ROYALTY AT THE RACES

Southland Times, Issue 18810, 1 May 1920, Page 11

ROYALTY AT THE RACES

PRINCE SEES ARROWSMITH WIN HIS RACE. AND IS “ON THE WINNER.” “LUCKY NUMBER ONE.” AUCKLAND, April 27. The Prince had a jolly time at the Ellerslic races. lie showed plainly that he was glad to be there, and the great crowd showed that they were delighted to have him among them. He was pronounced on all hands to be a "real good sport.” There was no aloofness on cither side. It was a gay and friendly crowd, and he mingled gaily with it. He paid more than one visit to the totalisator, and his investments were remunerative. He had three bets and “struck” two firsts and one second—not a bad performance. On seeing Arowsmith the Prince remarked “Oh, is that the English horse?” He was evidently pleased with the champion’s looks, for when asked which horse he fancied in the Prince of Wales Cup, he replied, “The English horse; I shall put my money on him. ’ His Royal Highness had almost to force his way through the crowd at the door of the totalisator, the bystanders cheering him with redoubled vigour when it was seen that he intended to enter the building. Once free of the attention of the swarming throng outside, the Prince walked through the totalisator. Having made a circuit of the interior, he finally came to a stop at the second window from the end, where two young lady assistants were busy handing out tickets to importunate speculators. “How much do you bet here?” asked the Prince, dipping his hand into his right-hand trouser pocket and producing a roll of notes. Admiral Halsey, who was always at hand, informed him that pound bets were the order of the day. Thereupon the Prince stripped a note from the roil and handed it to the Admiral. “What horse?” he was asked. “Oh, the English horse,” replied the Prince. “Number 1,” he instructed, referring to his race card. As the Admiral turned to one of the attendants with the pound note, the Prince decided that he would punt a little heavier. “Only a sovereign,” he remarked. “Might as well have some more on it. Well, make it five sovereigns.” Suiting the action to the word, he handed the Admiral four more notes and the £5 yielded as many tickets on Arrowsmith. After a struggle through the cheering masses of people, the Prince found his way back to the stand to see the race. There was some delay at the post, several of the horses proving unruly. The Prince waited patiently. At last they were off. His Royal Highness pressed his glasses on the flying group as they passed the stand. “Where is No. 1?” he asked. 'T can’t, see him.” "Lying nearly last there,” said a member sorrowfully. “Nearly last!” exclaimed the princely backer of Arrowsmith. “That’s good!”—and hr laughed gaily. As the horses went round the back stretch the sad news that Arrowsmith was still last but one in the line was broken to the Prince. His cheeriness did not suffer in the least. “Oh, well,” he said, “he is in a good position.” As it turned out, so he was. As the field entered the straight, the cry went up that Arrowsmith was coming to the front. A few seconds later, the Prince's horse had won the Prince’s race and a pleased glow lit up the facj of the King’s son. He must needs see Arrowsmith at closer quarters; so he went into the enclosure, where the unsaddling process was carried out. There was a natural curiosity on his part to know what his bet had resulted in. “I wonder what we will get out of it?” was his way of putting it. Later on, he was notified that he had about doubled his money. “Good!” he ejaculated with a pleaded smile. “We must have another bet now, eh ?” to the Admiral as they passed on to see the jockeys weigh in for the next event. In the jockeys' quarters, the Prince sent for Hector Gray, who had ridden Arrowsmith to victory- He shook hands with Gray, congratulated him. and asked a few questions before passing on. The Prince sent another £5 to the totulisator to be invested on Number one for the Steeplechase. No Surrender was the appropriate name the Prince had selected lor his second investment. His glasses were again in requisition for the race, every incident in which he closely followed. It was with renewed pleasure that he saw his choice again a winning one. “Lucky Number one,” he remarked jocularly. Leaving the stand with his escort again, the Prince made once more for the totalisator, to the delight of the oriinokers. “He’s going to have another punt,” they cric-d; and so he was. On the way through the press, jostled and pushed about like anv citizen there, the Prince consulted his guides and his racccard, and finally decided to invest £5 in the next race on Number two. The horse bearing that number was Orowhursf. Entering the totalisator for the second time, amid cheers and shouted pleasantries not unmixed with a few sure tips, the I’ince found that- his packet contained less than he had thought. “I don’t seem to have brought enough with me.” he remarked with Kuan .St-.erl hj Is were stretched out towards him containing the needful replenishment of his supply. Before he was put to the necessity of accepting a temporary loan, however, there opportunely arrived upon the scene a messenger who had collected the party’s dividends, He extended a rich handful of notes to Admiral Halsey, who in turn announced to the Prince that his dividends were available. Laughing again, the Prince received his share, and another £5 of it passed to the hands of one of the smiling girl attendants, and was rung up on Crowhurst, who ran second, repaying the Prince for his investment with a little to spare. On the other two races he had about doubled his money.