TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3511, 28 June 1921, Page 39

TALK OF THE DAY.

By

Sentinel.

THE SOCIAL SIDE. The annual meeting of the Dunedin Jockey Club will take place on July 21. In the good bad old days such an occasion would be grabbed as a chance to make merry, combine business and pleftsure as it were, per medium a smoke o', song, story, and auction. Several clubs have revived the idea of annual social gathering amongst members with considerable success. It pours oil (spelt with a ’ w” or a "b") on any troubled waters and smooths out matters into good fellowship which softens criticism carrying grievances of the past and suggestions for the future. There is no doubt the members of some clubs attend their atiuuai meeting in a somewhat bellicose mood, born perhaps of an imaginary grievance based on the colour of tne admisison tickets or the quality oi the luruh or afternoon tea or some business rival backing an extra winner or tw o. I he Dunedin Jockey flub has been promoting and encouraging the social side of racing with "festival oc- ( u-r.n" based on circumstances which reminds one of the lines "on wit it the dance, let joy be t.ticoniined" and why not have a mere man party amongst the members. It would certainly help to promote a more sporting comradeship amongst the numbers, and make them in their united strength ditormtned to boost Wingatui more and more attractive as a sportsman’s rendezvous with each succeeding meeting. There was. a ‘V-plit .n the camp-’ a couple of years ago when a section of the members were up against something or other, but under president A. Hanlon’s guiding spirit, exuding good fellowship, there seems to be what one may term a lack of grievance simply because it will be quickly remedied if possible. I'mier the circumstataes sugg ■.«(. d the nu mbers could toast and toast each other and everybody and everything in a sporting atmosphere calculated to combine memlrers with the c met it rated id'-a or doing nothing that is not wholly and solely based on promoting the welfare of the club. SIRES OF THE SEASON. New Zealand has been greatly enriched by the recent importation of thoroughbred stallions front England, and if is pleasing to note that one ot them in Paper Money will lie identified with the Elderslie stud. Paper Money is a fine individual and was right in the first flight during hi# racing career. As a two-year old. Paper Money ran seven times winning the Granby Plate, Craven Plate, Plantation Plate, First July, Thurlow Plate, Second July, and Redmere Nursery. As a three-year-old. Paper Money ran a close third to Grand Parade and Buchan in the Derby, arid ranks as tin* only placegetter in the world retto •vned classic that has ■ ver 1 import •<! to New Zealand. Paper Money was got by Greenback, a good winner and w ho ran I# mberg to a neck in tiie Derby. Greenback wn, _ or bv St. J-'riisquiti (St. Simon-lsabel from F: ergreen !y Bend (It and lipping I! the dam of Paper Money, was got by Eager a winner of £15,546 and a great sir- of brood-mares front Briar by Common (winner of the Two Thou-und Guineas, Derby, .-.•?<i Si Lcgei), front Lady Bianklcy by Hermit from Lady Paramount by Toxopliilite. the sire of Musket. Paper Mon. , belo: ir- <o ti e No. 10 family of which lioyardo, Blair Athol, LeiuI rg. Blink Bonny, Petrar -ii and Hampton are the particularly bright stars. Green--1 a k, sire of Paper Mo: y. is a No. 4 hor.-e, and so belongs to the satin- trilie ns Bona-\i.-ti. Common, Iroiju'-js. Rock bind. Thr.rmanby, Kiel a. Wt-nlock, and ranks as one of the 11".'! dominant sires that has achieved classic success. POLITICAL GRAB With mlo—ai impudence suggestive of the staiid-and-deliver days of Dick Turpin the Government will with the commencement of the coming month of July commandeer ail the money accruing from totalisa tor fractions. Ir is not satisfied with tho easy money already derived from racing, but intends, not to ask, but simply grab more. Last season the totalisator

fractions amounted to £42,000, and in the previous season to over £27,000. It is not. however, the amount that is to be considered, but rather the undefendable principle of taking by force from the racing public what belongs to it- by every sense of right and justice. These fractions dc not go astray, and although they may not be worth splitting amongst- successful investors, collectively assist in swelling the financial strength of a club, and so stand to the direct benefit of racing. Now the Government intends adding the fractions to the heavy amusement tax which it already grabs from racing. So far practically no protest has been made against the greedy grab except from the Sports Protection League, which, as usual, makes a belated effort to lock the stable after the horse has. been stolen. The Racing Conference will meet next month, and should certainly form a deputation to the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Acting Minister of Finance and protest against the unjustifiable new tax upon racing. Failing satisfai 'lion, all clubs should pay dividends to the smallest possible coins, or at least to the “nimble threepenny .bit,” At the present- time no fraction of sixpence is paid out. and investors who stake £2O, £3O, or £SO can lose a by no means inconsiderable sum rightly belonging to them. A simple and perfectly justifiable method of giving patrons of racing the bulk of what they own would be to throw the amount of the fractions into the pool on the last race of each day’s card or the last race of a meeting. If the Government objected to any- club keeping _ what it holds in trust for the racing public, let the matter get all the condemning publicity protesting against such right of might. Gambling- money is, of course, tainted money, but one would wait, and wait in. vain, for any protest by tnose hostile to racing against the Government waxing fat on the foliv of a section of its people. “He who steals a purse steals trash, but he who steals the Government s good name leaves it poor indeed.” THE GLINKAS. The latest mail to hand from England brings full particulars of the One Thousand Guineas and Two Thousand Guineas. Owing to the coal strike, both races were decided on the same day, and, despite the fact that the usual railway service was not available, a great attendance witnessed the sport. A field of 26 (including his Majesty King George’s colt Perfect Knight) saddled up for the Two Thousand Guineas. Mr J. B. Joel’s colt Humourist had been the ruling favourite prior to the day of the race, and maintained his position up to the "fall of the flag.’’ Weight of money made Graveby (a son of Orby) second in demand, and then in order came Monarch, Alan Bred?, The Winter King, and the ultimate winner, Craig au Eran. Humourist went to the front after going five furlongs, but failed to resist the challenge at the finish from Craig au Eran and Lemon ora, and they led the favourite past the post with three parts of a length between each of the placed lot. It would appear as if Humourist failed to stay, but it is more probable that be was beaten for speed at the end of a slow-run race, as he afterwards wan the Derby. Craig au Eran's pedigree has been previously alluded to in these columns, and it will be recalled that lie was got by Sunstav from Maid of the Mist, by Cyllene from the great mare Sceptre, the daughter of Persimmon and Ornament (the sister of Ormonde). The One Thousand Guineas was captured very easily by Bettin-a. a filly whose name was not mentioned in the bet ring in .a field of 24. Bcttina was got by Swvnford from Robina. by Desmond — Bobbin, bv Or me—Silver Thread, by Ayrshire —Foo'tlight, by Cremome _ from Parafin. one of the best taproots in the Stud Book. THE BRCCE LOWE THEORY. Bruce Lowe 1< ft much material for con-trover.-v amongst students of breeding when he wrote his book on the Figure System. The Bruce Lowe theory has latterly been attacked by some ‘ American sporting scribes, and it has • also some strong opponents in England and Australia. Some of these critics appear to regard the Bruce Lowe theory a.s a tabulated nietiio;! of mating thoroughbreds, whereas it is a simple means of locating tne various families and taproots of the Stud Book. Even the opponents of the Bruce Lowe t-heorv will recognise the merit of Queen Man', Sunshine. Parafin, or Poeohantus as verv' desirable taproots in a pedigree, and Bruce Lowe went deeper, and traced each successful familv to its source, and identi fled it by numbering- in the order oi merit, “here is not an Australian s Indent of breeding who docs not r cognise the great merit of the but-pao family taproot, which, although of unknown origin, has by sneer force of merit won it# way to the front . It ranks very high as a producer of winners, and would, under the Bruce Lowe system of identification, be entitled to a place amongst the leading families. The same may be said of the Nightmare family, and, coming nearer home, everyone must recognise the great merit of the taproots supplied bv Mermaid. Idalia, Frailty, Pulchra, and other mares which have enriched the New Zealand Stud Bonk and made their names as very desirable at the base of the pedigree. Bruce Lowe labelled his taproots', and in tracing them to their source found material for a most instructive and interesting book on the breeding of thoroughbreds. 'N \ N?'Ts HELL. Maltster has sired winners of about 3Oo.(X».>:vs in stakes. Penury Rose started favourite when he won at Hawke’s Bay. The pacers Oxcmvood and Polka have been sold to- go to Tasmania. Training operations at Wingatui are on the quiet side at present# Thrace is booked to race at the Trent Irani n ti-1 Riccarton meetings. The Mat-ton Jot-key Chib lmve made a start with tin fi rmatio-n of a new course. Absurd has sired' two-year-old winner* of 12.G8550v? during the present season. The Ashburton Trotting Club is applying tor two extra day's r.joins next so-.!son. The Wyndhant Rasing Club is, applying for March 11 as n , writ permit for next season. It is rumoured that -T. O'Shea tits- do the rilling for Mi 11. A . Brown s siad-e. next set! son. Nominations arc <lr. on Tuc uhiy— .Jnr - 28, for the South Canterbury Hunt Club's race meeting. The Great Autumn Handicap winner, I'uo Chow, has commenced to do easy work at Riccarton. This year's Grand Ptux do Pattis winner is a half-brother to the Australian stallion Kenilworth.

The speedy non-stayer Counter Attack is reported to be shaping - well in his schooling over hurdles. The Hon. C. Thomson has been reappointed president of the Metropolitan Trotting Club. The Avondale Jockey Club contemplates paying part of their stakes to the fourth horse- in a race. T. Metcalfe, who received a bad fall when riding- Tha d deus at the Dunodin ‘ Winter m-:• etin,c is about again. The Hon. Myrtle and Nora Jellicce were amongst the first flight in a recent run with the Pakuranga Hunt. Miss Mimic, Purple Spur, and Winning ll.it have been re-commissioned after spelling for a couple of months. N om in a 1 1 on s for the pr i n <fi pal eve n ts to be decided at the Grand National meeting must bo made on July 1. Handicaps for the first clay of the Wellington \Y inter meeting and Wellington Steeplechase are due on July 1. , Kauri King appears to be racing into form, and should be about cherry ripe at Trent.ham and Riccarton. Tho- Waimate Hunt h as received an excellent list of entries for their race meeting to be field on July 16. Australian sports are looking forward -to a meeting- between Gloaming and Euryihmic at the Sydney Spring meetings. Mattock was in charge of the field in the Hawke’s Bay Steeples whesu he bumped his rider off six furlongs from home. Tiie Victoria Racing Club recently revoked a bookmakers license because he was convicted of keeping- a gaming house. brief lull now exists in the sporting world, but in the course of two or three weeks they will be "hard at it’’ again. Mr J. Bull recently had the bad luck to lose by accident a two-year-old colt by Marble Arch from Aerina. the dam of Radial. Several of the principal breeders in England are sending mares to the Argentine horse, Grey Fox, who is now at the Gcbham S 1 ud. The Metropolitan Trotting Club again intend holding a day’s racing on tho concluding day of the Dunedin Cup Carnival Week. Mr G. M. Currie’s recent purchase. Sin:end, a son of Desmond, is exn:ctec! to reach the Dominion about the end of next month. Th© Demosthenes—Tete Tete two-vear-old Dialogue recently made his debut at a Moorefield meeting, and is said to have shaped promisingly. Sir Earnest Cassell, the well-known horseowner. has made the handsome donation of 225,00050-vs to found a nerve hospital at Penliurst, Kent. Antler, the winner of the Hastings Hack Handicap, is a half-brother to Maz-ama, who, lay the way, is showing improvement in his schooling over hurdles. None of the Metropolitan racing clubs are applying- for exri'a permits next season, and have apparently failed to protect what they hold by asking for more. F. W. M'Cabv who is well-known in the Dominion and Australia, has latterly been riding- in India, and intends to pay a visit to both England and France. The Multiple gelding Pavilion won a useful double at Hawke’s Bay by landing the Hunters’ Hack Hurdles and following on with the Hunters’ Fat Race. The N.Z. Metropolitan Trotting Club paid tb' sum of £28,612 3s 2d in Government taxation this season, and in addition paid £2813 in the way of income tax. According to the tone of the market Dribble was regarded us likely to win over hurdles, but she failed to make good. Site may, however, improve on recent form. King In gods, n sen of Comedy King andtke New Zealand-bred mare Ingoda, is said to be one of the smartest youngsters seen out in South Australia for many a day. The Government will grab totalisator fractions next month. They not only went a good slice of the joint, but _ also all the crumbs that fall from the racing- tools. The special commissioner of Louden recently enthused over the pedigree of a filly because she was in-bred to- Pn isenic-niy ! lie sire of Kilbi-oncv is a son of the great French mare. . The totalisator investments a: Lanmvick during- the present season ameunted to £1,280/761 ss. 'T'ne total of the previous seawt't" was £ 1,130,892 15s, and in 1918-19 £705,406 ss. „ . . . The MDr.-pollr:-!’. Trotting Club s August meeting will take place on the Gilt. fOtli, and path of the mon'li. The Grand National n-.eeting will take ulnae on the 6tli. 10th. ant, 13th of the month. Brio lit Plume and Telecles rank as equal favourites for the V.K.C. Grand National Hurdles, and Jclans. Mountain God, and Cotswold van in that order for the Orntut National Sicepiech.t&e. For the first tiin- in it* history tne Austroian Jockev Club during the season drawing to a dose, distributed lOhOOFovs m added money, or an lncreue of 21.100sovs ttuirc "ilnir> the previous sr-tson. Tim Veoudu’c J.x-kev Club handed £23.806 during the season, and intend raising the vakis of the fvomiah: Cbm, to 2000sovs. It is also intendeds to establish a w.f.a event ceriving lOoOs.v-s in prize money Panfry Eos*. 11: o win tier of the Whakntn ITiu'dies run at Hawke’s Bay, was got bPonurv from Mernic Mos?, by Merri-e lan land —Yellow Rose, bv King Cole—Rosnlin, bv Albany—Red Rose, by Trsducer. The Sydnsv correspondent of tiie Austro 1osian recently said : ’’One of the notable happenings of the Wynong meeting was the winning of the Welter Handicap by L._ H. Hewitt,' who won cleverly on Yoicarwar. Handicapping by weight h»,s been a deemed failure when attempted in America in cot' 'section with trotting races. In New Zealand wait is deemed the best policy, waitism until the mark and field is favourable. It is reported in the London Sportsman that. Monte Carlo will have to look to its laurels as £3,000.000 in to be spent in Brazil j., » e tring ud what is claimed will be the mo-1 resplendent gambling place in tho world , , . . , . As tb? Gorormnen f grab <n tne totalizator fraction* will continence on July l tho-; entitled to dividends will iU\ " \ec.\ n * '**. \ tiishe a prompt collect. iu all nc.mey nor pud nut i.s supposed to go into the liea.au> coffers. The Wa-imate and South Canterbury Hunts j o 1( l bo’ding their race meet mgs on a. SsVuv ts-'. ait I will thereby lose a great deal 0 i- outside patronage, as the date would jn in any case-- a four day’s trip for one dav’p rasing. \ alt - bed to th-- Metropolitan TiV.'thvr Club’s Ai - no progr-Hiim, read*: .V Allv iiois ■ ciiierc 1 shall in ridden or driven tht-iuitrh i he in e-it-g bv the sanu- rider or <i• ivor ut 1 ss th ■ tewards consenl to another rider or driver bc : ug snhstitiHed. ' g-j dam s Cat-ruR h s lnade a nn ant of ip, j-j du-r uvi \t:ir old csit ov 1 s.i n--; iix Bon Hord. b - Donif.mn t > Aft W. ].- i)>dia, l!m owner of Du-;. Tin- 1 5 -n Hard i-i-lt v-as purchased s -r -laur s .luriie: a \- i ■ i: to Chi'istchi.irch s-me lu-i Mm as; 11 In iviia-a; : a l lnuh rile .\aper Park arid HavS,e's Bay nicotiiigs Mo-lyneux give" Danube a m- ch n sd.'d lift ns ,a sire. Molyneux’s dam is bv il on lines that suggests she should ihr-.w goc-d winners, as she is

got by Danube from Pee- d’Or, a eister to Golden Slipper. A small and apparently very exclusive club is the New Brighton Trotting Cub. It received £7O 7s in membership fees this scar son, and an item on the balance sheet shows that- the committee “docs itself proud” by expending' £243 3s on luncheon, ol over £6O per day's racing. After running in tiie Whakatn Hurdles at Hawke’s Bay a question was asked concerning the show made by The Baronet, who had won the previous week at Napier. Questions under the circumstances are very rare, indeed. It transpires that The Baronet twisted one of his plates. The Wellington Trotting Club is greatly hampered in its efforts to cater for light harness racing by the fact that it can only hold one day’s racing each season. It is, however, making a bold effort to do better by asking for five extra, days, and so run three two-day meetings in each season. The occasional win which Prodigal has scored since sold out of Mr G. D. Greenwood’s stable suggests that tlie« doubtfully-bored gelding, who was got by Danube or Sul ala fromi Lady Wayward II may yet train into a stake winner. Prodigal is a four-year-old, and lias won four races this season, in addition to being several times placed. Amongst the winners at a recent meeting held at Willia-mst own was a- very promising two-year-old named Lethargic., who was g-ot by Gooitrim from Lethargy’, by Malster from Slumber, by Trenton, from Nightmare, Niglitso belongs to same family as Wakeful, Nightfall, Noctuiform, Nig'htwatch, and Midnight Sun. The Durban Turf Club holds 27 days’ racing in a season, and pays its secretary 1025sovs per annum. The assistant secretary and clerk oc scales receives £641, the judge £641, the handicapper £783, starter £241, and. timekeeper £126. The starter seems to place a comparatively low value on his services The dam of The Tetiach recently died under unusual circumstances. She was a very high-strung* mare, and during the night shortly after foaling heard -another foal whining in the next box, became so excited, apparently under the impression that her own fc.al had -been removed, that she strained her heart and died. The Middlemarcli branch of the Otago Hunt held a successful race meeting on Friday last, when some fair-sized fields supplied interesting sport. Amongst the winners was Pure Gold, a daughter of Gold Reef. The Gravitation—’Discipline gelding Downstroke won the Heavyweight Steeplechase, and the Ladies’ Bracelet went to War March, a son of Mart ion and Two Step. In drawing attention to the fact that Mr R. Woo ton’s imported stall i an Ran gag was for sale or lease “Milrov,” of the Sydney Mail, recently ©aid: “Rangag left England with a unique reputation. Never during ms brilliant career did he miss winning when the money was down.” It is to be hoped t.iat the Sydney scribe is not suggesting that there were other occasions in the horse s career. The Wellington Racing Club s winter programme includes a flat race for steeplechasers, which will be- decided o-ver two miles and a-quarter. It is open to horses that have started in at least- three steeplechases prior to this rac-e being run. Here is a chance for some owner to start a horse in a steeplechase, and let it get as far as the first fence- in order to- eligible lor the ster pechasers flat race at Trent ham. The London Sportsman of April 29 reports that a claim of £BIOO against bookmakers for the return of betting losses under th» Dev v Hav© decision was included in th© assets of Mr Basil John Phillips, who had carried on business a.s a dealer in precious stones in Piccadilly. alte deb .or attributed his present position to tne slump in trade. He said that he had probably k*. £BOOO in betting and gambling m rite last seven vc-ars A trustee was appointed to administer the estate in bankrup.cy. _ Although Humourist was ac.te-a'ed in thTwo Thousand Guineas the special commissioner Of the London Sportsman Old net discard his chance in the Demy, vhJ.h - subsequently won- It appears that h. Dono-rims made rather much use of Humcuus, in the Guinea®, and this bears out the statement of the young Aus-.rahan Scobie. who has set- up in Eng.and- ti.at 1 >011045 hue the horseman one womd expect to find after basing an opinion on his remarkable success m_ the saddle. If snv person is fond ot arithmetic tnme i« a e-ood chance for a nr.’.semen. in work.i.g ’ * Miii,-h the unfortunate man owes who down on the forfeit list since 4914 for £45 12s. The Rules of Racing ueclaies that a debt not paid within four weeks attci elite of insertion in the cidcna-ar incurs further liability of ten per cen ~ and an additional further liability of ten per co t for ea ch successive month thereafter I he r1 ,1 e3 thus make it verv probable that «. - time goes c-n there is less and less chance i of a person removing his name from the unpaid forfeit list, which thus becomes o j tombeston-e to his racing Mite. ; Gav Boy, who beat hoeman, Luke and Mattock in the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase | is an aged gelding by Clazhy from a San Ss?er to‘Trenton.' Gay I Bov dkplaved winning form earlier m the IN it the Poverty Bay Hunt meeting lT4d in October' Nt. He won the Hunt Club Steeples, and two races later came ; on t -train and won the Hunters Flat. . • ! liov luis also displayed pace by rnnu.itg j second to Aurora in a seven furlong ueite run at Tologa Bay, when he was beat a Si lt tn^r « tl r» H a effort 1 than usual Will I Slide to have the licensing of trainers l cTmm'iitt e TherEts | the ; be . comP- ’ . Committees, so that the wllTr.fl”nco would at ill be a force in the ,i . ’ Tt is quite time that seme imprest F ; v now handliug a gooa Ham who a.a . know how to feed a Fancy 1 started off not so Ve '' y i 1° L m ,bl e d'eta'” i n i ner” unt knowing now to Ui .on ui j Kf. Some no dc-übt treat tueni -a . a ’’Horse and Hound.’’ write; - ther» is no doubt that in HngianJ a n bn, , h- D'wbv enhances the value of a hot .a more than any other race, and M ■ qc. TVi-bv winners— including the dead- i< - y of 1884,' Harvester and St. C atien-trace m tail-male to .uwcr-.colen I’-cbl-e - (good either througlt sire a -d . o.im, ■ l:n every thoroif e 4 m ill world. i"to 18 races, hMdsJim f, K " I ,C- Hum any oilier horse. Tlie ir anner in which Kcrc domm-ntes the 0-1 I, | lull U and the last des,.f ih- lvi»u Herod line to :-c.:re tn i.... Sir Bevy* in 1879. and up tc jiuiu-iie. when i li-e-'niauby won. lit if. suuin had been r. i.pottsible for 23 Derby winners. Ot the seven tracing to Mate-hem, Sin-norinetta, who so unexpectedly secured the spi ils in 1908, was the lest of tlioni. Sir Y-.-.o having won previously for him in

1895, but for another Mate hem one has fo go back to a Derby and Oak* victress, Blink who scored for Matchem four years after West Australian, tlm first Triple Crown h-cro, in 1853. Listen to what an entliuiastic Yankee racing scribe lias to say about Nlan o’ War: "Kiri ancestry lias been traced back for generations, to the stable of Oliver Cromwell. If a cniz.rn of this country were ab’e to gr> back 22 generations in his genera logy it would carry liim back to 1170, even before the time Columbus dei it stand on end and more than u score of years before he discovered America. At Ihe age of two Man o’ War was earring 75,725 dollars a year, and at the a < of thr e he wa= worth 250.009 dollars. At the age of two John D. Rockfeller, hadn't earned a cent, arid at I he age oi three I 1 was worth. ; practically nothing. At the age of three : Man o’ War has re ire i. TJ at 81 still takes an active interest in his business affairs. In the 21 races lie entered in two seasons Man o’ War actually ran loss than an hour. He wat oriainally puveiloaevi for 5090 rl liars. Rpcmtiy his owner rctV.-«l 400,000 dollars cash f-r iiinr. Alan o’ War yi 1919 earned 725 dollars mere than Woodrow AVileon, President of the L r nit‘>d Stab-fi, wlto received 75.000 dollars salary. This year Man o’ War earned 168,749 dollars, which is 18,740 dollars more than double the salary of the nation’s chief executive."