THREE-YEAR-OLD FORM

Taranaki Daily News, 1 August 1930, Page 5

THREE-YEAR-OLD FORM

PROSPECTS IN THE ST. LEGER, PUZZLES FOR ENGLISH BACKERS. (By “Centaur.” —Special to News.) London, June 12. Racegoer® in England are still reflecting upon the four classic races-which-have already been decided, and there is much diversity of opinion regarding what may happen in the St. Leger. Remembering .what’happened in the Derby, I cannot see what is to beat Blenheim in the fifth and last classic race of the season; that is, if he continues to thrive until September, on which- point there can. hardly be much doubt.I still visualise the Derby as a rather tearaway wallop, in which stamina, and a burst" of speed, ‘ were’ the deciding factors, but at-the same time-1 can also add a word in-favour pf Iliad, the Manton colt who was right in the front rai.ik all the while. .'When Diolfte had been run to'a standstill (and the jockey on his back was’in some degree responsible) Iliad seemed to.:,be gbing best, but he, tc', was being asked to do just a little too much, and Blenheim profited by being “saved,” so to speak. ' _ -■ It can perhaps be. understood that the problems attached io the-St. Leger are by no means as easy; of solution as appea’rs- at jitst sight. We may jump ?o the' conclusion ' that Blenheim should win—in'fact,'.! -have'already expressed the view—yet if .will pay to remember that on strict' assessment.of merit, there was very little ih/if between the first three in* the Derby. I shall always hold that'the'fourth horse, Silver Flare, will ever be a bit outclassed 'when opposed to top-notch: 3-year-olds. ' A strong “market” on the St.-Legpr seldom appertains, which, of course, ia in Mirect contract to old Cm. days, when the bookmakers . knew ■ their business', and, also, what they were hi business for. ■When I review : the St. -Leger® of recent years I assert that the race is cssential-•iy-one-to-“lay” rather than to bet on. .but the-layers,do not think as : .wo backers d-6, and' that,-I suppose. ..is .one of their- seasons for waiting until the eve of the Doncaster classic, before, open--inw. but. - ■ *'

Mv idea of making a “book” i® to do th? ‘laying .when ' backers are' guessing, ' not when 9 they are .primed ' -with’ the -labfi’st information, and the knowledge that - they-muflt at least have a runner. The bookmakers of , years ago made their money by living non-runners, as opposed to which those of the. present day make- theirs by laying under the odds against-certain starters. We- hear from day -to day the. lament of the bookies’ that the game “is not what it .used to be.” “Of course not,” I always reply. “You see to that!” , , .There, was 'quite ‘a nice meeting at Hurst Park-over the Whitsun holidays, and backers set about the layers in right royal fashion to ..reeover in part what they lost at Epsom., The fates favoured them too, and many of the bookmakers quaked under the ■ big assault. We saw at this -Whitsuntide fixture the -Manton colt, Paradine (who had finished second in the Two-thousand Guineas) concede a lump of weight to his useful rivals in the Penrhyn Cup, over one mile. It was really an enga.ging performance.jand paid some tribute to the classic .form. ' .

paradine did no| run in the-Derby, in-which his trainer saddled Iliad. Trews and Sea Rover, but one is constrained to wonder whether Paradine is not very nearly as good -as. any other -of his a<ze now in. training: that is over eisht furlongs. The remarkable thing is that the colt got into the Free. Handicap at .Newmarket. with,an. impost .of only Bst and yet'finished'down ,the course. He. was kicked at the post, however, and that plavcd. a big part in his defeat. Paradine would ."now have a stone more to carry if he were weighted over again with the identical horses (31 of them) he met in the Free Handicap, and, what is more, he would probably start favourite. . ' . . .In the Nonsuch Stakes at Epsom the Whatcpmbe colt, Rustom Pasha, gave Paradine 71b a n d a beating, and it all woes to show how badly the ‘‘book of form” will-Mead backers astray if they itsp it too- methodically in the future. Truly the three-year-old form of. the present season is baffling; yet I make bold to say that Diolite is the undisputed mile champion, and if he gets -the chance to prove it at Ascot he will assuredly do so. A YEAR’S OPERATIONS. TOTALISATOR IN ENGLAND. . (By ‘-'Centaur.”—Special To News.) The first annual report of the Racecourse Betting Control Board has provided racegoers in England with a few topics of controversy of late. As an instructive summary of the work accomplished by the board the report is astonishingly entertaining, .particularly to those people who have followed the inception of the .totalisator from the very first. It is realised more or less clearly that the board’s financial foundations were built upon a banker's loan of approximately half a million, sterling, and this, of course, has at some time or other to be repaid with interest. Much of the capital has been expended on- the work of erecting totalisators on about 4-0. racecourses, and in incidentals connected with such undertakings. There have naturally been heavy expenses for salaries and travelling expenses. I think we may take it that all totalisator buildings, once completed, while as a matter of course ranking as assets, are in effect absolute white elephants unless things go right" for the board. While each totalisator earns its six per cent, regularly and abundantly, then it is an asset of considerable worth. It requires only a slight arithmetical calculation to find out how much betting money must be handled before the board will-secure the return of the borrowed half million, while the expenses incidental to the conduct of the whole business will, of course, be prolific, In all other countries where totalisator wagering appertains, the pool deductions are considerably higher than in England, and I feel somehow that the R.B.C. Board will eventually have to raise its percentage in order to make ends meet. True, the 6 per cent, deduction which is ’ made is augmented quite a lot by the “fractions,” which accrue as a surplus when the money invested in a pool cannot be divided exactly. The board is always on the right side here, and it is safe to say that in the long run the average percentage revenue is about 71. I calculate that the board has handled just short of a million pounds during the period of its activity, and. that, means a culleetiou of somawhere be-

tween £60,000 and £70,000 towards profit and loss accounts. I discover -by referring to the accounts that such a sum just clears working expenses, so that the board is on its feet, so to speak. There is every reason to believe that pools will increase considerably during the summer, and that being the case, the entire situation is as bright as could be wished at the piesent time. DERBY POSSIBLES. My friends abroad would be interested in the late furore for IBallyferis in the Derby betting, having regard to all I have had to say about the exIrish colt for some months. I am naturally writing this-, before the Derby has been decided, but can say with positive truth that no other horse has been backed with such freedom. It seems that Ballyferis has done something big in his gallops, though I was not impressed with his looks when I saw him at exercise on the Heath one day during the second spring meeting. biolite .continues to givve great satisfaction in his preparation at Lambouru, and will assuredly put up a big fight. It is, Lowevvcr, a rather baffling .Derby, .and as such is not creating suck worldwide interest was on occasions iu the mist, '