RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25426, 6 January 1944, Page 4

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel

Acceptances for the Wellington Cup meeting are due to-morrow. B. J. Mears, who won over hurdles on Midgard at Invercargill, rode at 7.5 at the Waikouaiti meeting. , The Solicitor General gelding Fair Trail ran a good race in the Invercargill Cup, and finished a close third after being one of the pace-makers. The Nigger Minstrel gelding Marquee shaped like a stayer when formerly in training. At Invercargill he was one of the early leaders in the Waihopai Handicap, but failed to stay on. Macedoine, the winner of the Invercargill Cup, was got by Salmagundi from Honest Maid, by Paladin from Honesty, who won the Invercargill Cup in 1915. Red Prize, who ran second to Aurora Australis at Invercargill, is a four-year-old gelding by Paper Money from Red Treasure, by Balboa from Red Pal. Red Treasure is a sister to Scarlet Lady, the. dam of Amorald. p Green Note, who won at Invercargill,' was got by Paper Money from Green Dart, by Last Dart—Green Isle, by Maniopoto. Last Dart was got by Spearmint from a granddaughter of St. Simon, whose strain is repeated in Paper Money and Maniopoto. Bonnie Chela, who won at Wyndham and Invercargill, is a chestnut filly by Salmagundi from Cetchela, by Ceiigne, who won the Newmarket Handicap- in, 1918 and the A.J.C. Derby, and beat Wolaroi, Estland, and Desert Gold in the Craven Plate in one of the greatest finishes ever seen in a weight-for-age race.

The Sydney Cup, 'of £SOOO, has a sweepstake of £3O and the Doncaster Handicap one of £25. Rehandicaps are limited to 101 b. The committee can reject all or any of the lower weighted horses if it becomes necessary to reduce the fields. Provision is made for emergency acceptors to replace horses withdrawn from the original acceptance. According to the Rules of Racing the stewards of a club hold practically unlimited power in regard to any meeting held under the club’s control. Although the stipendiary stewards are appointed by the executive of the Racing Conference, a club can appoint an steward who could make an independent report to the Judicial Committee. Under Rule 211 such advisory steward is entitled to demand an investigation by the stewards of any matter arising during the meeting and may sit and vote as steward at such investigation. The various clubs do not, however, as a general rule appoint an advisory steward (whose fee, if any, shall be paid by the club), but leave the control of the racing to the stipendiary steward appointed by the Racing Conference executive. The right to broadcast racing is sold annually by the executive of the Racing Conference and does not come under the contrpl of an individual club. Some clubs use a local broadcast, which is, however, confined to the course. The right to report track work Jias become established on a public racecourse, but does not apply to a private training track. These are the answers to a correspondent, with whom the writer agrees that the use of a standard starting barrier shoud be made compulsory. Improvements have been carried out on the Waikouaiti course since last year, but from an owner’s point of view the most important indication of progress was the withholding of the handicaps until after the racing. at Wingatui; At one time the handicaps for Waikouaiti, Oamaru,. and Wyndham were declared before the two days’ racing at Wingatui, and in addition the acceptances had also to be paid. Such a state of affairs was decidedly unfair to owners, and came close to infringing the Rules of Racing. According to the rules, a handicap ,is supposed to be compiled with the object of equalising the chance of all the horses in a race. After the racing on Dunedin Cup day, Silver Liiy in the President’s Handicap at Wyndham was meeting Royal Chorus, Hearth, Winning Flight, and Night Lancer on 81b and Royal Flight on 71b better terms than when she beat them in the Publicans’ Handicap. This very undesirable and. in fact, unfair state of things was due to the premature declaration of handicaps for Wyndham before the disclosure of the form at Wingatui. It no doubt led to the reduction of the field for the President’s Handicap, as it left several horses without the remotest chance of success on paper. The premature declaration ot the handicaps was thus proved to be against the interests of the meeting as well as those of some of the owners, who had paid nominations and acceptances, but were left without a chance of winning. Some years ago , I ' ed ,V! ce , the Invercargill Cup of £IOOO to three starters owing to the conditions attached to the programme. Amythas had previously won both the principal events at the Wingatui summer meeting. It was rumoured at the Invercargill meeting that the Wyndham Club may make a belated Ch A. n fpec?al train will run from Dunedin to Omakau in connection with the Vincent Jockey Club s meeting on January 15. The return train will also convey horses that competed at the meeting.