HUNT CLUBS’ ILL LUCK

Taranaki Daily News, 5 September 1935, Page 9

HUNT CLUBS’ ILL LUCK

RAIN MARS FIXTURE SMALL PROFIT SHOWN — FUTURE PROSPECTS BRIGHT. VISITOR’S IMPRESSIONS.

(By

“Hurry On.”)

It is pleasing I to learn that despite the unfavourable weather experienced the combined Taranaki, Egmont-Wanga-nui Hunt Clubs will show a profit on the recent meeting at New Plymouth.. This fact more than ever exemplifies the wisdom of. the amalgamation. If either club had singly experienced days such as were encountered last week there would doubtless have been a serious loss to face, but the combination has turned this into a profit. With favourable weather the gathering would undoubtedly have been a record success. Even as it was, but for the hailstorm on Saturday afternoon the totalisator figures for that day would certainly have shown an increase. It would perhaps be no exaggeration to estimate that had the weather been fine for the two days the totalisator turnover would have increased at least £2OOO and the gates by £5O. Many of the visitors were strongly impressed by the combined meeting. One prominent man stated that he did not think the time was far distant when this would be the premier hunt fixture of the Dominion and attract a tremendous number of visitors to New Plymouth every year. REDUCING RACING CO_STS NEW TRANSPORT METHOD The recent combined hunts’ meeting at New Plymouth provided interesting examples of the manner in which owners are meeting the heavy’ transport costs. During the last two or three years many hunting enthusiasts have had trailers made to attach to their cars in order to convey their horses to the meets. Last week a number of horses were brought even long distances to New Plymouth in these trailers, and the results appear to have been satisfactory, as at least two of the horses won races.

TWO-YEAR-OLDS APLENTY

GEORGE PRICE’S BIG TEAM

If G. Price does not have a good time in the early two-year-old races it will not be for lack of representation, states an Australian writer. He has turned out the Chivalrous—Armature colt Martial, but will have nine ready for active service in the spring. At present the New Zealand-bred Ilium (Iliad—Zany) and Golden Hod (Chief Ruler—Oreum) appear the most forward of Price’s lot, but the next month may make a difference. Golden Rod is owned by Mr. E. J. Watt and Hium by Mr. H. T. Lucerne, PRICES BOOMING BLOODSTOCK IN ENGLAND Bloodstock values in England are on the up-grade. At this year’s Newmarket first July sales 133 yearlings averaged 652 guineas against 551 guineas, for 30 last year. In 1932 the average was the low one of 213 guineas for 122 lots, and naturally breeders thought the bottom had fallen out of the business for ever. At the recent sales anything that had a fair pedigree and was of good conformation reached the 500 guineas mark. The highest priced lots were:—Blandford —Endowment colt 5000 guineas, Cameronian—Micmac colt 4200, Foxlaw—Dame Caution filly 4000, Blandfor^— Verdict colt 3800, Fairwgy—Savonia colt 3200, Bosworth—Lioness colt 3200, Fairway— Ciliata filly 3200,' Blandford—Tilia filly 3100. UNDER TWO NAMES QUESTION OF RECORDS A search- through the Australasian Turf Register for information concerning some of the good horses raced ay the late Mr. L. K. S. Mackinnon brought to light an unusual situation, writes Argus. In his early racing years he used the assumed name, “Mr. K. S. MacLeod,” and during that period he won a number of important races. He decided to use his own name, the records in the Register were altered, and in the tables of winners the horses appear in the ownership of Mr. L. K. S. Mackinnon, although when the races were run “Mr. K. S. MacLeod” figured as the owner. The incident is of no great importance, but it is recalled that a leading South Australian owner under similar circumstances was turned down when he wished to have the records changed in this way. BETTORS SOMETIMES WIN bookmakers lose money A friend who tried bookmaking in England says the difficulty of getting a decent stand in the principal ring tells against strangers, writes Pilot in the Sydney Referee, and that Australian bookmakers visiting England would be well advised to make it a holiday trip and avoid the business side with any idea of getting expenses. According to all accounts, even those bookmakers who have the good stands on the courses, and others who have shops in England, have fared badly this year. Touching on this, a representative of one of England’s biggest firms made the following statement on July 9:— “There is not the slightest doubt that bookmakers everywhere have been hard hit by the abnormal percentage of winning favourites during the past few weeks. The trouble started at Ascot, where, despite the failure of several ‘good things’ the number of well-backed winners was abov- the usual average. The small fields, owing to hard going since then, have tended considerably to help backers. The present period of the season is always a good one for followers of the favourtes. “The most popular method of wagering during June, July and August is lowers of the favourites. "The layers lost heavily, when five favourites and one joint favourite were successful. Those backers who had mix«xi doubles' on the favourites drew over 15 doubles.”

NOT ALL CHAMPIONS SONS OF THE TETRARCH A fair percentage of The Tetrarch’s progeny sold at high prices as yearlings proved good winners, but quite a number were pronounced failures. Two who can be specially cited under the latter heading (writes Phaeton) are Blue Ensign, who was sold for 14,500 guineas, and Fete, whose price was 12,000 guineas. Blue Ensign, bought by Lord Glanely, contested only one race, in which he ran -mplaced, and after sev-. eral seasons at the stud he was sold for £B9 ss. Fete, who was bought by Sir Victor Sassoon, did not win a single shilling f° r hex owner. Sarchedon, a son of The Tetrarch, was made the subject of much eulogy when imported to Australia, and there was spirited competition for the initial batch of his progeny when submitted at auction in 1925, 33 lots realising 16,935 guineas. Five colts included in the collection were sold for' 7100 guineas. Dimmer, one of the number, who was bought for 1050 guineas, was raced in New Zealand, but proved a pronounced disappointment, and was eventually drafted • to Gisborne, where he raced in hack company. WELL BRED HUNTER LIKELY SOUTHERNER

Bred in the Eastern District of Southland, a six-year-cld qualified hunter doubly engaged at the Otago Hunt Club’s fixture next week may furnish into a useful jumper for Mr. W. E. Hazlett, states The Press. The novice referred to has been registered as Panoil, and he should face obstacles boldly, as he is a son of Panmure (imp.) from Pollydown, by Downshire (imp.) from Poltava, by Stepniak from Tempest, an Aus-tralian-bred mare who won the Dunedin Cup and other good races for the Otago owner of many years ago, the late Mr. J. Stephenson. Pan oil, by the way, is in good health to be tried out for a jumping career, SYNAGOGUE’S GOOD FORM FAVOURITE FOR EPSOM By winning the Campbelltown Handicap at the Warwick Farm meeting on Saturday the Nev Zealand-bred horse Synagogue confirmed his admirers’ opinion of him as the Epsom Handicap favourite. Two weeks previously at Flemington he was a runner in the Apprentices’ Handicap of six furlongs; but he finished tenth in a field of 20 after being prominent in the early stages. He was reckoned at the time to be above himself, and the fact that he started at long, odds indicates he was not back to his best. That he has made rapid improvement was demonstrated by his victory at Warwick Farm. The Melbourne trainer C. Godby evidently has Synagogue in the right condition, and in the improving form which will be necessary for him to display when he lines up for the Epso: i Handicap to be run at Rand wick on Saturday, October 5,