Turf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 671, 24 May 1929, Page 14

Turf Notes

CONDUCTED BY

"EARLY BIRD"

Acceptances Today

! At five u'clock this afternoon the A.R.C. Great Northern meeting acceptances close, and a few minutes after that hour they will be published in a special edition of The Sun. A Hard Lane A number of Maoriland ’chasers have been entered for the V.R.C. National Steeplechase. £5.000. The Flemington cross-country course will prove very difficult to New Zealand steeplechasers. “The Lane,” with five jumps in the straight at Flemington, will puzzle Maoriland’s best ’chasers presently. Nine Stone Minimum The scale of winter weights does not come into force until June 7. The rule reads as follows: “At any meeting held on any day from June 7 to August 31. inclusive, the lowest weight in any fiat race shall not be less than 9st.” Brother to Merry Mint Merry Melody, the two-year-old brother to Merry Mint, who is, by the way, the most handsome horse in work in the district (says a Hastings writer) has of late commenced to grow, and now impresses one as a most likely three-year-old. W. Griffiths has, in this colt, Plead Serang, and Royal Parade, a trio of most promising three-year-olds for next season. Winners in W.A. The aged half-brother to Marqueteur, Mark Time, Celmesia, and Co., Anticipate (Elysian—By By), won the John Peel Handicap, a mile and a-quarter, at the Belmont Park meeting, West Australia, on May 11. He beat a good field of nine, and was second fancy. Anticipate has not raced much since going across a few years ago, but has won several fair races. Limoka (Limond —Oka) filled third berth behind Anticipate. At the same meeting, Indian Sage ran a fair second in the Welter Plan dicap, seven and a-half furlongs. A Full Hand The biggest team of rising two-year-olds at Trentham is that under the care of S. J. Reid (writes “The Watcher”). He has eight doing steady work, and all have been barrierschooled. They are: Zctes. the recordpriced bay colt by Limond —Water - wings; Peep, a brown filly by Limond —Glimpse; Lineage, a chestnut filly by Limond —Merit; Caught, a bay filly by Trespasser—Forest Girl; Intruder, a bay colt by Trespasser—Graciosa: Eminent, a chestnut gelding by Leighton—Exclusive; Zephyrus, a brown gelding by Weathervane —Nada; and an unnamed bay gelding by Leighton—Cheloma. The two colts, Zetes and Intruder, are exceptionally well behaved youngsters, and are so quiet that other yearlings can be led from them. Plistoric, Panther, and Footpad are doing steady work. Not- Here A New Zealand trainer who'' had 12 millionaires to train for would scarcely be able to realise his good fortune, but that is the position of Max Plirsch, who prepares his team at Belmont Park, New York. Hirsch, who has 59 horses in his care, was third in last year’s winning list of American trainers, his total being a little over £41.000. Pie had 65 winning horses. There are some New Zealand trainers who, if they had a few millionaires as patrons, would always be designing to break the bank*. As it is, they tell good tales to get their patrons to launch out, but they would eclipse themselves if they could get a few millionaire owners to listen to them. Will It Ever Come? “Personally, I prefer that there should bo this legal channel for folk rather than see them go into a saloon to put money on with somebody else,” said the Plon. P. A. do la Perielle in New Plymouth, when telling members of the Taranaki Jockey and* Hunt Clubs that he was glad they were in favour of the publication of dividends and the wiring of money to the totalisator. He had never seen any risk in legalising the system, he said. They knew there were certain illegalities going on. If the system were given legislative authority, the revenue of the clubs and of the Post Office would increase materially and the sport would be much\ cleaner. Incidentally, the Prime Minister's reply to a deputation this week on the matter was disquieting, to say the least. Caught

At tlio recent Canterbury Park meeting in Sydney, a well known owner's dealings with a bookmaker were profitable to the extent of £l5O, but a surprise was in store for the backer when he attended tlio settling. Pie was informed that his money had been collected, and the bookmaker produced a voucher authorising him to pay the amount to the bearer on behalf of the winning owner. The successful backer, however, had not given anyone authority to collect the £l5O. The bookmaker, realising that he had been victimised, paid over a second £l5O. The first amount was collected as soon as settling began, but the rightful winner did not approach the bookmaker until an hour later. This is not the first occasion that bookmakers have been victimised in such a manner. Overdone?

Three good fillies in Lady Quex, Llanore and Airway raced at Hawera, and raced badly, writes “Moturoa.” "When one considers that Lady Quex raced 22 times this season, Llanore 17 times and Airway 12 times, all lumping big weights against really good horses, the matter is easily explained, and these three, who are among the most promising gallopers in Taranaki, have surely earned a rest. Lady Quex in particular has been very harshly treated. She has been a good winner and has risen from hack company, in which she raced with burdens up to almost lOst, to classic ranks, and her rattling good performance against the brilliant Paganelli in the Taranaki Stakes marks her as a coming champion. But over-racing will not improve her chance, and the second day at Hawera, in the only bad race she has run this season, she showed clearly that she had had enough. Autocratic Latest files from England detail an incident at Lingfield that would hardly occur on a racecourse in Australia or New Zealand. While on her way to the starting post Picoline got rid of her rider, W. Alford, and the stewards refused the trainer permission to secure another jockey, ordering the filly’s name to be taken from the list of starters. The rule under which they acted is included in recent regulations to facilitate the working of the totalisator. It is to this effect; “If a jockey after he has been nominated for a specific horse, and before he has been under the starter’s orders, is prevented by illness or accident from riding in the race, another jockey may be substituted, providing there is* no unreasonable delay.” In this case it is stated that the trainer could have secured another rider immediately, and was anxious to do so, but the stewards were adamant. Commenting on. the incident London “Sporting Life” points out, like all new and untried legislation, the new rules have not “shaken down” and the desirability of testing the stewards’ decision is urged, since similar occurrences are bound to crop up from time to time.

Matu Out The following horses were withdrawn at 9 a.m. today from all engagements at the A.R.C. winter meeting: Matu, Len, and Gasnapper. Back for the Spring T. Lloyd has recommissioned the two-year-olds, Comique and Desert Song, and will start them on a preparation for spring engagements. Hoylake will not be brought in for some time yet. Not for Ellerslie Blimp has disappointed repeatedly of late, and since passing into the ownership of Mr. C. T. Keeble lias confounded liis supporters on more than one qccasion. The Gasbag gelding had been freely nominated for the Great Northern meeting, but it is possibly significant that ho figures in the Raukawa Cup field at Otaki. Ngatirawa Team J. H. Jefferd put Star Stranger and Knightlike into work again on liis return from the Wanganui meeting with Joy King. Since Knightlike last raced he has been gelded. The Papei* Money gelding Dishonoured did not keep his Wanganui engagements, and he suffered a pricked knee from wire :n the hunting field. Dishonoured is now fully qualified as a hunter. The three three-year-olds in the stable —False Scent, Don Quixote, and Hunting Day —were all doing well until the lastnamed fell on the road and received cuts and abrasions. His leg filled, and one of the cuts, which was on the point of the shoulder, is still causing a little lameness. The Ngatarawa active team is completed by five rising two-year-olds. They are a bay gelding by Limond —Cymere, a bay filly by Martian—Sweet Charity, a chestnut gelding by Hunting Song—Mandolin, a bay gelding by Weathervane —Kukume, and a brown gelding by Leighton— Catalini. Stemming Niagara Writes “Sentinel” in the “Otago Daily Times”:—King Canute has many, but, perhaps, unconscious disciples. His historic majesty thought that he could command the tides, but he landed himself in the same ridiculous position as the old lady who endeavoured to sweep the ocean waves away from her doorstep with a broom. The methods of Canute and the broomwielding old lady are being repeated today. There is some excuse for King Canute and the lady of the broom, but there is none for those who Avould endeavour to stem the overwhelming tide of a kink in human nature by legislation. Today we have theorists whose wisdom is on a par with Canute and my lady of the broom. They wish for legislation that will eliminate the bookmakers, and divert all the betting on racing to its legitimate channel per medium of the totalisator. It is quite true that some big investors do place their bets on the totalisator. but only at metropolitan meetings where i the volume of business can absorb a big bet or two without making it a conspicuous transaction, and, in a sense, flooding the market. There is not the slightest shadow of a doubt that the biggest bettors in the country use the totalisator as little as possible. They might patronise it more if the totalisator handled nearly all the betting, but that would be their golden opportunity at starting price. Some think the remedy is opening the telegraph offices for the convenience of bettors, who could then wire their money to the course where a race meeting is in progress. Each bet would cost the price of a telegram, a money order telegram, and, worse still, the locking up of investments. The handy bookmaker costs nothing in the way of telegrams or money orders, and a punter can operate on three or four meetings running simultaneously. Stamp out the known bookmakers, if possible, but as soon as they vanish off the scene through an accumulation of riches or fear of durance vile, others will surely take their place. Money is the greatest magnet on earth. Bookmaking with a pinch of luck is the easiest money on earth, and hence we have quadruple the number of bookmakers in New Zealand today than there Avas 10 years ago. They are subject to a natural temptation to pick up money and are so hydro-headed that all the laAv and all the police in the World could not stop a Niagara of betting splashing a good deal in their direction wherever and whenever racing is in progress. Auckland Jumper’s For Flemington Included in the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle entries are Horoscope, Roman Abbey, Zircon, Glendowie, Mangani, Wedding* March and Pouri. New Zealanders in the £5,000 G.N. Steeplechase number nine out of a field of 80. They are: Mangani, Tuki, Airtight, Pouri, Wedding March, Sir Rosebery, Roman Abbey, Zircon and Glendowie. The complete entry list for the Steeplechase is as follows: Grand National Steeplechase, of £2O each, Avitli £5,000 added; second £1,000; third* £SOO. About three miles and a furlong—Johnny Cake, Chaumont, Peter’s Pence, Frumpton, Glentronie, Parquin, Grosvenor, Aiver, Oral Treaty, Epergne, Nyangay, Project, Announcer, Jollity, Adit, . Quick Deal, Minterne, Wilanjie, Biologist, Cobbon, Naloori, Lanage, Parupa, Le Procyon, Broadblade, Bowler, George William, Calune, Patriotic, Baldini, Junot King, Neeroc Lad, Straightshot, Mungarra, Tressady Roek, Aeneas, West Wing, Bligny, Jubra, Romeo, Loch Eaton, Flavel Light. Micronesia, Reviser, Conductress, Namera, Secret Stone, Titanic, Bonerali, Seafit, Derision, Sandhurst, Pick Me, Longlands, Not Infallible, Hocus Pokus, Mosstrooper, Sir Eaton, Wanda King,. Silver Bugle, Covbeau, Samphire, Bang Bang, Laurelmond, Airtight, Mangani, Tuki, Hesley, Nylesborne, Wedding March, Pouri, All’s Well, Huja. Sir Rosebery, Roman Abbey, Zircon, Bestman, Karachi, Unohoo, GlendoAvie. RACING FIXTURES MAY 25—Ashburton C’ty R.C. JUNE 1,3, s—Auckland R.C. 1, 3—Otaki-Maori R.C. 3,3, s—Dunedin J.C. B—Egmontß—Egmont- Wanganui Hunt Club. 14, 15—Napier Park R.C. 20, 22—South Canterbury J.C. 21, 22—Hawke’s Bay J.C. 29 —Ashburton R.C. 29—Waverley R.C. JULY 10, 11, 13 Wellington R.C. 25—Waimnte Hunt. 25, 27—Gisborne R.C. 27—South Canterbury Hunt. AUGUST 13, I-’,, it—C.J.C. Grand National. 2 4—Pakuranga Hunt (at Ellerslie). SEPTEMBER 4. s—Marton J.C. 12, 14—Wanganui .T.C. 21, 23—Avondale J.C.