THE TURF.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13926, 3 April 1909, Page 9

THE TURF.

(By "Field Glass.")

Acceptances and general entries for tho Patea Racing Club's annual meeting to be held at Hawera, close tonight at 8 p.m.

Acceptances for all handicap events and also for the Maiden Scurry at the Feilding Jockey Club's meeting close td-night at 8.30 p.m.

Valentine brought off a double at the Manaia Hack Meeting on Wednesday by annexing the Flying Handicap and the Manaia Handicap.

Durability, who appeared on the official card in the Flying Handicap and the Motumate Scurry Handicap, was scratched as was also Faida in the Flying and Manaia Handicaps.

Recreation was made a favourite for the Manaia Handicap, but Valentine soon hopped to the front and created some surprise among the "pickers" by winning easilly. The favourite was second, beating Inaha by fully three lengths. -

Timothy faced the starter in two events but failed to annex either of them, although he put up good performances, finishing third in the Flying, second in the Motumate Scurry. In the former race the local candidate led the. field for five furlongs.

Golden Glow appeared again in flat events, still without success,' however.

Recreation had to play "second fiddle" to Paululus in the final race of the meeting, the Burnba'nk Welter. From Paritutu's acceptance for the Brighton Hurdles, it appears that the veteran is getting right again. Taifcoko, one of tho candidates for tho Taranaki Cup^ was very lame subsequent to the race and his trainer, J. Prosser, dropped him at the farm of his owner, Mr M'Donald, onhis way down to Porirua. It is intended to rest the son of Stepniak for a few months. v ' Referring to the inquiry* into 'the running of Moriarty at the Taranaki meeting, an exchange says:— "ln justice to tho boy Price, it is said that he is Somewhat* nervous, and will not take advantage of openings which though , they J appear' risky to him, have no danger for other riders," "Petronel," in an appreciative notice «f the ' Taranaki Autumn meeting, after referring to the satisfactory increase in the tote returns goes on to say:-^- "Taking everything into consideration, we may heartily agree with the many Taranaki sportsmen who aver that the Metropolitan Club of the district took- a new lease of life last year. It is a matter for congratulation that the totalisator business was, so brisk, forrthe experience of many North Island facing clubs this season has been quite Ufe reverse., One reason for the decrease in the totalisator receipts may be found- in -race meetings following too rapidly for the public in certain districts. There had hot been much racing in Taranaki immediately preceding, last week's meeting, consequently the people were well prepared for the sporting, holiday. One other sound reason for the financial success is that the fiolds were strong numerically, and of distinctly a better class than the average of the competitors at New Plymouth in recent years. There need be no surprise, . therefore., , thafcr t&e attendance constituted a record; for thfc club;" " , 1 ' _• ■ . The programme of the Egmont'Racing Club meeting, to be held otf May 12 and 13, is advertised. 'The programme is one that should commend itself to North Island owners of Hacks. Each of the fourteen events is well endowed,. v the* most valuable being the Hawera Chip, of 208 soys., njin<* furlongs; Manaia Handicap, of SG'Spvs., one mile; Railway Handicap, bf 7o soys., six furlongs; Waihi Handicap, of 75 soys., one mile; and Telegraph Handicap, of 75 soys., five furlongs. There are also two hurdle races of 80 soys. each, besides a variety of minor events. Entries close with Mr. Turton on Friday, April 16. Eleven 'bookmakers were licensed to bet at the Manaia meeting at -a- fee 6i £5-&, and several got into trouble before the races were over. One at letst was roughly handled by the. crowd because he could not pay out on one of the winners. It would be m the best interests of facing if some of, these "bookmakers" f were made to, disclose their financial ♦ position to club officers before they received their permits to make a book. They appeared at these small country meetings as big as life with a t "fiver,'' and if they should happen' to ,be hit on the first face, those who hav.e patronised them are perhaps asked, to let their divl stand over for a while, the * 'stony broke" individual hoping to make' a coup on the next race which will enable him to meet his engagements, or he may not come to face the ordeal, and disappears whilst nobody is looking. Such men do the "sport of kings" a great deal of harm, and should not even be allowed on the course, let alone •make a book. Their very presence is objectionable. At the larger meetings,' where they can't pay the bigger fee, they resort to all sorts of dishonest means to get hold of the 'oof. At New Plymouth, in the previous week, I stood for some time at a point in the Recreation Grounds, where I watched a number of them running the three-card trick, and was surprised at the number of people who, although they knew or should have known that these were sharpers, backed with them. One of these "gents" occupied a seat half-way down the hill leading to the tea house, another stood a few paces away with an umbrella, and they had tout's in every direction on the lookout for the man in blue. A number of men are Heard approaching from the racecourse, and immediately the man Who has been sitting down hurries up to his friend, and in a moment they are having a heated argument. "That's the one I backed," says one. "No; you backed the red," replies the other, as he continues to shuffle the cards, and out of curiosity the visitors stop to listen to the argument. Then other bets are made at big odds, and the one man meets with so much evident success that others are induced to try tlieir luck, and although once or twice they are allowed to win just as a feeler, in every instance they are, in the end, considerably out of pocket. Mild continue on their way with faces as long as though attending a funeral, fljic! marvelling at what fools they had

been. These men visit small country meetings where they can scrape together sufficient to cover the low tee demanded. Whilst Ido not hold with patrons in taking the law into theu\ own hands in dealing with Avelshers, such treatment as that meted out at Manaia is not undeserved, and should be the means of putting the break on some of these; undesirables. Clubs could do a great deal in clearing their courses of such by keeping up the feet and obtaining some guarantee as to the position of those applying for licenses, for a big fee would bo an effective bar, whilst the financial position of some Would certainly not stand investigation. Clubs in the end would come out on top, for although they would get fewer bookmakers they would be handling the bigger fees ; and what is more, they would only get reBpectable men doing business, and thus | show consideration for the public, without whom racing clubs could not exist. At a recent country sports meeting in Taranaki a joke was played on some of the officials (says a contemporary). As a well-dressed man of fair Sroportions passed through the gate, c asked if he might open his book. "Well," said one of the men at the gate, "I don't know, but I'll see the secretary ; you know it will have to be kept quie.t." It soon got whispered about that there Was a bookie present, but no one could find out what odds he was laying. He then went to the secretary, whom he happened to know, and asked him if he might open hie book. The secretary stated that some of the committee had been . to him, but that he could not decide it. . "Oh, well, I'm going to open it," said the . man with the book, "and I will have your name in it, and nearly all ,of. the committee's." The book turned out to be, the Government valuation book, and the valuator had their names, and soon had some particulars of their farms. The joke was enjoyed by all ; but when a few of the uninitiated heard him say, "I*ll Eay out on the chop," they declared c was a bookie. . '