THE CUP PENALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2726, 13 June 1906, Page 54

THE CUP PENALTIES.

Prior io the nominations closing for the New Zealand Cup it was in the best interests of the race that nothing should be said against the penalty conditions attached to our .premier turf prize, as it might possibly* have a deterrent effect on nominators. In the writer's case it was permissible, particularly when dt is remembered that he had a good deal to say on tke mntter last year. In his remarks at the C.J.C. annual meeting concerning the penalty conditions attached to the New Zealand Cup Mr G. G. Stead stated that "the large field which started was practical evidence that tho new scale of penalties for the race was appreciated by the majority of owners." If that is so, the race itself undoubtedly proved that a good three -year-old who has developed form after the appearance of the handicap will always have the race at his mercy its lonp as the present conditions axe attached to it. Noetuiform got about a^ bad a passage as a horse could possibly get in a rare, and he wound up "By simply making hacks of his opponents, who were, it is reasonable to suppose, beaten- with a stone in hand by their victor. Noetuiform. on top of that again, had a somewhat hurried termination to his New Zealand Cup preparation, owing to the brevity of i the period which elapsed between the time he landed from Sydney and the time he had to go to the post. It is quite possible that with a moderate lot of three-year-olds start - I ing the weak-tiers of the clause would not be broueht out so forcibly as. what was the case last year ; but the experience of racing proves that a good three-year-old has always had a big pull over older horses when racing at woight-for-age over a jouTney, and it was for this reason that the writer attacked the clause (and, in fact, was the only one to do so) whew it made its first appearance last. year. The writer, sinoa be first attacked the clause, lias had conversations on the subject * with several persons . who have a" right to be considered authorities, and not one of them had a word to say in favour of the condition, which is now allied' "with the race for the second time. On %he contrary, tliere was absolutely nothing but condemnation. It has bee-n. said fhat the handicapper is left practically unfettered as to what ~we : ghts he may allot three-year-olds or other horses of any other age engaged in the race ; but the danger lies in the fact that a colt may develop form, as Noetuiform did, that would fa ; rly entitle Rim to the 141b penalty after thehandicap had been allotted. A four-year-old which carries weicrht for age, or jiessibly over, and wins the New Zealand Cup is entitled to the prize, becauso his burden i 3 by no means a light one ; but weight for age on the back of a good three-year-old cannot be considered otherwise than lenient, because, as previously stated, tbe scale is in favour of horses of that ajyp. For instance, Paritulu was one of the beefc handicappers seen out this season; still Noetuiform, who carried a. pound over w.f.a., presented him with 231b under that scale and gave him one of the best beatings a horse could desire. Quarryman also got 131b and a good beating I—even1 — even remembering that the latter was travelling oi at tbe finish. Noetuiform followed up his Cup performance by carrying 3ilb over w.f.a. and makin? a hack of Mahutonga in tho Canterbury Cup. two miles and a-quarter. In some of the principal handicao races decided in England the penalty conditions read that "tho winner of any race" after i declaration of weights has to ca"\"y a renalty. This obtains w'th the Quopn's Prize of ISOOsova, Oitv and Snbnrfcan Handicap of 2000'ovs. Great Metropolitan Stakes of lOOOsovs. and the principal handicaps decided in Tsp eland; whilst in the Goodwood Cut) — of 200feovs> two miles and a-hali, thres-vear-olds 7.7, four-year-olds 8.12, five-year-olds or over 9.2 — the winner of any race earns a rtsnalty. With the Melbourne Cup the conditions are that the winner of any handicap rac<» mu*t carry a pefaitv. and the winrer of the A.J.C. or V.R C. Derby must carry tiot less than 7.6. which is rather different than conditions which state that a winner will not have to carry above wpisrht for age. A three-year-old engaged in the Molhourne Cup at a handican enual to w<Mght-for-a.(ie could incur the iiichesC r-enalt" a+tachi^v to the race, but in tho New Zealand Cud a rolt cannot incur a cenalty which will «ive him a greater burden than w.f.a. The conditions attachfd to theso two races are as wide apart as the poles in t'Hoir action. What the racinaf public think of a good colt at w.f.a was i evidenced last year when Noetuiform. ! ojurvi'ig over that burden, was backed ' down to about 2 to 1 on in a field of 14. and the c on of Multiform nrov-ed by his form in (ho rare that tho odds were about 4 to 1 on his chance of winning. THE COST OT? RACING. Tho chairman of the Canterbury Jockey Club, in his address at the annual meeting • of that body, stated that the actual cost to racegoers of investing on the totalisator is the 10 per cent, commission which is the legal charge made by clubs Tunning a totalisator. It is wel! that someone should disabuse iTr Stead of that idea, as it is safe to say that an analysis of th-s money which passes through the totalisator would undoubtedly prove that 10 Der cent, commission is never charged tho public for backing their fancy, but always more, and sometimes nearly double that amount. One never buys a suit of clothes or a dress without buttons or trimmings tacked on, and in the case of the totalisator the triin-

mings are the fares to and frjom a course, the gate charges, a race book, which alone total 13s or 14s a day if one is a paddockite. Tack that amount on to the "10 per cent." and the odd money which, many clubs keep back from the public in a manner which is far from creditable. The C.J.C. pay sixpences on their dividends, but many clubs which run 10s totalisators have such a reprehensible method of carving up totalisator money in order to arrive at the dividend that not infrequently the actual percentage deducted from the gross total is nearly double the legal amount. No club should be permitted to divide the dividend at per pound into a. dividend payable to 10s investors, and then double it back again in order to make a pTice payable to the £1 investors. It is distinctly unfair to start with, and on the top of that again it makes a distinctly illegal charge on the public. Jt is to_ be hoped that some of the leading spirits will effect a remedy at the next conference in order to do aviay with what has been a scandal long enough.