SPORTING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19717, 18 February 1926, Page 5

SPORTING.

IRAONG AND TROTTING. % FIXTURES. ’ehWary IS. — Tolaga Bay J.C. annual, 'ebmary 18, 20.—Wanganui J.C. autumn, ’ebruary 19, 22.—Wanganui T.C. annual, 'ebruary 20. —Canterbury J.C. summer, 'ebruary 70, 24.—Otahuhu T.C. 'ebruary 24, 25. —Gore R.C. summer, 'ebruary 24, 25.—Woodville J.C. annuah 'ebruary 25, 27. —Marlborough R;C. summer. 'ebruary 26.—Marlborough i-'-. annual 'ebruary 25.—Waiapu R.O. annual. 'ebruary 27.—Taranaki T.C. annual, ‘ebruary 27, March 1. —Te Aroha J.C. annual. larch 3.—Otautau R.C. annual, larch 3, 4. —Dannevirke R.C. annual, larch 5. 6.—Nelson J.C. annual, larch 6.—Matamata R.C. annual, larch 6.—Waikoto T.C. ,larch 10.—Manawatu T.C. larch 12, 13. —Napier Park R.C. apnual larch 13. —Northland T.C. larch 13.—Timaru T.C. . ... larch 13, 17.—Ohinemun J.C. jubilee. larch 17. —Wyndham T.C. larch 17.—Opunake R.C. annual. larch 18.—Waimate R.C. annual. larch 18, 20— New Brighton T.C. larch 20. —Thames T.C. larch 20.—Bay of Plenty J.C. annual. larch 20.—Masterton R.C. annual. larch 22, 23.—Westport J.C. annual. larch 23, 24.—Oamaru J.C. annual. larch 27.— Wellington T.C. Ipril 3, 7. —N.Z. Metropolitan T.C. Ipril 3, 5. —Hawera T.C. vpril 5, s.— Auckland R.C. Ipril 5, 6.—Canterbury J.C. i.pril 17. —Ellesmere T.C. Ipril 17. —Cambridge T.C. M>ril 22. —Waimate T.C. kpril 24. —Ashburton T.C. lay 6, 8. —Forbury Park T.C. Jay 22.—Oamaru T.C. fone 1, 3. S.—D.J.C- Winter meeting. Tune 3, 5. —Canterbury Park T.C. , Tune 12. —Ashburton T.C. lune 19, 23.—Auckland T.C. It is an accepted fact that difference of pinion is the “backbone” of racing belaosa if everyone held the same ideas arid £ everyone thought the same horse would pin and it did win, then the game would >ecoxne stale, flat, and unprofitable, and -o where bike racing, pedestrianism and losing went in the days when the result vas fixed before the “contest. All are mtitled to their opinions, but they cannot ixpect them to meet with general acceptmce when they are repugnant to commonense. Opinions based on lack of knowedge may sound or read wise, but when übjeoted to analysis they aie frequently >roved to be most illogical. For. instance, sveryone who takes an interest in racing nust have been fully aware that Ravenna vas a popular pick when the weights were leclared for the Dunedin Cup. One read md heard that Ravenna was well handiapped. That was a common opinion, but t was utterly wrong, as on paper she did tot hold a chance with Count Cavour nor vith Listening Post, who beat her m the Xago Handicap, and was handicapped to neet her on 31b better terms in the Dundin Cup. On collateral form Listening >ost had no chance with Te Monanui ind Count Cavour, and here we have it hat Ravenna had no hope with the two >ost horses in the race —and- yet some held ier a likely winner. The essence of umdicapping is to make allowance for deeat on direct or collateral form, and -if he critics can go so far astray on the acts and figures of. form then their opinion ibout a race or riding does not stand much banco of acceptance by those who really mow something about racing and handiapping. In just the same manner one eads or hears about this or that jockey iding a good race because their mounts rin or run into a place. • Everyone who ■ides in a race may be termed a lockey, >ut by no stretch of imagination could each >e termed a horseman. Abundant evilence of the fact could be supplied by vhat has occurred at different meetings leld quite recently. It is the most natural hing in the world for the majority of lorses to gather speed when turning. for iome and when in the straight, but vigor>us horsemanship” does not consist in aiming a horse loose and flogging it with nore or less might at the. finish. Nevertheless some people think it is. In just he same way there are those who declare 'a good start” when some fractious brute, phase presence should not be tolerated on i track, is finally got away after a number jf really well-behaved horses have been cept waiting for several heart-breaking nmutes for it. It is an insult to every lense of fair play and detrimental to the zeneral welfare of sport that several welliehaved horses should be kept waiting for one poor brute whose heart and temper lave been wrecked, probably through being >ver-raced or ignorantly trained and ridden. The programme advertised by the Southand Racing Club for the autumn meeting hows a fairly even distribution of prize noney. The smallest stake is IbOsovs, md this amount is attached to four events, line events carrying stakes ranging beween 200sovs and 300sovs, and the tar item is the Southland Cun of 400sovs. :ho programme is remarkable for its variety s it is made up with fiat races, steeplebases, and light harness events. Nominations are due ou Monday, February It is u common practice for clubs to vary he distance attached to the principal ivents on a two-day programme. ..The idea s, of course, to give the “stayers who get /mil© and a-quarter a chance and on the ocond day to split the difference between hose that can get a fair mile but are ioubtful at 10 furlongs by providing a ace over eight or nine furlongs. Changng the distance lends additional interest o the second contest, as it generally brings n “fresh blood” which did not figure maongst the stayers on the first day. it empts the owners of six or seven furlongs lorses to try them over a mile or more vithout unduly taxing horses which hove ieen principally trained for speed. the southland Racing Club is about the only me in the Dominion which has adopted he idea of'having the chief event on both ■ards decided over a mile and a-quarter. )n the first day at the present summer aeeting the club had 10 runners (two from me stable) in the Invercargill Cup and m the second day in the Southland Handiap they had seven runners representing ive numbers on the totalisator. In all irobability there would have been a large Leld in the Southland Handicap if the iistance had been eight or nine furlongs, s variety of distance could be held to lend pice to the sport. . ' “Cardigan” of the Australasian journeyed >ver to Tasmania to attend the Launceson Cup meeting and Hobart Cup meeting, n his comments he said: “As everybody mows, the totalisator is the only system 4 betting allowed on Tasmanian raceourses. Of course, bookmakers flourish ike the green bay tree, and while some acing men on the island are of the opinion hat it would be a good thing for racing f the bookmaker was legalised others are ust as sure that the introduction of the ields would be the death knell of racing, t is simply a matter of opinion. Person.lly I should think that the bookmakers md the totalisator working together would lelp to improve racing, as the clubs would >e able to charge bookmakers very stiff ees for the right to bet. and in that way poiild be recompensed for the loss susained by less money passing through the nachine. Perhaps I should not express jiy opinion, but as abound as fc is, without paying any fees, it seems to ne that both the Government and the tubs are losing revenue. By the way, it s rather amusing that, although booknakers are supposed to be non-existent, he nexvspapers are allowed to publish the dds prior to the running of any important ace. In Australia we have the hooks, and •et it is against the law to publish prices irior to the race. In New Zealand the mblic is even worse off, as it is an offence o publish the dividend a horse paid, and eoently a newspaper was fined for indiating that a horse paid a little better han even money. It is all rather farcical.” Limond, the sire of Limerick, has always ppealecl as a likely sort to make good ires, as he is bred with a St. Simon sire m to the Sunrise taproot, which worked mt so well with Positano, who proved limself a great sire of sftlvers. Martian nd Boniform, who are also good sires if staxmrs, belong to the same family. !r H. A. Knight has to thank F. D. ones for breeding Medlev to Limond. ones was on a visit to Wange.n - i. and m making the acquaintance of imond mokod two mares to him. subject to Mr Cnight’s approval. The result is that Mr \night has a classic winner, with good icospects of future success. Thev take sharp action occasionally in lustralia. At Rosebery Park recently a icrse drifted in the market, and the towards promptly ordered a change of iders. When this was known the horse ecnined nnspion in the market and won. A protest has been lodged against the iwner of Oration receiving the stakes i - ached to the race which J. Barry won vben carrying a “shot” wa'stcoat conrarv to the Rules of Racing. The stewards n the first instance fined Barrv £2O. It fill be of interest to note the rule on Jie point, which come into action at the

lasi Rooisg Oonfamto*. Bari XSII3, Rul# 5, states that “No jockey shall carry any dead-weight about his body during a race.” .No penalty is mentioned" if this rule is infringed by a rider. The Auckland scribe “Whalebone,” who waa present at the Wellington Cup meeting. makes the following comment: —“Set Sail should win good races shortly. At Wellington she was not ridden to the best advantage, but in the Publicans’ Handicap at Dunedin finshed second. _ She has shown some pace in the south this season.” It is interesting to note by the way that Set Sail carried no less than 341 b more on the final day of the Dunedin Cup meeting than she did on the concluding day at Trenthiam. where she failed to gain a place in three starts. At a recent meeting of the committee of the Matamata Racing Club a letter was received from the Secretary of the Department of Internal Affairs regarding . the large amount (£4490) which had been written off the value of the club’s racecourse, reducing this item from £7865 to £3575. The secretary replied that the land had been bought in the “boom” period, and the club had decided to write the value down to £3O per acre, which was its present market value. The Bonifortn—Snow Waif colt, purchased by Mr A. Grant at the yearling sales held last week, is to be “added to the lists,’’ and put by until a three-year-old. Enthusiasm is the ruling favourite for the Wanganui Cup and Licinius,. who ran second in the Telegraph Handicap and City Handicap, run at the Wellington Cup meeting, is the popular pick for the Flying Handicap. Some individual was seized with a imsguided sense of humour at New Plymouth when he tampered with the scales by placing a piece of lead on the springs, thus causing the riders in the hurdle race to be weighed out several pounds light. Fortunately (says an Auckland paper) the trouble was found out before the race was started, and the riders were reweighed. This meant a delay of 20 minutes in the start of the race. The merit of Acron’s 4.24. at Addington last week is somewhat discounted by a statement that he was on the “mftve in ’ at the start. Perhaps the move in was deserved, and could be calculated to balance two occasions when Acron was on a fullface retreat from the barrier, and at least one advance should be allowed under the circumstances. . , Countryman again refused to begin m hia race at Addington. Perhaps some courageous club, courageous in the interests of sport, will start a black list for horses continually upsetting a start when they are included in a field. Young Blake was travelling like a posible winner, or at least a. place-better, at Addington when he put in a bad break three furlongs from home. Judge Hancock stepped an unbroken gait when he won last week, and was always travelling like a winner. Black Admiral was. according to reports, never in the picture at Addington. At Forbury Park he was never out of it in either of his races. , The following letter has been received by the writer of these notes from Mr Wm. A. Low, of Otatara, Southland:—“Please give merit where merit is due. As one verv much interested in a boy at present riding, I must say that in your remarks, as a critic from tHo grand stand, you seem to me to rub it in when a horse ridden b- L. J. Ellis happens to run second. Can vou tell me of a better ridden race than Ellis rode on Taldamo against one.of our leading horsemen: yet you .pass it over saying nothing.—lf Mr William A- Low thinks that L. J. Ellis is a good rider, then, of course, he is entitled to his opinion. —Sentinel.