GEORGE PRICE AGAIN DOES WELL.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 August 1929, Page 5

GEORGE PRICE AGAIN DOES WELL.

The ex-New. Zealander, George Price, has again achieved the distinction of topping the list of Sydney trainers, this making his fourth premiership season in five. For 13 years a jockey and 11 years a trainer in the Dominion, he was then tempted to try his fortune in a wider and more remunerative sphere, and seven years ago went to Sydney. In his first season, 1923-24, he trained 11 winners and finished in sixth place amongst comparative strangers. In 1924-2.5 he jumped to the top of the tree with 22 wins, and his phenomenal success with an unsound' “marvel,” Windbag, placed him on the high road to success. That year Windbag won the A.J.C. St. Leger, the Cumberland Stakes, and the A.J.C. Plate, while he was only narrowly beaten in the Sydney Cup. x In 1925-26 Price’s tally was 23 firsts, 15 seconds and 12 thirds, and Windbag’s Melbourne Cup and Murray King’s sensational Sydney Cup set the seal on his fame. In 1926-27 he was second on the trainers’ list with 22 winners of £9526, of which Winalot accounted for the bulk. The next year Price was at the head of the list again, his 17 winners notching £14,676, and in the recently concluded season he retained his position with 22 winners and three deadheats for first place. Price has 24 horses in training at Randwick, and with Ramulus, Killarney and other topnotcliers in his stables his prospects for the coming year appear very bright. Of Price a Sydney •writer says: “When a trainer is consistently near the top of the tree, merit' has more to do with his success than luck. All trainers would like to get hold of a horse like’ Windbag every season, but more than one horse who might have proved a champion has had his career spoiled by wrong training methods. Consequently there is just as much in the making of a champion as in the

purchase through the sale ring, or breeding of him. For that reason, this season’s leading mentor has every reason to feel proud of his achievements since. he forsook his hopieland for Sydney, where competition is so much keener.” REDUCED TOTALISATOR RETURNS SECTION OF OWNERS BLAMED. (Bv Wire —Special to News.) Auckland, Last Night “While on the subject of reduced totalisator returns,” said Mr. J. Rowe, president of the Auckland Trotting Club, at the annual meeting to-day, “I am sorry to say that in my opinion a great deal of the blame can be placed with a section of owners and others connected with the sport by investing their money with bookmakers. “It is a common thing to hear that Mr. So-and-so had £lOO or £2OO sent away for such and such a horse, and it is common knowledge that a big section of the owners invests its money with bookmakers. “While such a state of affairs exists clubs cannot be expected to keep up the stakes.”