RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23369, 8 December 1937, Page 14

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel

Custodian Custodian is back in work after being treated to a lengthy spell. The Wyndham Meeting Nominations for the Wyndham Racing Club's meeting arc due to-day. Dunedin Summer Meeting Nominations for the Dunedin summer meeting fall due on Friday next. Francis Drake Francis Drake, in being sent along in his work and apparently his damaged hoof has become sound again. Glenora Boy i Glenora Boy, wh. won at Warwick \ Farm last week, is a three-year-old by ' Lord Warden from Full Swing, by Nassau. , Auckland Cup Acceptances for the Auckland Cup and Railway Handicap are due on December 17 A final payment for the Auckland Cun falls 'ue at the scales. Minor Events Handicaps for the minor events to be decided on the first day of the Auck- *' land Cup meeting will be declared on December 13, and acceptances fall due on December 17. Steeplechasing It is reported that Hunting Go has . been taken up again. The cross-' country races at Riverton are bringing I timber-toppers back to business. Related to Phar Lap Entreaty, the dam of Phar Lap, has foaled a filly to Nightmarch, a son of Night Raid, the sire of the "Red Terror." a , "Careless Riding" M. McCarten was suspended for two *< months for ttempting to take advan- ? tage of an opening that presented b itself on the inside. This forced another horse on to the fence. J Friesland It is stated that Friesland, who » finished fourth in the New Zealand • Cup, will be a sure starter in the 5 Auckland Cup, bar accidents. Friesland meets Cerne Abbas on 101 b better • terms than when they met at Riccarton. • :' ' ■ t , • Racing Into Condition The fear that a horse cannot be saddled at his best for an important event without a previous run is prob- « ably the reason why Argentic figures <J amongst the acceptances for the Hororata meeting. '* Getting Ready The proposed movement to abolish proprietry racing in New South Wales "' has stirred those interested into activity to combat the proposal. The proprietary clubs with big financial in- . terests at stake are sure to put up a | strong fight. I Proprietary Racing §•. ■ In England some years ago the ? profit made by proprietary racing clubs I was limited to 10 per cent. This was ." due to some of the clubs exploiting racing for all it was worth. When non-proprietary -lubs can supply all '-'■. the racing required there is abso- ; lutely no necessity for the sport being exploited as a business concern. Betrayal Sometimes a question asked or state- - ment made in connection with racing or trotting is a sure betrayal of ignorance. A still tongue makes a wise mouth in more things than one. A wink is as good as a nod to a blind horse, and Shakespeare said " Methinks he protests too much," or, in other wards, he talks too much. A Broken Collarbone The galloping jockey N. R. McKenzie met with an unf.'tunate mishap while engaged at the W*ikato Trotting Club's meeting at Claudelands on Saturday, , when he received a broken collarbone, '■'■ an injury that will probably keep him ; out of the saddle during the holiday ■ racing. McKenzie was riding Lady Amanda, a candidate for the Farewell •, Handicap, the mile saddle race, a'nd was ■giving her a preliminary shortly before the start'when she fell heavily. - Donoghue's Retirement Several London newspapers in -eading articles refer to the retirement of the famous jockey, Steve Donoghue, on Saturday, the last day of the flat-racmg season. The Daily Mail says that the racecourses are losing "not only the greatest race rider of his time, but a great little man." Donoghue's,. last ride resulted in a third on Highlander. If the horse had not run he would have been on the winner. Pegomas. Alarmed The announcement that the New South Wales Government intends to ask Parliament shortly to consider a Bill that aims at the conversion of racing clubs owned and controlled by private companies into non-proprietary clubs, has caused considerable unrest, not only to the directors of the racing clubs, such as Rosehill, Canterbury, Moorefield, Roseberry. Kensington, and Victoria Park, but to the shareholders who have money invested in the concerns as business propositions. Investigation Necessary Three riders w~e seriously injured at a recent meeting at Bathurst. Three ■ horses fell and one rider had both j shoulders broken, another fractured a ■ leg and received head injuries, and \ 'the .l.i' one ved head injuries ': and concussion. It is thought that the '• accident was caus< - 1 ■' one horse get- \ ting on the heels of another and once again this far too frequent source of ■ trouble seems to ' - accepted as some- . thing inseparable from racing This frequency of falls through horse' get- \ ting on another's heels warrants a far •• deeper investi? tion than what has ■ been the case in both Australia and ! New Zealand. Surely some remedy • should be sought in order to reduce ; the interference and falls that take - place. The cause ..f the trouble is • fairly obvious, and due to the fact that " many riders, owing to l""ing along one • side of a horse's neck, cannot see where J they are goinf,' and it is really surpris- » ing that more accidents do not occur j Rigging the Scales « Small piecej; of lead in chewing gum ' stuck in under the arm of the scale I used at the Northam Race Club's re- • cent (West Australia) meeting, reduced I riders' weights by as much as 31b The \ stipendiary steward found the scales J unsatisfactory before the start of the !• meeting. When the riders weighed out I for the fifth race some of them, with ' the same weight and gear as they had ' earlier in the day. were 21b overweight I Pieces of lead were then found on the flodr at the feet of a stipendiary steward, and an examination disclosed more under the arm of the scales.

Reduction in Tax Bookmakers recently decided in the Victorian Club to ask the Governmen' for a reduction by 50 per cent, of the tax on their betting ticKets. It was stated at the meeting that, although there were a few successful bookmakers, the majority were struggling, and relief from taxation was imperative. The tax on backers had been felt by bookmaker as well as by backers. Backers distributed their wagers so that as .iuch taxation as possible would be avoided, but the bookmakers had to use all the more tickets and so pay all the more sixpences. Ticket tax in the grand stand enclosure ,t Flemington and on all other metropolitan courses is 6d, the tax on tickets used on the hill at Flemington is 3d, and on the flat Id. In the Guineas reserve at Caulfield the tax is 2d, and on the South Hill and flat at Moonee Vallev it is l|d. Adelaide Betting Many bookmakers were in financial difficulties, and South Australian punters were increasingly turning attention to interstate fixtures, said the chairman of the Betting Control Board (Mr Jelley) in evidence before the Betting Commission. In spite of their difficulties, he said, bookmakers were observing the law. Mr Jelley submitted figures showing that bookmakers from July 1 to October 31, 1937, recorded a turnover of £328,325 on the course on local meetings and of £886,144 in premises, giving a total turnover on all South Australian meetings of £1,214,470. The on-course turnover for interstate events was £112,695. and the premises turnover £1,199,293, making a total turnover on interstate meetings of £1,311,898, and the total turnover on all meetings £2,526,459 Winnings paid to betters on all meetings during the period totalled £2,424,974. The total winnings on the course were £307,874, and on premise-. £220,935. The interstate, on-course figure was £116,857 and in premises £1,179,306. The gross profit on operations on South Australian meetings was £85.660 and on interstate meetings £15,824. The total number of bets on South Australian meetings was 5,413,561, of which 5,140.451 were of 10s and under. On interstate meetings the bets laid numbered 6,849.622. of which 6,575,614 were of 10s and under. All bets laid numbered 12,263,183, the average amount of each being 4s ljd. A statement dealing with the 12 months ended June 30, 1937, indicated that turnover and number of bets had increased. Betting on South Australian meetings decreased, and on interstate meetings considerably increased