RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22738, 26 November 1935, Page 17

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel. Polydora ■polydora, although robust and full of health and strength, is to hi spelled until the autumn. Postponed; It has been decided that Gold Paper will not be retired to the stud until nest season. Red Manfred Red Manfred was brought back _ from Australia last week and Sporting Blood and Grand Sport are booked to follow. Lowenberg It is reported that Lowenberg, the winner of the New Zealand Derby, is booked to race at the Auckland Cup meeting. Kind Heart The two-year-old Kind Heart, who won in promising style, is booked to race at Feilding and then at the Auckland tup rneeting. . . • A Penalty Inipala did not appear to be harshly treated when re-handicapped to carry an extra 71b in the Stewart Island Handicap after her decisive win earlier in the day. She finished well outside the money. i The Clifford Chequers , The Clifford chequers will be represented at the Auckland Cup meeting by Wild Chase and Paper Slipper- and possibly one or two more from the stable may abnmake the trip.

A Strong Stable When the Chokebore Lodge stable has received all the two year olds to be added to the team, 13 youngsters will be in training for-future'engagements...-The latest additions .are Recollection, a colt by Folazel from Retrospect, and Sailalong, a colt by Winning Hit from Swoopalong

Silver Ring "On what we saw of Silver Ring in Sydney, it would seem little use racing him beytnd a'mile and a-quarter; in fact, in good company even that distance is far for him," said a Sydney writer in cussing "the Silverado gelding's prospects in New Zealand. History now says otherwise. ' • : V.':

Reducing the Cost Something conveying an idea of desire to reduce the cost of* racing to owners comes from the Hororata Racing Club, which has reduced the cost of acceptance to the Trial Plate and Novice Stakes to 10s. ■lt is- probably the first time in history that the fee has been reduced below £l.

A Successful Campaigner S. G. Ware is clue to arrive at Bluff on December 3, but no definite.information can be obtained about his team. Gay Circle, Desert Chief, and Jack Horner are engaged in, the Great Northern Derby, in which Kinnoull is not engaged. Mr G. J. Barton has informed the'writer that plans for the future are indefinite, but that he does not enjoy racing unless he can see his colours carried. ' On Parade

During an interval between the races at. Invercargill seven novice horses, including two four-year-olcls, sprinted down the straight. A two-year-old colt by Bos enor from Aspiring led home from Blue Sapphire, an Australian-bred filly by Blue Flame from Ardis. and a filly by Lord Warden from Set Sail finished third. The other two-year-olds were a filly by Polazel from. Bridget and a filly by Night Raid from Louise. A grey gelding by Songbird from an Obsono mare and a black filly bv British Empire also took part in the parade. Aspirins, the dam of the Rosenor colt, won the M'Lean Stakes in 1928.

Owned in Australia It is unusual for an Australian-owned horse to be raci*-- in New Zealand, but Pasha, who ran at the Waikato meeting, is owned by Mrs M. Gearin, of Sydnev. and is trained bv the- hurdle jockey. W. J. Burgess,.at Ellerslie. Pasha, who is a four-vear-old by Rampion from Turkish Holidav. was a smart two-year-old in Australia, but he went in the wind. He was sent over to Dr W. C. Ring for an operation, which appears to have been successful, and also, no doubt, accounts for the fa"t that he has remained here to do some racing.

A Record Dividend Commander Ill's surprise victory in this year's Cambridgeshire meant f 2301 14s each for three backers. They jointly held tickets in the totalisator pool coupling Near Relation in the Cesarewitch and Commander 111 in the Cambridgeshire. The totalisator dividend for the double was a record—lß.B92 to one. In all. £23,864 was wagered through the totalisator. but this was only a tithe of the prodigious sums invested in the race 4 ereat deal of money stayed with the hookmakers, for the winner started at a long quote.

The Single Card Although the one-day card provided by the Southland Racing Club last week proved a success from the clubs point ot view, it may not be regarded m the same light by owners sending horses from a distance Wingatui sent down several borses, but only one of them managed to win The others that were not good enough at the weights or beaten by bad luck or something had no chance to pay their way by the readjustment of handicaps provided by a .second clay's card. Naturally a club is anxious to hold profitable meetings to provide the ' smews of war" for the future, but when four days racin" take place during a season it is the ceneral result and not that 01 one meeting which should be of primary consideration. A club in addition to studying its own welfare must in duty bound consider the general walfare of racing and the interests of owners who pay travelling expenses. Wingatui stables provided four cf «.be seven starters in

the Southland Cup and patronaee ior single day meetings may not be so.liberal in the future. It is a question, of expense and possibility of a return, and only one horse can win a race. .

Sporting Blood's Bad Luck Bad luck which has followed the New Zealander, Sporting Blood, Vsince he reached Australia early this season, robbed him of his last chance to win a good stake in Melbourne in .the V.R.C. Handicap (says the'Sporting'"Globe"). In a slow-run race his staying qualities were nullified and he went down before a moderate performer in Bunsby Gaze. Sporting Blood came from the Dominion with a good record. He was backed tor the Epsom and Metropolitan, but a thigh injury, caused by a kick from a stable mate on the tracks, resulted in his withdrawal from all engagements. The wound became septic and he had- to be thrown out of training. Sporting Blood's trainer considered returning to Xew Zealand, but came on to Melbourne, and his plans 'probably •'would, have been successful in the V.R.C. Handicap had the race been run at a sound pace. Roy Reed has been accused of making too much use of Sporting Blood and beginning his run too soon. He was in the' position of either having to fight with his mount or take the lead. He nursed Sporting Blood as far as he could, and the horse could not stall off the fast-finishing run of Bunsby Gaze, who defeated him easily. The winner is not a brilliant horse. The slow pace suited him, but dashed the hopes of Sporting Blood and Hot Shot, who followed him home. Had Tapestry set a strong pace, as he did in the Veteran Stakes on Oaks Day, Sporting Blood would not have been too near the front and would have had more scope for his finishing run. A Note of Progress

It has bee:i definitely decided that the Wellington Racing Club will have a five or six-strand barrier in use at the mile and a-quarter post for the Wellington Cup meeting. The mile and a-quarter post at Trentham is the most difficult place on the course to start a race, and recognition'of the fact led to the introduction of races oyer an extra furlong. The difficulty is created by the start taking place hear the turn out of the straight, and hence riders are doubly keen on getting well away at the rise of the barrier. If the introduction of the Aus-tralian-harrier can improve the starling by helping to control a field, then it will stand the most severe test that can be applied" to it. In theory, the severalstrand 'barrier must steady a field very milch better than a single strand, which • loos not provide sufficient check to either riders or horses. From foalhoocl to maturity horses are kept in check and held in paddocks by fences in many cases built with several strands of wire, and if they are confronted with a barrier .similarly constructed, then it should have a restraining influence on them, and the riders are not likely to try and anticipate its release. That is theory, and in practice" it has for very many years produced the best results in Australia, and also for several years in England and on the Continent. All sorts of contraptions for .starting have been tried in America, but latterly the starting stalls were going out of favour, and this would mean a return to some type of barrier. The Wellington Racing Club will be the (irst to introduce a type of barrier that has very successfully stood the test of years, and, whatever happens, it will at least show the club to be imbued with-.very desirable and progressive views. Every club should, as a duty to racing and its natrons, be keen to adopt anything calculated to enhance the popularity of the sport. 'The State of the Odds One of the questious continuously in evidence at race meetings concerns the probable price likely to, be paid, by a possible winter or one with a chance for a place. It is always interesting to watch the fluctuations and betting even though the starting price cannot help or hinder a hotse's chinces when on business bent after the rise of the barrier. Anything in the way of means or mechanical method which can enable investors to acquire prompt knowledge as to what dividend is likely to be paid helps to expedite the betting. It is quite common to hear questions asked as to. what a horse is likely to pay. This creates dilly-dallying and last-minute rush by those who will not exercise a little mental arithmetic and think for themselves. At Trentham an indicator with easily read means of ascertaining the odds for a win or a place has had a twofold benefit. Jt tends to relieve, the congestion in front of the totalisator in much the same way as the recording machine does at Forbury Park. That in itself is a great asset towards facilitating investments on the totalisator. to which easy access .is a matter of paramount importance. The indicator of odds splits those on the point of, investing and those waiting for inspiration from the price showing on ths> machine. Formerly everyone crowded to the face of the totalisator. The arrangements at Riccartou are not nearly so good as those at Trentham. In- the first place, the indicator is fixed on the face of the totalisator and- hence does not split the crowd as at Trentham. The arrangements at Riccarton also fan, and fail badly, because it is necessary to. get square 011 to the indicator in order to distinguish the colours showing the odds This was the great fault of,the indicator when used at the Grand National meeting, and the same serious drawback failed to ■find a remedy provided at the New Zealand Cup meeting. The colours indicating the odds at Riccarton are too feeble and lack sufficient distinctiveness and even anpear variegated owing to the bad light on the face created by a badly placed position according to the light of the day at an afternoon at Riccarton. Ilns requires a remedy and. judging by results at Trentham and Forbury Park, the indicator should be placed apart from the face of the totalisator. In America a scientific study has been made, for advertising purposes, as to what are the greatest contrasts in colours readable at the greatest distance. It was found that fairly dark blue against white stood ou". more conspicuously than any other contrast in colours. This can be verified by palette and brush people with whom the blending and contrast in colours is the dominating factor of art. At Trentham the colours are black and yellow, but do not supplv such a vivid contrast as a dead white and blue. Until the indicator of odds can be easily read at a distance it fails to achieve the object of installs tion, and when this question of colours based on scientific deduction becomes accepted the easy method of ascertaining the odds for a win and a place will be adopted by all clubs with progressive ideas.