RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21976, 10 June 1933, Page 17

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel,

A motion will come before the Racing Conference to debar the use of a fixed fcartingale. A proposed amendment to the Rules of Racing in reference to appeals reads:— *At least two of the appeal judges must be men with- actual experience in the .control of racing.” ' / The veteran gelding .Seatown was in the sale ring at the Wellington January sales with a reserve of 100 guineas, but Went out unsold. S. G. Ware made a sporting offer of 50,guineas for him, .but it did not meet with a response. A couple of days later Seatown won the Summer Handicap, worth 240sovs to the, winner.

The other day (writes “Pilot”) I asked Sir S. Hordern whether the , Australian Cup winners Pillietvinkie and Prince Cox were still alive. He replied they were, and both are ending their careers in ease at Retford Park, Bowral. An attempt was made to use Pilliewinkie as a hack, but he was quickly retired owing to being uncertain on his legs. The programme for the. winter meeting of the Wellington Racing Club ' next month has been passed. It will be the same as last year, except that lOOsovs has been added to the Wellington Steeplechase, and a similar amount, to the Winter Hurdle Race, the values of, these two principal jumping events being brought up to OOOsovs and 500sovs respectively. The Campbell Hurdle Handicap at Auckland provided an uninteresting race, as Kinsel fell at. the first fence and Cruachan at the?-second, while Lucess caine to' gi ief at the last obstacle. Lucess led early from Paddon, who was never far away, with Free Air handy, and there was little change until the last half mile, where Paddon went to the front. He was first over the last hurdle, but had to be ridden out to heat Free Air. Patutahi, who ran a fair race, was the only other horse to finish. /

Cable messages to Australian papers disclose that Hyperion, the Derby winner, started • eeeond favourite, the honour of first choice going to Manitoba. The market fluctuated extensively in the few weeks prior to the race, and it was surprising the loyalty that the backers of Manitoba displayed. He started in the Two Thousand Guineas, and was not in the first.l2 at the post. One writer went bo far as to.question, not only his stamina, but his courage.; Two of the mishaps that occurred in the Great Northern Hurdles were, due to bad luck. Thespis , jumped the hurdle, but slipped on landing. When Prince of Orange took off at the obstacle that brought him down bis hind legs slipped from under him, and though he got over •II right he was unbalanced when he landed, and came down. According to their riders, both horses were going well when they fell. Lucess dropped out of the Winter Steeplechase at-Auckland, and most of the money came for Callamart and Copey, the former eventually winning by half a length from Make Up. Callamart jumped attractively throughout, but had to be ridden right out to beat Make Up and Billy. Boy. Make Up ran a sterling race, as did# old Kawini, who made the pace until they descended the -hill the last time. Only for his rider keeping him wide out at the turn into the straight, Kawini would have been second. Billy Boy was not disgraced, while Copey was going well till he hit the last fence on .the top of the hill, Wiltshire was beatenal long way from home. ’

Horatio Bottomley, who died in England last month at the age of 74, included in his amazing career a strong interest in the turf. At one time he raced on 'a large scale, but the most important success gained by him was when the Carbine horse Wargrave won the Cesarewitch for him in 1904. It was a rather welcome change ' of luck, as Bottomley was’ in need of money'at the time. He backed Wargrave for a large stake, but most of the money he won went in paying old debts. He registered his colours for life in 1898, so he had a long association with racing as an owner. Kuvera, the winner of the King’s Cup at Flemington, gave ,M. M'Carten his eecond winning ride in that event, as he 'had previously won on Limerick at Kandwick in 1928. The first King’s Cup was run at Melbourne in 1927, and was won by Spear Maiden. Since Limerick the winners have been Valparaiso (Brisbane), Phar Lap . (Adelaide), Roseburn (Perth), Second Wind (Hobart), and ence again at Flemington, Kuvera. Kuvera’s performance was a good one, for he carried his weight-for-age, 8.6. end beat a pretty good field. Of the seven winners of this race to-day/three have been bred in New Zealand—Limerick, Phar Lap, and Second Wind. It is interesting to note (says "The Watcher”) that Dolomite, who was purchased by Mr H. Murphy, of Wellington, in Sydney a few years ago and raced there, in, his colours, is a member of the family of Hyperion, me winner' of the English Derby last week. Hyperion is by Gainsbrough from Seline, by Chaucer from Serenissima, by Minoru from Gondolette. Dolomite is ,by Pommern from Dolly Strong, by Count Schomberg from Gondolette. Gondolette is the foundress ®f Lord Derby's/most successful family. It is also of interest to note Count Schomberg in Dolomite’s pedigree. Count Schomberg, was the sire of Merry Moment, sire of several- good winners in New Zealand, and whose daughters are in turn leaving good gallopers. The German Racing Calendar contains the following interesting details concerning racing in Germany during the last year:—Number ’of track, 47; number of fixtures, 285; races run for, 1886 (ineluding 617 over jumps); horses started, 15.165 (including 4670 over jumps); aggregate in stakes, 4,389,164 marks (including 1,161,954 over jumps. Referring to these statistical data, the Berlin Sportwelt states that in 1929 . the number of German tracks amounted to 73; in the course of last year 377 fixtures were held, with 2407 races, while the aggregate of the stakes distributed was 9,537,246 marks. Bince then the decline caused by the financial crisis has been continuous.

Despite the financial crisis, there has rot been much decline in some of the bijr turf prizes for three-year-olds in the United States this year, as compared with previous seasons. The Arlington classic remains the richest prize—-about £15,000. The Kentucky Derby is worth £IO,OOO, the Belmont Stakes nearly as much, and the Preakness between £4OOO and £SOOO. In this case there is a decline from £IO,OOO in 1932. Tlie American Derby is worth about £4500 (it was over £9OOO last year), and the Travers Stakes £3OO0 —it was £4500 last year.

It will be a long time before the totalisatot directly does anything to help ©wnere or. breeders in England. When it was first legalised a tremendous amount cf money was unnecessarily wasted upon experiments with machines sooner than straight away adopting one that had proved a success in Australia and New Zealand. A difference of opinion regarding terms is said to have stood in the way, but it would certainly have paid the Betting Board of Control to have agreed to the Totalisator Company’s terms if that was really the full strength of the disagreement. _ Figures from England show that the totalisator did a little better there than in 1931, the turnover of £4,017,000 being an increase of £130,000. As expenses were also cut down there was a net improvement of £62,872 in the board’s revenue. The totalisator is said to have brought a lot of new people into racing in England, but they are. in the main, small bettors who appreciate the 2s ticket unit.

Plies Moth won so well on the final day at Auckland that further success should come his way. He was got by Catmint from Midget, by Elysian—Seadeloria, bySeaton Delaval —Pretoria, by Cuirassier from Winnie, the dam of St. Simon, who won the Great Northern Hurdles with 12.12, the highest weight ever successful carried in the race. Winnie was also the

dam of a great horse in Record Reign, who won the Grand National Hurdles with 12.12 in what was then record time for the race. Record Reign was one of the best that ever raced over hurdles in this country. He was taken to Australia and then to India, and on to France, where he met with a fatal fall in a steeplechase. Winnie mlso produced Belmont, the winner of the first Great Northern Hurdles.

Mr George Gould, president of the Canterbury Jockey Club, has a letter in this week's issue of the New Zealand Referee pleading for races over a longer distance, as he claims that that would be the solution of the present apparent wane in the interest in racing. He claims that the great interest enjoyed by the light harness sport is due to the long distance races on every programme, which provide the race-going public with a greater sporting spectacle than the sprint races ■which dominate a racing card. The popularity , of light harness racing is, no doubt, largely due to the fact that the distance racing and close-up view of the, running provides a thrill absent from racing, because the parent sport is run on very much bigger tracks, making it difficult to distinguish the horses and what is taking place iu a race. That, however, in the writer’s opinion is not the principal reason why light-harness racing maintains a continued and growing popularity while some race meetings attract a comparatively meagre attendance. Those connected with racing have consistently overlooked one very important fact, and that is a serious neglect to view the situation through the public pocket and not through the cheque book of those prominently identified with the control and price of admittance to meetings identified with the parent sport. The cost of daily attendance at the principal race meetings has for years been about double that charged for admission to light harness racing. Apparently this most important fact has been overlooked by racing clubs which charge as much as possible instead of as little as possible. This state of comparitive affairs becomes aggravated with the diminished, spending power of the public, and ’ although seemingly quite obvious it fails to obtain recognition, and while existing wilh always handicap the general success of racing. To sum up the situation, those in control of racing should recognise that ■ the pocketspending public contributes more to the success of sport than the member who signs a cheque for the membership of a club and. whose outlay does not travel far beyond such modest contribution to the backbone of present-day race meetings. The aim of every racing committee should be to attract the public and make the “gate” suit the majority instead of the minority. Until this is more fully recognised trotting will continue to be a serious rival in the bid for public patronage, •end the crowd will be in attendance at one track and comparatively conspicuous by its absence from the other. An object lesson in that direction is supplied by the fact that the cheap admission charges for the pictures have ousted the legitimate drama principally because of the difference in price. Because of the fact that his appearance called to .mind an English clown named Greek, a well-bred two-year-old was given that name. Grock made his first appearance in a race at Newmarket on April 25, and attracted great attention in the paddock. He is a liver-coloured chestnut with four white legs, a white face, and wall eyes. In contrast to the' others he presented a weird appearance as he walked round the parade ring with pricked ears, looking askance at his opponents. As his face is completely white it can be realised that, with his wall eyOs, he presents a ghost-like appearance. It is said that in his box at night he looks exactly like an apparition. He is by Solario, and, cost 4700gns_ as « yearling, but his initial'effort did not suggest he was likely to prove worth that much. He heat one of 12 in the First Spring Two-year-old Stakes. Discussing Grock in the Manchester Sporting Chronicle, the well-known writer and veterinary authority, “ Mankato,” said: “An opinion prevailed that his sight could not be perfect by reason of the lack of pigment in hig iris. That, however, is an error. Horses with wall eyes suffer no disability in sight by reason of the condition. The condition is rare in the thoroughbred, but Greek’s case is by no means unique.” The form of the New Zealand-bred colt Wakatipu (Paper Money—Philomela) in South Africa has, according to all accounts, created a very big impression, and. a fine advertisement for our blood stock. Mr J, E. Wilson, of Randwick, has just returned from a trip to the Union, and relating some of his experiences to “Pilot"’ he speaks in glowing terms of the possibilities of a market in South Africa for Australian and New Zealand blood stock, the only handicap, and it is severe, being the head tax'of £IOO per horse imported. When Mr Wilson left Wakatipu was being prepared for the Durban July Handicap,’ one mile and a-quarter, worth £SOOO, and it was considered that he had excellent prospects of landing this stake. Should he win it will be a further great advertisement for our blood stock, and with the prospect of the £IOO Head tax being removed by the new Parliament, Australia and New Zealand may benefit considerably. Mr Wilson says that Wakatipu i 6 a fine youngster, much like Veilmond in appearance. Yearlings are bred in South Africa for saje or private racing, but Mr Wilson says they don’t come up to Australasian standard. Consequently local owners are feeling the pinch. With importation almost banned by the heavy head tax, the quality of horses has become poorer, and stayers particularly are lacking. Yet good stakes continue, despite depression, and besides the July

event worth £SOOO just mentioned there are numerous races worth from £IOOO up to £4OOO. These will prove a strong incentive to purchase iu the Australian market should the tax be repealed. That there is no strong demand for locallybred youngsters was proved, says Mr Wilson, when at a recent big sale the yearlings averaged only 204gns, and the. highest price was 450gus. A successful jockey is popularly believed to make a lot of money, but when I mentioned this subject to' a Melbourne jockey (writes “Musket”), who has been much in the public eye lately, he laughed, The suggestion that he is amassing a fortune from his victories seemed to amuse him. According to him, the only hope a rider had of getting “big money” is to win a number of important races or to ride successfully for a big betting stable, from which a substantial cheque, in addition to winning percentage, might reasonably be expected. Five _ winners in a short period returned this jockey only his winning percentages—a total of £2B Bs. From one race he received £1 8s for his percentage. Not one of the five winning owners offered him a monetary gift. After deducting tax and travelling expenses the jockey had earned only the wage of a clerk for the three weeks in which he rode the winners. Since the ■depression, which causedmany good sportsmen to relinquish the ownership of horses, the system of laying a jockey a certain amount in the case of victory has been dropped to a great extent. It is only a few of the leading horsemen who can demand “ a price ” nowadays. Perhaps the greatest inducement ever held out to a jockey was £6OOO, which Mr Otway Falkiner. promised M. M'Carten if he won the Melbourne Cup on his horse, The Banker. Mr Falkiner was reported to have that gelding coupled with the Caulfield Cup winner to the extent of nearly a five-figure sum. But The Banker was not good enough, and ran unplaced. It is said that J. Munro received £3OOO when he won the Cup on Windbag. Such gratuities as these are rare.