TOPICS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 66, Issue 5598, 29 March 1943, Page 3

TOPICS

(By

“PILOT”)

PHAR LAP AMERICANS REMEMBER HIM “Some of the conclusions reached by American students of racing during their stay in New Zealand are rather startling.” This expression was used by Corporal Jack H. Shettlesworth, a member of an overseas unit, when furnishing some descriptive matter pertaining to racing in the States. “During my stay in your fair land there has been much to, interest me where racing is concerned,” remarked the khaki-clad enthusiast. “In many cases, where comparisons were made, I found that my own country suffered by them.” “Possibly it may interest your readers to be given a word picture of the breeding side of the game in America, for it furnishes some contrasts with this country. “Although in certain instances your stud fees may seem big, they are small compared with those paid for the highly-sought sires in the States. “Fees range from the 2500 dollars for stallions like the imported English horse Blenheim and our own Sea Biscuit, down through the scale to the 10 dollars for services to the stallions maintained over the nation by the U.S. Army Remount Service. “Country board, with care, light grain, and pasteurage, runs from 30 to 100 dollars per month. Yes, it’s an expensive proposition keeping even dry mares. “There are, roughly, about 5000 foals registered with the Jockey Club each year, of which approximately 90 per cent get to the races. Actually, there are about 15,000 horses in training year in and year out. “The big yearling sales are conducted by the Fasig-Tipton Company at Saratoga, New York, in August, and at Lexington, Kentucky, in October, but there are dozens of smaller ones all over the land.

“The cream of the yearling crop is sold at Saratoga, and the averages for the past several years have been from 2000 to 2500 dollars for colts and from 18fi0 to 22Q0 for fillies. “ Among the many studs that breed for the market is Claiborne, at Paris, Kentucky, the leader for many years. There stand the good stallions Blenheim (imp.), Sir Gallahad (imp.), Hard Tack, Stimulus, Jacopo (imp.), Rhodes Scholar (imp.) Flares, and others. Some of the above will be remembered vividly by followers of English racing. “At Riverside, in California, Mr Louis B. Mayer has imported Beau Pere, but any New Zealander is better qualified to discuss this fine horse than I am. It was my good fortune to see Beau Pere last winter, just after he arrived in North America. ‘‘The horse was not at his best. He looked soft and a bit sluggish, no doubt due to his rigorous trip across the water, but he is certainly a grand masculine type. He will have at his court some of. the best-producing mares in the country and will have ample opportunities to demonstrate his powers of transmission. “Judging from the performances of his progency below the Equator, Americans will see some very good horses carrying his blood in about three years time. More power to him, “Contrary to popular opinion, there is some sort of ragged sequence to our racing scene. Stakes are run and champions claimed and acclaimed as everywhere else.

“The two-year-olds with any pretensions to class do not usually come out till June or July, and there is little juvenile racing of any consequence prior to then. From July on the tempo is stepped up and good events follow one another in rapid succession till November.

“ Saratoga in August features the best two-year-old racing of the year, climaxing a dozen good stakes with the rich Hopeful. We have as many Futurities (and Derbys, too), as you have Cups down here. None of the good races for the juveniles arqumder 25,000 dollars. “Most of the better juveniles lay up in the winter of their three-year-old form, but for those who do campaign in January and February there is the flamingo Stakes at Hialeah and the Derby at Santa Anita. Both races are at nine furlongs, but are richly endowed.

“Early in the spring are run the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park, the Louisiana Derby at New Orleans, the Chesapeake in Maryland, the Wood Memorial in New York, and the Blue Grass Stakes in Keeneland, all pointing more or less to the Kentucky Derby, 11 miles, 75,000 dollars, at Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky, about the first week in May.

“Then follow on successive weekends the Preakness (91 furlongs, 50,000) at Pimlico, Baltimore, Maryland, the Withers (1 mile, 25,000), and the Belmont Stakes (11 miles, 50,000), both of which are run at Belmont Park, Elmont, Long Island, New York. “The offerings come thick aitd fast during the summer, and include the Classic Stakes at Arlington Park, and the American Derby at Washington Park. Both these races are at 1£ miles for 50,000 dollars, and are run at Chicago, Ilinois. Then there are the Whitney at Saratoga, the Hollywood Derby at Los Angeles, and others too numerous tp mention. “All these races are for three-year-olds at scale weights, but the open handicap contenders have also plenty of opportunity to distinguish themselves. However, there are always sectional disputes over the merits of the respective local champions, for it is not always possible to bring the good ones together, due to conflicting engagements and the great distances to be travelled.

“On the whole we think we have pretty good racing. We do know that we have many faults, and are usually receptive to suggestions for our own improvement.

“The severest criticism against us is that our racing is commercialised, that it is no longer a sporting proposition. In rebuttal, I might say that if it were not a sport horses wouldn’t run for long, for the financial risks involved are enough to scare off most so-called business men, and a good thing it is. “To you New Zealanders I wish you clear weather, a fast track, and good racing luck. We had one very strong taste of the class of horses you breed when the immortal Phar Lap came north to toy with his field in the Agua Caliente Handicap. The story of the instructions given his jockey that day, true or not, is worth repeating. His rider was ordered to “stay 20 feet from the rail, and to let him canter down the back; then gallop him through the stretch. That’ll beat ’em!” And according to witnesses, that is just the way-he was ridden. The result is history.

“If you make a habit of breeding horses like Phar Lap, we Americans are fortunate indeed in being so far removed from New Zealand. After all, we do like to win a race now and then ourselves.” TAURANGA FIXTURE In spite of the fact that there were more than 110 scratchings, it was necessary to run three races in divisions at the Bay of Plenty Racing Club’s Annual Meeting at Paeroa on Saturday. The totalisator handled £45,251 for the day. Te Awamutu was represented on the winning list by Mrs G. M. Kay’s All Glory (second division Trial Plate), and Mr J. Rudsit’s Olga’s Pal (First Tanner Memorial). Both are trained by A. Cook, at Te Awamutu.

Racing in America. It may interest New Zealanders who are plagued with division races at almost every meeting nowadays to learn that American fields are much smaller than ours. In figures given by the Thoroughbred Record it is shown that in 189 days’ racing in New York last year 1428 races were run, and there were 12,115 starters—an average of less than nine a race. Twenty horses were left at the post during the season, and, as 13 of these could not get away owing to. the stalls of the machine failing to open, the money wagered on them on the tote was refunded to ticket-holders. The other seven were treated as starters, as, though the machine functioned, they refused to jump away. Of 140 jockeys holding licences, 24 were suspended at some time or other during the year. RACING FIXTURES April 17: Westport J.C. April 24, 26: Feilding J.C.' April 24, 26: Auckland R.C. April 24, 26: Riverton R.C. April 26: Waipukurau J.C. April 26: Canterbury J.C. Apriu 26: Beaumont R.C. April 26: Kumara R.C. May 1: Avondale J.C. May 1: Southland J.C. May 1: Canterbury J.C. May 8: Egmont R.C. May 8: Ashburton C.R.C, May 15: Oamaru J.C. May 15: Poverty Bay T.C., at Te Aroha. May 15: Nelson J.C. May 22: South Canterbury J.C. May 22: Waikato R.C. May 29: Dunedin J.C. June 5: Dunedin J.C. June 5: Wanganui J.C. June 5: Auckland R.C. June 12: Auckland R.C. June 12: Hawke’s Bay J.C. June 19: Manawatu R.C. o July 3: Wellington R.C. July 10; Wellington R.C. July 17: Waimate R.C. July 24 or 31: Manawatu and Rangitikei Combined H.C.