RACING

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10686, 4 September 1920, Page 10

RACING

FIXTURES. Sept. 4—Otago iiunt Club. oept. B—Manawatu Hunt Club. Sept. 11—Ainberley Racing Club. Sept. 23, 24r-Asiibuiton County Racins

Club Sept. 23, 25 Wanganui Jockey Club, 9 —Avoiidale Jockey Club. Sept. 27, 28—Otaki-Maori Racing Club. Sept.- 30, Oct.' I—Ueraldine Kacing Club. Uct. 2—Napier Park Kaeing Club. Oct. 6—Hawke's Bay Jockey Ciub. Oct. 7—Kurow Jockey Club. NOTES AND COMMENTS. (By "Carbine.") Simonides has been entered for the Hurdles at Wanganui and ilso for the flying- Handicap It »b b Muck tellow took kindlv to the hurdling -business ho would give the ordinary performers something to do to keep with him. The imported Tenterfield las been entered for the Maiden Plate (.six furlongs) to be run at Wanganui this month. Marqueteur ran attractively at Marton and should du better very shortly. Among the- entries for the Spring Pat© at Wanganui are Ivilrush. Depre. dation, Croesus, Oratress, Volo and Nobleman. Duo, who won the last race at Marton and paid a great price, has good breeding on his side. He is by Demosthenes—Gold Bound, and is ieU.i..jd to Amythas. He runa' in th« colours ot Mr W. Desha and is a promising three-year-old. .. ' . Some of the occurrences n thfc Marton meeting have given rise to a lot of talk among those who know the racing game and who have their eyes open. It certainly seems that the best that can bb wad is that there were some striking instances of shockingly bad judgment. Gladful, who has been steeplechasing game lately, may go,back to hurdLng and may make his reappearance ovei the battens at Wanganui.

,Mr H. Card, well known in Wellington who is now in Hawera, has a very- nice two-year-old by Absurd m O. Cox's stable.

It will be a great draw card for the Wanganui Club if it can got Arrowsmith and-Amythas to continue their engagements in tho 'Eclipse Stakes. Amythas is in forward condition, and is already fit to run out a mile or so. Arrowsmith wintered _ well and is in almost -perfect condition. Mattock has been doing excellently in his schooling essays before the marton meeting, and those who had seen him at work were quite prepared to see him run as well as he did. It is not often that when H. Gray gets up on a horse there are half a dozen others in the race better backed, but this was the case when Duo won/at Mar ton. ■■-.■■,"

A leading horseman met trouble at Marton, and though the case has not been published, it is understood the charge-he had to explain away was a serious one. However, he was not penalised. Volo who has scored some big successes "on the Wanganui course, is down to comoete in the open middle distance handicap at the river city a few weeks hence. The Marton Club has paid out £1515 in stakes over its recent meeting. Messrs R- J- Sexton and J. B. Gaisford 1 headed the list with £2OO, and next on the list was Mr D. O'Reilly, with £175. Judging by the entries. there should be a very interesting contest, for the Eclipse Shakes at Wanganui. The race is to be run over a nine-furlong course, and those nominated include Amythas. Arrowsmith, Humbiig, Baceful, Insurrection, Kilrush, Depredation, Demand. Rose Queen, and Kara Karo, however, is an unlikely starter. TAXATION AND RACING CLUBS. ''NO-PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT." ■ (To .the Editor "N.Z. Times.")/ . Sir—l notice in. a recent issue of your Jtacin* Club headed by'Sir Geo. Clifloid. drew. the action of. the Premier to the ux»V (caused to the racme clubs by the do- ! maid of the Taxation Department for payment of taxes past due. fn view of the fact that every othoi class of business has paid when oahea upon, it if, a little, curious that tap clubs have been so ions-immune .and it appears to me that, they are being treated very leniently it allowed to pay what they owe, without being called upon to cay interest for the amount The plea of hard times does not.appear to be justified when we take into consideration that the clubs have handled something like ten millions of the people's monev during the. past twelve months, and the question arises, what have they done with the cash to be in such difficulties when called upon to do what every other class ot commercial undertakings have cheerfully accomplished ? ' ' , . • A strange commentarv on their progent attitude is presented when we noti the huge amounts expended.on improvements of courses and appointments all over the country, and the lavish manner in which the people » money is spent in entertaining- club members and their numerous friends. Also, when we consider that a club like Hamilton ,is able to buy a course costing them something like .£40,000, •and the Metropolitan Trotting Club is able to" lay out about .£30,000 for the same purpose. Wanganui. in order to be independent of the reserve they/have so long monopolised, have launched out bv buying land at over XllO an acre, whilst on all hands money is.. being spent like water in the installation of electric betting machines that are necessary to cope with the work of betting fanatics. , . If the clubs are abln to influence legislation in the direction of freeing them from their liabilities, ,it is to bo hoped that the rest of the commercial community will demand similar concessions, because I feel certain a business that extracts large sums from the folly of the public has no just claim to preferential treatment. „_,__,,,_■«' "TAXPAYER." ,