SPORTING RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24826, 28 January 1942, Page 2

SPORTING

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel FIXTURES January 31.—Auckland R.C. February 7.—Canterbury J.C. February 7.—Winton J.C. February 7,—Matamata J.C. February 7, 14. —Egmont R.C. Winton. —Acceptances for the Winton meeting are due on February 3. A new-comer.—A rising two-year-old by Kincardlni is a recent addition to G. A. McKay’s stable. Passed.—Gladynev was passed in at 400 guineas and Tidewaiter at 80 guineas when under the hammer at the National Sales.

Dominate.—Owing to being crowded at the finish of the Nursery Handicap Dominate lost a good chance of winning. Eulogist.—After being prominent up to the home turn Eulogist lost a chance of being in the money in the W.R.C. Handicap through getting cramped for room. Comparisons.—At the Wellington Cup meeting the sum of £100,136 10s (win £39,938, place £60,198 10s) was handled as against £93,773 on the second day (Saturday) 12 months ago. For the two days (Saturdays) the total turnover was £177,958, against £169,125 10s on the first two days (Thursday and Saturday) last year. On the third day (Anniversary Day) last year, the sum of £111.872 10s was handled. Banks Peninsula. —According to the present strength of the fields for the C.J.C. midsummer meeting, to be held on the Motukarara course, four races are in danger of being run in divisions. This includes the Middle Park Plate, in which, however, some have been left in by oversight. The safety number at Motukarara is 19 for all distances.

At Wingatul.—The Inside grass track and sand track were open for training operations at Wlngatui yesterday morning, and a large number of horses were on the course in spite of the doubt about the future of racing. In some quarters an Impression appears to exist that racing, in common with football, cricket, golf, tennis, or croquet, can be postponed or abandoned without any great inconvenience or expense to those concerned. A day at football, cricket, etc., can be abandoned with only a minimum of cost and inconvenience to all concerned. That does not apply to racing by any stretch of imagination, and that is why two meetings a week are held in England—not from a sporting point of view only, but also to protect as far as possible the interests of a vast Industry. The executives of the Racing Conference and the Trotting Conference should place before the public the financial loss that would result from a serious curtailment of racing and trotting. Money talks, and facts and figures at the command of the executive of the Racing Conference should be published to convince even the antiracing public that the vested interests in racing must receive consideration. An Object Lesson. —The Wellington Cup meeting, following the Auckland Cup meeting and the New Zealand Cup meeting. again proved convincingly that defeated top-weights hold a remote chance of success when racing under increased weight over the two-mile course. It has proved a mistake to increase the burden of a defeated top-weight over two miles because of a success or partial success over a mile and a-half journey. This is not an idea born of recent observations, but has been mentioned on previous occasions, and particularly prior to the Wellington Cup meeting. It is an established fact that an increase of weight diminishes a horse’s chance and inferentially improves that of others more leniently treated. The basic principle of handicapping should be that if a horse is defeated under a certain burden that burden should be lessened for subsequent races. It is not always sufficient to increase the burden of a winner or the placed lot.