RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22447, 17 December 1934, Page 15

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel.

Nominations for the Vincent meeting close on Friday.

Entreaty, the dam of Phar Lap, has foaled a sister to the galloping freak. Travenna sprinted half a mile on the plough in olsec. He has furnished in to a fine type of horse. Unless Silver Ring shows a recovery from lameness, his engagements at the Auckland Cup meeting will be abandoned.

A recent addition to R. M‘Kay’s stable is a well-grown and stylishdooking filly by Paladin from Countersign.

Minerval is being kept going, with the intention of running him in the Wellington Cup. Wingatui trainers are anxious for a good fall of rain, particularly those with horses requiring a school over hurdles.

The New Zealand Cup winner Steeton is engaged amongst the sprinters at the Southland Racing Club’s meeting. Chotta has not been doing much track work since being recommissioned. She looks in good order for another preparation.

Kemal Pasha, carrying a featherweight, sprinted half a mile on the course in 54sec. He now shows the appearance of solid and well-seasoned condition. Newsreel broke away in front of Sunny Jean and the Lord Yarden—Spangle two-year-old, and led them over three furlongs on the tan in 39 l-ssec. Unseen left half a mile behind on the plough in 53sec, and New Note and Maid of the East covered the same ground in 52 l-ssec.

It is wonderful how freely and well horses stride out in their work, until they get something alongside them that can carry them along.

Polydora is definitely booked to come this way for the holiday meetings, and will be accompanied by Scratcbmcre Scar and Ellerton.

A light drizzling rain was falling at Wingatui on Saturday morning, and would bo more welcome in the shape of a heavy downpour, as the course requires a good soaking.

Queen of Song, ridden out, drew away from Hot Tea at the end of six furlongs on the course in Imin 213-ssec. Hot Tea stayed with the filly for over three furlongs.

Tizzy and Meadow Lark covered five furlongs on the plough in Imin 3 2-ssec, the last four in 52sec. Tizzy pleased more than the Songbird gelding, who, however, seems to have taken a tresh lease of life.

Maid of the East, who is in work at Wingatui, is a three-year-old filly by Paper Money from Maid of the West, an imported mare by Westward Ho, a son ot Swynford. D. P. Wilson has a fairly large team in work on his private track at Mosaic! Park. His nominations for the holiday meetings include Black Duke, Guarantee, Kirbside, Aro Arc, and Fireguard.

The Duke of Gloucester will be in Dunedin during the jubilee meeting of the Vincent Jockey Club. He should be invited to flv up for lunch and see two or three races and the Gold Cup, which rivals the Ascot Gold Cup in value.

The nominations received in connection with .the holiday meetings taking place in Otago and Southland contain ample material for good cards for each fixture, even after allowing for the usual split up for horses engaged at the clashing dates.

AVhen Illuminate won the Tiri Hack Hurdles in 3inin 9 3-ssec at the Takapuna Jockey Club’s meeting at Bllerslic 011 November 24 most people were under the impression that he had established a New Zealand record for a mile and threequarters over hurdles. However, such was not. the-case, and it has been recalled by A. D. Adams, who trained Sunny Sky a couple of seasons ago, that Whanoko on one occasion recorded the remarkable time of 3min 7 2-issec at Hastings. The performance was registered on April 26, 1922, and Whanoko. carrying 9.5. won by 10 lengths from Sunray. On the following day Whanoko carried 10’.5, and won by four lengths over the same distance in Sniin 11 2-ssec. Whanoko was a brown gelding by Marshal Soult from Mangamoteo. He carried the colours of Mr A. R. G. Henderson and was a very useful performer at Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne meetings. .

FIFTY ON THE FIELD. As well known at Raudwick as at Flemington, M. J, Healy, one of the leaders of the Victorian ring, celebrated his jubilee as a bookmaker on the last day of theV.R.C. spring meeting. He and W. (“Tosh”) Wall, who has been in business for 51 years, have been in the game longer than any other bookmaker in the history of Australian racing. I was born in 1864 in Colliugwood, where I lived for 52 years, and (says M. J.. Healy, in the Melbourne Globe) 1 was only 20 when I first put on a bag. That was on the flat in partnership with my cousin; it was the year Malua won the Melbourne Cup. Eight months later I transferred to the Hill, and in 1890 joined the paddock ring. I have been in business without a break ever since. I am often asked about my turnover during 50 years of business. I haven’t the faintest idea about ( the amount, but it must run into millions. A man doing only a very moderate business would handle more than £20,000 a year, and 50 years at that rate would mean £1,000,000. On the Melbourne Cup alone I have done much more than that. Against Clean Sweep, for example, I laid £28,000 for the 1900 Cup, and, incidentally, won £7OOO on the race. That was my biggest Cup liability, but there was big betting in those days on the two Cups and Derby and Cup doubles. My worst race was the Epsom Handicap of 1900, won by Barney Allen’s Ampier, trained by Jack Williams. I don’t like to say what I was hit for. The next worse race for me was Revenue’s Cup in 1901. Leslie McDonald’s horse took a huge sum out of the ring, and my countribution to the winnings of punters was £20,000. They started backing the horse at fancy prices and I laid as short as 6t04 on the course. A great betting coup was pulled off that year, but I think Carbine’s win under 10.5 took more out of the ring. The old horse was a great favourite, and every Tom, Dick, and Harry was on him. Poitrel, in 1920, was another costly winner for us, and Acrapia won a huge fortune for her bookmakerowner, Humphrey Oxenham, in 1904. It is not easy to say what any of these horses took out of the Melbourne ring, for in their time there were big operators in Bowes Tattersall’s, as well as the Victorian Club. To-day we know to within a few pounds what is paid out. By the way, one hears a lot nowadays about leading bookmakers covering up at the last moment. I never liked it, and would rather keep going. I remember an incident that will show what I mean. Just before Revenue’s Cup, Leslie M'Donald said to a promient man who is still in business: “ Look, I think my horse is a certainty: you have laid him heavily and you ought to get out of some of it.” “Thanks,” was the reply, “I’ll lay you another £5000.”

In my early days Joe Thompson was leader of the ring, and what a leader he was! He had a wonderful personality and great business tact. As a colleague there has never been anyone like him. If he laid a big bet he would let any of us in on it for 20 or 50, or whatever we wanted. He set a high standard jn every way, and did much to establish public confidence and goodwill. Soon after I started, I was at Spencer street waiting for a train to get to Werribee for the races. There was a poor service in those days, and we found the only train would get there after the first race. But that did not worry Joe. “ Here, son,” he said to me, “ you’re in the game. I’m getting a special, and you can be in it.” He was a big bettor, but not as big as Bob Jansen, the present leader of the ring. I have bet beside many men, but none of them operated on Bob’s colossal scale. He is worse than the tote; he never refuses.

There are not many of the old-timers left to-day. There is 9nly one alive of the bookmakers operating when I first went to Bendigo, and he is driving a cab. There are none of the Ballarat Tot left. I am , one of the lucky ones, for I am 70, and feel good for another. 70. Have you ever noticed the different way bookmakers call the odds?' Some are very quiet; others are like loud speakers. Harry Youldeu has a voice like that.

When he was on the flat a friend made a bet that he could bear the odds at the abattoirs, and he collected. George Benson was like an. amplifier. Close up, his “ Three to one the field ” was quite soft. But with .distance that deep voice rose and swelled, and you could hear it as you got out of the train. I don’t know how I sound; all I know is that I say, “Thank you” if a ) client accepts my offer, and “ Thank you ” if he declines it. That saves all arguments. Looking back,' I think we fellows deserve well of the Railways Department. Take my own.case. Until the last four years I fielded at the big Randwick meetings without a break for 40 years. That meant some travelling. Here are a couple of special efforts. One Monday I made a book at Fitzroy and fielded on the first race at Randwick next day. I left that night by the express, had it stopped at Essendon, where a car was waiting for me, and was at Woodend for the first event on Wednesday. Another time I was at Randwick on Monday, back at Richmond on Tuesday, at Randwick again on Wednesday, and did not miss a race at either course. Even riiore strenuous was this: Randwick on Saturdey, Hamilton on Tuesday and Wednesday, Ballarat on Thursday and Friday, and a Melbourne course on Saturday.

The totalisator? I don’t think the bigger men are affected by it in the least. I am certain it is a good thing for the racecourses, for many people go now who never went near a bookmaker in their, lives. It would be safe to say that about three in every 20 in a Cup crowd have never had a bet with a bookmaker. But the smaller men are feeling the opposition, largely through the tax on tickets, and many of them have dropped out. Naturally one thinks of the great horses one has watched. I haven’t any doubt at all about Phar Lap being out in front of all the rest. He was three horses in one. He, had brilliant speed, was quick off the mark, could take up any position his rider wanted, and could stay all day. Carbine came next and Malua was a wonderful all-rounder. He won an Oakleigh Plate, Melbourne Cup, and Grand National Hurdle. Wakeful was on her own among the mares. Ever since I began there have been punters with what they call systems. How they work them out I don’t know. A man will come to you with £2O for one race, £1 for the next, £l6 5s for the next, and so on. We fellows rather like these system bettors, for so far they have all ended the one way. Now for admission. I am a bad judge of a korse, and I make no bones about it. But there was a. time when I thought I knew a lot and confidence in my judgment led me into making my special freak bet —£100 to 5s the favourite. It was a selling race at Cranbonrne, and I made up ray mind that the favourite was not ready. So I laid another book, £IOO to 5s about it. The horse drifted, but the money came for him, and he started at 6 to 4 on. He lost by a tongue. No; it wouldn’t pay me to back my own judgment. I should like to thank everyone wherever I have been for the unfailing consideration and courtesy I have received. It is very pleasant to feel after all these years that one has made only friendships through association in business on the course. Perhaps, after all, bookmakers are not such a bad lot as some people would make out. At Bendigo this week I sat next to an old friend, in Jim Scobie, at lunch. “ Well, Mick,” be said. “ Fifty years a bookmaker and fifty years without doing a wrong.” Let me leave it at that.