race created much excitemont at To Rapa yesterday. The horse had not started before at a totalisator meeting and carried only £0 10s on the win machine and £ll 10s on the place machine. His place dividend also was Bubstantial, being a little less than one-third of that for a win. Frequently when a horse springs a surprise it is found that his connections have allowed him to run without supporting him, but on this occasion the owner, Mr. J. h. Macky, of Pirongia, and the trainer, Mr. A. Cook, of 1c Awamutu, each had an investment of £1 on the win machine. These were the only £1 win tickets issued on Salesman. In addition Mr. Macky had a tenshillings ticket for a place. Of the nine ten-shillings win tickets on Salesman, two wero held by a Maori woman wearing a brilliant red dress. She was early on the sceno to collect her dividend and at the next pay-out window was another Maori, an elderly man. They had to wait for about twenty minutes, for the winner had to run the gauntlet of an inquiry for interference, but they did not appear to be in the least perturbed. Nor did they display any signs of elation when the windows were at last opened and the money was paid to them, mostly in £lO notes. The Maori woman pushed the notes into a black handbag and was walking away when the totalisator clerk called her back to give her some silver.

Various reasons for their choice were given by the fortunate investors. One man said he always backed No. 9, and another stated that he made it a practice to have 10s on every horse ridden by G. Cameron. They claimed that apart from yesterday's windfall they had had most successful results in the past.

Salesman is the first horse Mr. Macky has raced. Ho bought the dam, a Per-: mit mare, for £3 when he was a pupil of the Hamilton High School eight years ago. His object was to breed hacks. The mare was mated with Lochiel Abbey, by Quin Abbey, wlw became blind and was thus unable to race. The result was Salesman, now four years old, who, after showing some pace, was trained by his owner in a paddock on his father's farm with the object of competing in a ladies' bracelet race at Pirongia last Boxing Day. The horse displayed such promise that he was started in a better race instead and ran third. Less than two months ago he was placed under the charge of Mr. Cook, with happy results.