RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25852, 24 May 1945, Page 9

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel

The Croupier gelding High Play has been placed in training again. First In tops the list of winners for the present season with £5672 in stakes. Handicaps for the Dunedin winter meeting will appear on Monday, May 28, and acceptances must be made on May 29. The programme for the Grand National meeting is in circulation and has stakes ranging in value from £4OO to £2500. The maximum weight for the Grand National Steeplechase is 12.7. An entry of 163 horses was received for the Cheddington Novices’ Hurdles at Cheltenham, England, on March 24. This was a record under National Hunt Rules. Owing to the big stakes now being offered by the Metropolitan clubs for hack races, the Auckland Racing Club will endeavour at the next meeting of the Racing Conference to increase the maximum stake that puts a hack out of that class from £250 to £4OO.

Craigie, a five-year-old son of Chatham, is rated the best stayer in Sydney. In less than six months he has won more than £12,000, his principal wins being the Tattersall’s Club Handicap, the Sydney Cup, and the A.J.C. Plate. A full report of the Te Rapa Steeplechase states that Albino and Rockery both looked unlucky. Albino fenced in splendid style, but a faulty leap when in the lead at the second-last fence laid him low and also accidentally brought down Rockery, who held a winning position at the time. Khurja, who was in the picture throughout, fell at the last fence, leaving Dauber clear in front, but Ramillies put in good work in the run home to get up, while Sir Percy was also running on strongly. Lockheed was another casualty on the heavy track, falling at a sod wall. It is the Intention of.F. W. McCabe to set up as a public trainer in Auckland. About 30 years ago McCabe was one of the leading jumping riders in New Zealand. At that time he rode for Mr J. D Ormond, his wins including the Great Northern Steeplechase on Peary- McCabe has travelled extensively, and has been associated with racing in England, Ireland, France. Australia, and India He rode Picture Saint in the Grand National Steeplechase at Liverpool in 1918. The South Canterbury Jockey Club has received permission to hold its postponed meeting on Saturday. The fields maybe smaller than those that appear on the card, but no official scratchings have been announced. , , . The rule which compels certain items of gear to be placed in the scales is a relic of the bygone years, when laxity of control opened the door to fraudulent practices The loaded whip led to the exclusion of the whip from the gear to be put in the scales, but a horse can still be raced in shoes, in spite of the fact that the weight of the shoes may have a material effect on the form shown by a horse. Under the rules a horse could, with the permission of the stewards, be raced at Timaru, for instance, in shoes, and as a result make a comparatively poor showing, which would probably lead to more lenient treatment in the handicaps for the next meeting. In America compulsory disqualification follows when it is found that a horse has been raced in shoes. Well-worn shoes may be as light as racing plates, but the wearing of them should not be permitted. New Zealand is probably the only country in the world where a horse is allowed to run in shoes. „,, _ Following the runmng of the Gorge Hack Handicap at the combined MartonAshhurst meeting at Marton on Saturday last, the stipendiary steward, Mr B. N. Sandilands, charged P. Spratt, the rider of Broielov, with not riding his mount on its merits. The Judicial Committee dismissed the charge on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence to support it. Broielov was the 2/3 favourite, and, after being slow away from the barrier, came with a late run and failed by half a head to overhaul Old Red, who had got to the front halfway down the straight. Broielov is owned by Messrs V. Rosenthal and F. G. Travers, Bombay, and joined Spratt’s Trentham stable two weeks ago. He was formerly trained at Ellerslie by D. J. Arnott. Unless the strictest control is exercised, people who follow racing closely may be inclined to lose confidence. That would be most unfortunate, especially in connection with a sport that is one of our greatest national pastimes. There can be no doubt (says the Auckland -Herald) of the existence of a serious menace to the welfare of racing. It therefore behoves the racing authorities to take urgent steps to combat this menace. Some people believe that the present race day control, that is, judicial committees, composed of honorary stewards, with stipendiary stewards as investigating stewards, is in need of overhaul and ihat some method must be found to make it more rigid. So long as it is a method that will strengthen control it will be welcomed. The system of race-day control by stipendiary stewards is functioning well in Australia. The time may now be opportune to consider whether it is worth a trial in New Zealand. There are difficulties in working the system in the Dominion, but they should not be insurmountable. Under the present control in New Zealand a stipendiary steward is not entitled to vote on any questions decided by the stewards. Therefore, a stipendiary steward is really only an investigating steward for the judicial committees, or honorary stewards. He possesses certain rights of appeal If he is dissatisfied with any decisions. The system is involved and unwieldly. It frequently leaves the final decision regarding incidents with people who have not witnessed the particular race from which the inquiry arose. What happens in races is a matter of observation. Judgment may be best left to men whose experience and knowledge of racing entitles them to adjudicate on such matters.