AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW.

Otago Witness, Issue 2805, 18 December 1907, Page 54

AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW.

We have no more prominent man in our sporting world than Mr J. E. Henry*, who is our leading handicapper, and compiles the weight adjustments for some ot the most successful clubs in the Dominion. During tho course of the Feilding meeting he was subjected to an interview which should be read with considerable interest by all who follow the sport. Asked for his opinion on tho meeting, Mr Henrys said it was far and away the beat spring meeting the Feilding Jockey dub had ever had. The fields were the best, the attendance mjust be a record, and the races up to the usual standard. And Mr Henrys was in a position to judge, for he started! handicapping in 1888, his first experience being for the Feilding Jookey Club, on thß old course, and hi» second fcr the same club on the present course. He jra» a steward of the dub at the time when he was appointed handicapper. Mr Henrys is "iaw handicapper for over 30 clubs m the Dominion, and this is his seventeenth year with the Canterbury Jookev Club, the premier club of the colony. "I attribute the Feilding Club's success," »aid Mr Henrys, "to its liberality in stakes. Up to this season it was the only club that had no race for less than lOOsovs. Even the metropolitan clubs have races now (<n stakes of less than lOOsovs. It js ohiefly to the Feilding Club's attitude on thfci matter that their success is due.' The result is big fields and purer sport. The sport in Feilding conies nearest to the ideal of horee-xacing;, and the eyatem of giving; large stakes for. the first, eecond, and third horses is the cause." The subject of our interview added that the appointments on the FeUding" course were the most complete of any in the Dominion, and compared very favourably with those of the leading clubs. It was gathered from Mr Henrys'* conversation that there are more horses running v New Zealand to-diky than ever bef<u%

and there were never co many owners on the ttrrf in New Zealand as. there are at the present time. Referring to, crooked running, Mr Henrys said the clubs along the coast should appoint a stipendiary steward to watch the running of horses, as is done in Australia. The stewards of the various clubs could not be expected to be cognisant of the tactics of flic jockeys and owners. Such a stipendiary steward was wanted badly in Mr Henrys's opinion. In West Australia there are four clubs, which have appointed three men at £700* per annum each, and they have fall control of the racing. That was what was wanted here. Nothing could improve the racing along this coast more than the adoption of such a course. The racing authorities were of the opinion that New Zealand had no men equal to the ■work, but if they- tried they -would certainly find theifiT "We have just as good men here as they have in Australia," said Mr Henrys. " The more I see of racing the more I am convinced that the sooner we have paid stewards the better it will be for the purity of the sport. I would like to see the clubs irmCte this a matter of .urgency." The quality of the torses" that competed at the FeiWmg races was undoubtedly the best that has ever been on the, course, eaid Mr Henrys. " You seldom see co many high^class horses competing in- open events at- one meeting, / whilst, the majority of those *hat started in 4he hack events were probably ±he best that have sported silk on any racecourse. Thfe only, goes to p<rove the wisdom of the policy of giving liberal 'stakes, which policy has made the Feflding Jockey Club one of the most popular in the Dominion with owners, trainers, and the general public. The star performer of the meeting was Elevation, winner of the Feikling Stakes. Ho is certainly a little champion., and the best for his inches that I have ever had the pleasure of seeihsr race. The first week in November he won rhe Canterbury Derby, of one mile and a-half; the Canterbury Cup, of one mile and three-quarters ; • and in- the " Jubilee Cup, one mile, carrying 141b penalty, he was beaten by a head by Zimmerman. Then to see him three weeks later, with .a IOIb penalty, in a five-furlong race, beating such fliers as Lord Soult and Munjeet, who last season ran their sir furlongs in lmin 13 2-ssec and lmin. 13 3-Sseq respectively, Cambrian (the best sprinter in Auckland), and Bunyan (the Wanganui Guineas winner). Fleetfoot fwho beat Armlet in the Electric Plate at the N.Z. Cup meeting), and Aborigine (another of our fastest two-year-olds), surprised many good judges and proved what a maivel Elevation is to be able to win over any distance. "In winning the St. Andrew's Handicap, Maniapoto scored his first wig since September, 1905,_ when he won- th^e Metropolitan Handicap, of 2000eovs, at the Aus--tralian Jockey Glob's spring meeting, runningthe one mile and a-half in the fast time of 2min 32£seo. This perpormance stamped him as one of the best horses ever seen at Randwiek. .Prior to going to Australia heTron the H&wke's Bay Cup. After win-*, nim? the Metropolitan in Sydney he started ' in the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, and several other races in Australia, without success. He started in the New Zealand Cup won by Frisco, in the Metropolitan Jockey Club and Fendalton Handicaps at the C.J.C. meeting 1 , and failed to gain a place in either event. After such a long run of bad luck, it was indeed pleasing to see one of our very best horses strike winning form again. "Moral, the half-brother to Loyalty, Bonnie Scotland, and Saracen, proved by his win in the Manchester Handicap that he is enoujrti to compete with the best over a lon& distance. It is worth y of note that Frisco and Star Rose, both New Zealand Cup winners, started in the St. Andrew's Handicap. The following 17 , horses that started at the Feildin# meeting also competed at the New Zealand Cud meeting: — Frisco, Elevation, Monieefc, Fleetfoor, Moriarty. Oxton, Sa?a, The Rand, Le fie&o. Sen Sim. Lord Soult, Maniapoto, Gazeley, Uenuku, Contender. Aborigine, and Asteroid. The fir3t 10 all won races at the Canterbury meeting. I merely mention this to prove what a good class was running at the meeting. Besides the ones named, there were a number of othore. The best of them at the uresent time is Irish Rifle, the half-brother to Shrapnel, who certainly was made too much of in the early stapes of each race be ran in to be able to' fitrht out the* finish with Maniapoto and Moral." GORE RACES." The Gore Racing Club have issued their pro?rainr2Sß for its annual summer meeting, and the prize-money list shows a slight increase dnthe amount given away last year. The principal items on the programme are the Gore Cup, of SOsovs.- one mile and a-quarter, and the G.R.C. Handicap, of 70sovs, one mile. Other events which go to . make up a fairly attractive programme consists of the Croydon Handicap, of 45sovs, seven furlongs; Longford Hack Handicap, of 3Cteovs, six furlongs New Year Trot, -of 55sovs. two miles; Welcome Hack" Handicap, of 35sovs, six furlongs; Summer Handicap, of 50sovs, six furlongs ; Electric- Trot, of 40sovs, one mile; Otaraia Hack Welter Handicap, of 35sovs; Grandstand Hack Handicap, of 35sovs, six furlongs; Hokonui Hack Handicap, of 30sovs, six furlongs; Progressive Trot, of 4Ssovs. one mile and a-half; Suburban Hack Welter, of 35sov«, fire furlonif»; President's Handicap, of +osovs, four furlonge; Telecrraph Trot, of 35sovs. one mile ; and the Borough Handicap, of 40sovs, seven furlongs. Nominations are due on Monday, January 6.