RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23370, 9 December 1937, Page 17

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel

Dunedin Summer Meeting Nominations for the Dunedin summer meeting are due to-morrow Winning Form s Eight of the 12 two-year-olds engaged in the Great Northern Foal Stakes rank as winners. A Bracket Wine Card and Paper Note will fprm a bracket if both start in the Knight Memorial Handicap. A Double Drinkup and Wine Card are two of the favourite ways in connection with the Hororata meeting. Dictate Dictate is bowling along freely in his work at Riccarton, and should shape well if started at the Hororata meeting. Sir Hugh Sir Hugh is doing good work at Riccarton, and as E. A. Jones will have the mount at Hororata the 71b allowance should help him. Big Dook It is reported that Big Dook has brightened up considerably since racing at the New Zealand Cup meeting. Chile The Limond gelding Chile, who is engaged at the Hororata meeting, has not raced since the Wellington winter meeting of 1936. Activity Riccarton horses with engagements at the Auckland Cup meeting that are being kept busy include Argentic, Wild Chase, Cerne Abbas, Royal Chief, and Paper Slipper. Studley Royal L. J. Ellis will have the mount on Studley Royal' at Hororata. Studley Royal showed promise by winning twice as a two-year-old, and has been shaping well in his track work. Catalogue It is reported that Catalogue is not going to Auckland, but Mrs A. W. McDonald will take The Crooner and Sudan. Mr E, L. Barnes, owner of Catalogue, has been seriously ill in Christchurch since the New Zealand Cup meeting, but he is now recovering. Catalogue may race at the Manawatu meeting. Screamer The grey gelding Screamer has had a good deal of racing without success. He won last season at Manawatu, but was placed third on the ground of interference. His racing experience and speed should be in his favour for the Trial Plate at Hororata. Doubles One of the most popular innovations of the British Racecourse Betting Control Soar'd was the setting up of a doubles totalisator on important events, winning investors to be paid a fixed dividend, but tickets on any combination increasing in price from time to time. This is apart from the daily double run on the various courses. The dividend on the CambridgeshireCesarewitch double, won respectively by Artist’s Prince and Punch, was £29 4s. Of the 701 investors who nominated the winning pair, 488 bought their tickets at 2s 6d, 96 at ss. and 117 at 10s. Speed Gay Blonde, who won with 7.13 in Imin 11 3-ssec. holds the race record in connection with the Railway Handicap. Since 1931 each winner has broken Imin 13sec. At Riccarton the Stewards Handicap has been won four times faster than Imin llsec. Three winners in Glentruin, Comic Song, and Grand Sport won in Imin 10 2-ssec, and Silver Streak in Imin 10 3-ssec. Silver Scorn won the Middle Park Plate in Imin 9 2-ssec when carrying 9.11. Silver Ring holds the Trentham record at Imin 9i|.sec. A Close Call

Cerne Abbas had to be ridden right out in the New Zealand Cup to beat Wild Chase. It was considered an error of judgment to send a doubtful stayer in Wild Chase out to the front so far from home, but even so Cerne Abbas, fully extended, only beat the former by half a length. Wild Chase meets Cerne Abbas on 71b better terms in the Auckland Cup. and so holds an excellent chance of beating the New Zealand Cup winner. Argentic’s form in the New Zealand Cup cannot be taken into consideration because m comparison with the Metropolitan Handicap it was too bad to be true. Period for Pondering

There is a considerable length of time between the declaration of the handicap for the Auckland Cup and the declaration of acceptances. However it supplies ample time to analyse the figures and form, and so far no serious complaints have been shown, except that Cuddle has declined to meet Argentic on 61b better terms and Cerne Abbas on 31b worse tcvms than when they filled the places in the Metropolitan Handicap. Last year Cuddle gave Argentic 81b and a length and a-half beating. This year the margin.was increased by 31b.

* No Control of Racing ” The only function of a proprietary club in New South Wales is to own a racecourse on which race meetings are conducted. Proprietary clubs have no control over actual racing, which is

entirely in the hands of the Australian Jockey Club, a non-proprietary body. The whole of the officials, including stewards, judge, and clerk of the scales are appointed by the A.J.C. and the fees are paid by the companies con trolling the racecourses. All the bookmakers, trainers, jockeys and horses are under the jurisdiction of the A.J.C. Directors of the companies are of opinion that any belief that racing would be improved by non-proprietary control, therefore, falls to the ground, because the proprietary clubs have no control, except to provide the prizemoney and to keep the racing tracks up to date. If two courses are closed and they are valued at £200,000 in all, it will take £12,000 a year to pay even 5 per cent, to the people who own those courses, and £ 10,000 paid in wages to employees to maintain the courses would be lost to wage-earners. If courses are closed, it is claimed that it is going to make training difficult, as the present racecourses are used to their full capacity. Trainers and their staffs have built up businesses and erected homes in proximity to the various racecourses. They cannot be expected to travel long distances. It will put many out of business if the proprietary clubs are compelled to cease operations. The employees will suffer severely, as is costs £SOOO a year to maintain a racecourse. This is entirely spent on wages. Racecourse directors say that there is absolutely no necessity to abolish proprietary racing clubs, and noi benefit can accrue from closing any metropolitan club. It would take a tremendous amount of compensation to compensate fairly the owners, trainers and employees. Directors say that the proprietary clubs should be allowed to control their business as at present.