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Otago Daily Times, Issue 25958, 26 September 1945, Page 2

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel

Jottings A number of horses from northern stables are booked to arrive at Wingatui to-day. Sphere and Foxchase have been made favourites for the Tally-Ho Handicap, and Weld Cona for the Vauxhall Handicap. The tops of the jumps on the steeplechase course at Wingatui have been painted white, and this should help a horse to measure a fence.

Lunaria and Sir Tague were the first horses to arrive at Wingatui from the north, and they got through easy exercise yesterday morning. Islay Downs, Bonny Flight, Victory Flight, and Special Flight were overnight arrivals from the south. L. J. Ellis has not found Geraldine a lucky course. He got a bad fall there a couple of vears ago at the turn out of the straight, and this year he was crowded on the rails and is now laid up with a badly bruised ankle. Pink Clover was brought south to Geraldine, but was then sent back to Riccarton because his trainer was anxious about the risk of racing him owing to signs of unsoundness. Pink Clover, in consequence, was allowed to drop out of his engagement at the Otago Hunt Club’s meeting. Improvements at Wingatui The improvements at present being carried out on the Wingatui course will be covered by an expenditure of between £6OOO and £7OOO, most of this sum being required to place the appointments in order after occupation by the military authorities. Other improvements will be carried out when permits are available. Adverse Opinion The allocation of the restired permits has not been favourably received in Southland. The opinion has been expressed that in the interests of racing the permits granted to Otautau and Tapanui could have been used to much better advantage.

An Appeal It was stated at Geraldine that the owner of Piccolo had lodged an appeal against the decision of the stewards to deprive Piccolo of first place in the Geraldine Cup. At one time an appeal on an alleged question of fact could not be entertained. A Good Move

The stewards of the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club are to be congratulated on the step they have taken to make racing cheaper for owners. For the spring meeting this week acceptance fees have been reduced to 10s a £IOO. This means that the acceptance for the £SOO main handicap is £2 10s. No doubt this course (says “St. Simon” in the Dominion) will be followed in future as long as the club continues to prosper, and the step will be greatly appreciated by owners. Not many people are aware of the steeply increased cost of racing these days. Training fees have been increased because the cost of labour, materials, and fodder is much dearer than in pre-war years, and the expenses incurred in attending meetings have reached a record high peak. In some districts 30s a week is charged for horse boxes, and the owner has still to find his own straw. As much as 15s a day has been charged for stable boys’ accommodation, much of it of a poor standard. With two-day meetings now spread over two Saturdays teams often have to leave home a week before the first day of a meeting, and because of the shortage of transport frequently take the best part of another week to get home. Some of the North Island trainers who patronised the Grand National meeting in August were away from home more than three weeks, and for those who were not fcwtunrUe enough to win any stake money the expenses of the trip were considerable. These are reasons why it is important for the pre-war schedule of racing dates to be restored as soon as possible. Overhead expenses are higher to-day than they have ever been, and racing has a good case to present to the Government in its request for early consideration of the restoration of the mid-week racing days. In the meantime those clubs who can see their way clear to reduce costs to owners are doing something worth while in the interests of the sport.