RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21984, 20 June 1933, Page 4

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel. The Racing Conference will sit at Wellington on July 12. . . . The cost of inspecting training establishments during the past year amounted to £64 19s 6d. Golden Wings, who has been spelling since Easter, is to be taken up again. Nominations for the Grand ISational meeting are due on Friday. Nominations for the Wellington Racing Club’s winter meeting are due on F Royal Sceptre was not produced at Timaru, as he had not fu ly recovered from the effects of striking himself when doing a gallop. ,\ , Over a mile at Oamaru Palantua has been handicapped to give Polydora 61b. Over seven furlongs at Ashburton 1 mydora has been asked to give Palantua /! The stipendiary stewards’ account for the past season amounted to £3074 4s 2d, and the racecourse inspectors account stands at £3417 7s. Barrington’s absence from the scene at Timaru was due to soreness. inc going on the Washdyke course has been unusually hard for the time ot the year. The New Zealand Racing Confeience account for the past 12 months amounted to £8,863 12s 9d, less £147 2s 2d excess of income over expenditure. The Steeplechase to be run at the Christchurch Hunt Club’s meeting will be run over the Riccarton schooling fences. This may help to reduce the interest in the meeting. _ , The taxation paid to the Government by the Auckland Racing Club on the recent winter meeting, totalled £10,058, made up as follows; —Totahsator tax. , £4458; dividend duty, £4875; stakes tax, £399; amusement tax, \326. ' Ranelagh failed to give Ramo 81b by about half a length in the Prince Edward Handicap run at Timaru over a mile ana a-quarter. Over seven furlongs at Ashburton Ranelagh is again handicapped to gl A successful ‘feature of the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting was the excellent work accomplished by Mr R. u. M’Nab at the barrier. He does consistently good work, and has long proved himself a great factor in the success of a the winner of this year’s Hawke’s Bay Steeples, vyas got by King Sonlt from Caligo, by Tribulation (Bukenhead) from Buckshot, by TorpedoEider, by Quilt—Kotuku, by Musket Maid of Athol, by Manbyrnong. Maidl of Athol was a grey mare brought from Australia, and produced amongst her many foals Scots Grey, who won the New Zealand Derby in 1889 in the late Mr G. G. Stead’s colours. ... ~ The photographic system of deciding the result of races in.which there isi a close finish has been tried at the 1 arc Boiely at Marseilles, France, and pronounced a distinct success. The Societe Sportive has decided to use it officially at Marseilles henceforth. If the judge at the finish is in doubt about the result he will have the word “ photograph hoisted on the board and the placings will be announced after the negative has been developed it the photograph fails, the judge will deC 1 The Waikato Hunt has disposed of the imported stallion, Little England, to Mr A. B. Williams, of Gisborne. He is bay horse, foaled in 1918, by IP. I ean °x l® (son of the Hampton liorse Walmsgate) from Llangarren Bass, by Father Con fessor, a grandson of permit, whde the ccranddam, St. Isbella, is by St . * The stock he has lett m the Waikato show plenty of size. ,„ u , non During the past 12 months £2,141,390 went through the totalisator at race meetings ’and £92,064 on trotting events included on racing clubs’ programmes, ihese figures do not include the returns for the Auckland, Dunedin, and other winter m Pareora Steeples, run at Timaru on Saturday, Diamond Night Parade were going on from 1 eter ette when racing to the second last ; fenceThe leaders ran off and left 1 eterette to score an easy but not altogether a win on merit. At Ashburton Night Parade meets Peterette on olb better f Polazel did not greatly enrich theturt with Winner's, but was overshadowed by Night Raid when they stood at the same stuck He got quite a good sort, however, in Polydora, who won at Timaru. Sweet Smile, the dam of Polydora was got y San ifrancisco from Winning Way, Cannie Chief— Lady Wayward, by Bill o Portland—Elusive, by Trenton. F°l a zel, who might have done well with better opportunities, was got by Polynielus Lrora \rdazel, by John o Gaunt—Ardrogena, by Florizel II from Admpre. by Gallmule. Polydora’s pedigree is rich in St. Simon blood, as she picks up two strains through San Francisco (brother to St. Frusqun) and Bill o’ Portland, and two more thiough Polazel’s dam. The Musket line through Trenton on the dam’s side is returned through Polazel, who is inbred to Qmvei, ‘ ot Wanganui Guineas has been met with a response of 28 for next season’s race, and 41 new yearlings have been entered for the race in 19347 This satisfactory response is verypleasing, and is a plain, indication that owners will support classics with all available material. Among the entries foi next September are Fracas Diatomous Reel Manfred, Impasto, Midiau, All Gleai. Spiral, Rust, Bay Tree, Porotiti, and The death is reported of Mr C. F. Vallance, the well-known North Island spoilsman, whose colours have been popularly known at most of the principal meetings in New Zealand. Mr Vallance won the Grand National Steeplechase with Sturdee in 1924. the Wellington Steeplechase with Nedra in 1913 and Bransfield in 1916, the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase with Mahura in 1924, the C.J.C. Stewards’ Handicap with Peneus in 1924, and he also owned -Chimera, one of the smartest sprinters of her day. Mr Vallance was also prominently identified with hunting, being at one time Master of the Wairarapa Hunt, and at times he acted as a delegate'to the Racing Conference. , , About three years ago Lord Derby announced his intention of considerably reducing his racing establishment, and when he dispensed with the services of Ins trainer, Frank Butters, much curiosity was shown as to the outcome. Nothing savouring of the sensational happened, i and the stable is again carried on under

the management of the Hon. George Lambton, who was in command of the establishment for many years, when numerous important successes were registered. A perusal of the list of winning owners for the last eight years shows that horses carrying the colours of Lord Derby have captured prize-money to the amount of £200,365. Lord Derby’s greatest year as a winning owner was in 1928, when his horses won 45 races and £65,603 in stakes. As he furnished the winner of the Derby, Hyperion, another good year is in prospect for Lord Derby. Welcome Stranger, Victoria’s and probably Australia’s oldest active racehorse, has jumped his last fence in public. , He is now 17 years of age, and will spend the rest of his life wandering over his owner’s property. Welcome Stranger is a great example of the hardihood of the thoroughbred. He is by the imported horse Sea Prince, sire of so many good jumpers, from Colza. He passed through a' number of hands during his long career on the turf, having had his first race about 1920. Welcome Stranger has done everything a racehorse could do. He has in succession been flat-racer, hurdler, steeplechaser and hunter. He made a rather lowly beginning on the turf at the age of four vears. He was sold as a yearling for 50gns, but he never mixed with the cream of his contemporaries at two and three years. His first race was at Geelong, and when at five years he had his attention turned to hurdling, he quickly adapted himself to it. At the ace of 15 years ho won the Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool and was al§o twice placed in that race, the last time being when he was third to Solo King. That was in May last, when ue ran what proved to be his last race. The Australian stipendiary steward system has come in for some criticism following on the Pentheus and Closing Time incidents in Brisbane. It is felt by many (says “Vedette”) that the Australian system invests more power in a small body of men than is consistent with the administration of justice. The Brisbane inquiries, being open to the press, revealed fully the modus operandi of the stewards as policemen, prosecutors, juries, -and judge. They detect alleged turf law-breakers, prosecute them, sit in judgment on them, apd deliberate on their own prosecution, and finally inflict punishment or acquit. No court of law is accorded such wide powers as this, and it is certain that if' those who applaud the Australian system so vigorously had full experience of it they would not be so enamoured. Stipendiary stewards are admittedly a necessity, but only as policemen of the turf. It is urged that when they have detected the wrongdoers and charged them before a tribunal their duty should have ended. s The constitution of the tribunal is the problem. ’ Honorary stewards in the big centres are admittedly capable, and a strong committee of three should always be available in the cities. A paid chairman to act with two honorary stewards possibly would be a further improvement. Believe it or not, the New Zealand system is a fairer one than the Australian, despite its defects. Although Mr V. Riddiford is at present on his way to England, and will be there for some time, he is likely to be represented by a rather larger team of horses next season than he has been during the last couple of years. Mr E. Riddiford, his brother, will manage the racing of the hoi'ses during his absence. It is probable (says “ Rangitira ”) that 14 boxes in S. J. Reid’s stable at “ Brentwood Farm ” will be occupied before the new season begins. The horses to be prepared comprise six of the older raced division, the record-priced Zetes, and seven rising two-year-olds. The older raced horses arc Eminent, Clangor, Forestry, Might, Secrecy, and Valdarado. The two lastnamed will be the three-year-olds in the team. Zetes, who will be six years old, is at last being given his chance on the race track after having been kept out of the game till now as a result of having shown signs of breaking down when a first attempt was made to train him. The seven two-year-olds comprise Limulus (a bay filly by Chief Ruler from the Cyklon mare Chelae); a bay gelding by Captain Bunsby from the Martian mare Stardancer (dam of Starland, Starmist, Paperchase, Limelight, etc.); a bay gelding by Captain Bunsby from the Leighton mare Reveal (half-sister to Peep and Shock); a bay gelding by Chief Ruler from the imported Forest Girl (dam of Forestry); a bay colt by Chief Ruler from the imported Graciosa (dam of Might); a chestnut filly.by Hunting Song from the/imported Anthem (dam of Lyrical); and a black colt by Hunting Song from the imported Merit (dam of Lineage and Sapient). The two firstnamed were purchased at the yearling sales, but the others are of Mr Riddiford’s own breeding. The Merit colt is still at the Elderslie Stud, but the others are already, undergoing their early preparation. At present there is no prospect of returning to his box, nor will Meritor come in for the early part of the season. Some of the proposals in the final report of the British Commission which has been investigating lotteries and betting are revolutionary, writes “ Vigilant ” in an interesting article. This commission was appointed to inquire into the existing law and practice thereunder relating to lotteries, betting, gambling, and cognate matters and to report what changes, if any, are desirable and practicable. IF several of its recommendations are carried into effect, the sport of racing and the thoroughbred industry throughout the world will have cause for deep concern. Should the proposals referred to become law, it is difficult to see how .English racing and breeding can survive. When the commission was appointed objection was taken in some quarters to its personnel on the ground that it lacked practical racing men and breeders. The commission has recommended the “restriction of betting to 10 days a month, or 100 days a year, all racecourses and dog tracks being limited to two days a week.” To take the last suggestion first. What it means can be very simply shown. Four fixtures alone will provide sufficient illustration. The Epsom meeting, at which the Derby and Oaks are run, the second Newmarket meeting, at which the Two Thousand and One Thousand Guineas are decided, Royal Ascot, and the Goodwood meeting, each extend over four days in a week. Just to emphasise the illustration it may be added that both Ascot and Goodwood have only the one fixture apiece in the year. Apparently these famous fixtures are in some Jeopardy at the moment. Opponents of ■ racing in several countries are apt to speak of the aggregate number of annua! racing days misleadingly. On a holiday occasion, 20 “ days ” may be decided in the one afternoon, but they count as 20 in the total. How could racing and trotting survive even in New Zealand with such a law? The Christmas-New Year circuit on the West Coast of the South Island alone comprises 12 days’ racing (four meetings being clash fixtures). Even if clash fixtures counted as forming only one betting day, the West Coast circuit would leave only two days for a month . to be allocated among Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Dunedin, and all other centres. Once upon a time a deputation waited on the late Sir Thomas Bent, then Premier of Victoria, and asked him to bring about the cessation of all tourist trains from Melbourne on Sundays, Sir Thomas asked for time to consider big reply. In due course he announced his willingness to stop all Sunday passenger trains. This would have meant that the cathedrals and other city churches would have been empty. Melbourne continued to have its trains to the hills and beaches on the Sabbath. It was Macaulay who wrote: “We know no spectacle so ridiculous as the British public in one of its periodic fits of morality.” There docs not appear to be any question that gambling has been allowed to grow to huge dimensions in England and that some reforms are desirable. When one sees advertisements of English bookmakers to the effect that they will bet in any way on horse racing, dog racing, football, “ or any other recognised sport,” there seems room for change. Nevertheless, while an effective cure for toothache would appear to be cutting off the sufferer’s head, it is a remedy not in general favour. The commission was informed by

the chiefs of the police that it had been found impossible to enforce the Street Betting Act, and the reason those witnesses gave was that the law was unpopular and public sympathy strongly with the offenders and against the police. If some of the recommendations under review are adopted the police will not be likely to welcome them for similar reasons.