RACING AND TROTTING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16471, 6 July 1921, Page 3

RACING AND TROTTING.

(By “ ARGUS ”) FIXTURES. July 6—Rangitikei Hunt Club. July 13, 16—Wellington Racing CluK July 16—Wairaate Hunt Club. July 23—South Canterbury Hunt Club. •Toly 28, 30—Gisborne Racing Club. August fl, 10, 12—Metropolitan Trotting Club. August 3, 11, 13—Canterbury Jockey Club. NOMINATIONS. July I—Canterburyl—Canterbury Jockey Club. July &— -Giabom? Racing Club. July 22—Canterbury Jockey Club. HANDICAPS. July In—Gisborne Racing Club •inly 18— Canterbury Jockey Club. July 29—Canterbury Jockey Club. ACCEPTANCES. July 9—Wellington Racing Club. July S—South Canterbury Hunt CInV ,7u?v 22—Canterbury Jockey Club. Julv 22—Gisborne Racing Club. August 3—Canterbury Jockey Club,

PENALTIES. Th© advantage of rehandicapping, a? compared "with the system of fixed penalties for winners, have frequently given rise to argument. The fixed penalty method has been firmly established in the Dominion for many years and at one true it seemed almost hopeless to expect a strong move in the other direction. Lately, however, there has been a tendency in favour of rehandicapping. The Auckland Racing Club and the Dominion Jockey Club have already dropped fixed penalties in favour of rehandicapping, while there is evidence that a number af suburban and provincial clubs are coming to recognise the advantages of the new method. The Avondale Jockey Club is the most recent convert and during next season it is probible that other clubs will follow the ead that has been given them. Old ideas die bard but it is surprising that the fixed penalty system has held its place so long. The only argument that can be urged in its favour is that an owner knows exactly what a win will cost him, so far as other events are concerned for which he has already been handicapped, whereas he does not know what may happen under the rohandicapping system. This, however, seems a very small point when weighed against the arguments .on the other side. The most obvious of these is that the fixed penalty operates unfairly, as it fails to take any account of the merit of a performance, which should be the real basis of all handicapping. This fact finds plenty of illustration throughout the season, and the wonder is that it has not made a greater impression on oar raciug legislators. Many county clubs would have cause for rejoicing if rehandicapping were adopted in connection with important events on the programmes of leading chibs, as the present system restricts the activities of the smaller clubs in a very undesirable manner.

Acceptances for the Wellington Racing Club’s winter meeting will close ou Friday. Acceptances for the South Canterburv Hunt Club’s meeting are due on Friday. The plough track at Riccartoii is out of action for the winter.* It has been ploughed up and will be left in the rough for a few months, after which it will be put into order again in the spring. In the meantime, most of the steady work will he done on the sand and on the neiv tan track, inside the jumping circuit. Thiß new track is nearly ready for use, a coating of tan having been spread nearly all the nay round. Amythas i« getting, through useful tasks. He moves a trifle short at times, but his legs look in good order and F. I). Jones is sanguine that the Demosthenes gelding will stand up to a solid preparation for next season's racing. W. MDonaJd has recommissioned Bonny Mac and Castellan. both ot w hom look well after their spell. Fiery Cross has been doing steady work for some timo past.. He is sound enough at present, but it is probable that he will be retired, as his owner, Mr P. H. Roberts, considers it inadvisable to persevere any further as h racing proposition. The two-year-old gelding Meteorite, by Martian -Forked Lightning, has made his reappearance on the tracks. Ho was a smart galloper this season, and ho has thickened out a lot since last hi* raced. Having already done a lot of useltil exercise on the roads, he is in nice order to commence the more serious part of his preparation tor spring engagements. Gamecock's tasks in preparation for big hurdle races near at hand consist mainly of strong pace work on the sand, it being a very rare thing to put him against the watch, while hois rarely .jumped, having shown a strong dislike to the schooling hurdles. He is thriving on S. Trilford’s treatment. however, ami he will not fail at Trent ham or Riccarton on the score of condition. An Aucklander who recently bad a look at the horses undet L. Wilson’s charge at Hastings states that The Hawk is furnishing splendidly and is wintering exceptionally well. Loyal Arch and Demodes, who left Riccarton last week, have joined Mill. W. Drown*s team in training at feir Fisher, who was severely injured when lie fell in the Kgiuont Steeplechase at Hawera, is still in a bad way, and at present it looks as though his racing days are over. At th' annual meeting of the Nelson Jockey Club there was some discussion regarding the amount of stakes to lx? given during the coming season. It was proposed that the amount •be £2500, the same as during the past season, but an amendment in favour of increasing them by £250 was carriedOratress has finished racing, and Mr S. Gibbous lias booked her to Absurd. Kquitati, who is in foal to Martian, will be mated with that sire again. Gay Boy has been withdrawn from all engagements at the Wellington Meeting. He recently won the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase, and was An tiic Wellington Steeplechase with &e minimum weight.

Fiscom, who won the Victoria Racing Club’s Grand National Hurdle Handicap last Saturday, is one of Air Sol Green’s breeding. by Comedy King, winner of the Melbourne Cup, from the New Zealand-bred marc. Lady Fisher (Cuirassier-—Lady Emmeline). The first produce of Lady Fisher was Maniapoto, winner ot the Metropolitan Stakes, at Rand wick. With limited opportunities—lie was not popular with breeders up the West Coast of the North Island, for some reason or other—-Maniapoto has made a name as the sire of jumpers. Ngata (winner of the Century Hurdles) and Fisher (winner of the Great Northern' were both sired by him. About twelve years ago, when Mr Green was building up the Shipley Stud. since dispersed. he purchased Lady Fisher. She produced two fillies bv Positano and two colts by Comedy King beforeFiscom came to light. The latter is only four years old. At Williamstown last month Fiscom created a favourable impression by running second in a hurdle field which included seven National candidates, and had since been one of the favourites for the Flemington rac-o

Kilbrogan is now being schooled over hurdles- fly was a good horse at the time he won the Great Easter Handicap but he has fallen from his high estsit© since then. During the present season 290 owners won money in New Zealand with trotters and pacers. Lord Desmond, winner of the Maiden Handicap at Dannevirke, is a three-year-old by Demosthenes from the Finland mare Northern Rose, the dam of Miss de Val, Trentham Rose and Swaned River. Lochella is getting through useful work at Wingatui, where he was recently schooled over fences. His tuner lias net made up his mind about the Trentham trip, but The Grafton Loch gelding cannot be at his bent yet.

The well-known Southern jockey. W. Robinson, who has set up as a trainer at Invercargill, vrill probably have a big team under his charge next season.

Depredation’s brother, Mort Avis, keeps on racing well in the north and next season he may be found winning open races over long journeys. The Accident Fund of tho Racing Conference has met claims to the extent of .-£1906 7s lid during the present season, and it cost £997 Is 7d to administer the claims, or about 50 per cent of the total paid out.

The date selected for the Otago Hunt race meeting has been objected to by the Kurow Jockey Club, Mhos© annual race meeting is to take place two days before th© gathering at Wingatui. The Kurow club surely has priority of right to the date, if it is considered that the two meetings are too close together.

When Coalition won the Grand National Steeplechase he carried 11.13, and was receiving 81b from Loch ell a, who fell during the rare. Coalition has since won the Great Northern Steeplechase with !2st 51b, and at Wellington has been asked to meet Lochella. on 151 b worse terms than -when they met at Riccarton in August last.

Tlie Dunedin Jockey Club is fathering a motion to come before the Racing Conference, which will strongly appeal for the support of nil horse owners. Tt is to the effect that the combined entrance and acceptance fees in respect to any race shall not exceed £5 per rent of the amount of the stakes “ parable to the wnmor.” * * During the season just closing 230 days’ racing took place at 139 race meetings. The sutn of £562,215 was distributed in stakes, and £7,478,098 invested on the totalisator. Racing clubs also gave 11,100 sovs in stakes for trotting events on their programmes, anrl the totalisator investments on these events ran to £173,133 10s. Th© above figures do not. of course, include any of the race meetings occurring in the latter end of June or during the present month.

Tt is remarkable that while no previous winner of the Melbourne Cup is engaged in that race this year, the nominations include four horses who have finished second in it. Thesfc horses are: Tangle, runner-up to Wostcourt in 1917: Keunaquhair. runner-up to Nioht Watch in 1918: Richmond Alain runner up to Artilleryman in 1919; and Erasmus, runner-up to T’oitrel in 1920. Paonui, a. useful performer on the flat, is being schooled over hurdles at Eller#lie and shapes exceptionally well. Coroglen, who raced so well in steeplechases at the Auckland Racing Club’s meeting last month, is booked for a trip to Trentham for next week’s meeting and will then come to Riccarton for the Grand National fixture. In the best of the novices, his presence in the cross-country ©vents will be welcome. The Auckland-owned gelding Luperino is to contest jumping events at Trentham next reek. He will then go to riiuaru, for the chief steeplechase at the South Canterbury Hunt Chili's meeting. After that he will finish his preparation at. Riccarton for engagements at the Grand National meeting. In the past trainers have been allowed to jog their horses about in th© centre of the course at Ellersli© when they were not actually in work without payment. This practice, however, will in all probability he put a stop to in future, for it is intended to provide a track in the centre for horses only trotting and cantering, and all horses using the course in any capacity will be charged for. latest English papers to hand state that Mr T. H. Lowry's lilly Paradise Duck, which recently won the British Dominion Plate at Sundown, was a starter in the second division of the Norfolk .Stakes on Alai' 10. She was ridden by V. Smith, and ran unplaced. Owners of steeplechasers in Tasmania art; complaining that the clubs thore arc gradually reducing tho number of races for those horses. The Tasmanian Racing Club omitted a steeplechase from its May and June programmes, which is said to be a uew departure. In France last year F. Bullock. Mho bad tho pleasure of winning the Grand Prix de Paris (£13.235) and the Prix de J’Arc do Triomphe (£6000) on Comrade, recently made another profitable trip to Paris. It was cabled a few days ago that he won the French Oaks on Donizade. As a. sire of two-year-olds tlie Desmond hors© Atheling 11. is doing well in America. Six horses of that age by him had won races from tho beginning of this year up to the middle of April, next corning Von Tromp (Ben Brush— Cinderella), with five. Atheling 11. Js out ci Wood Daisy (by Gyllene), another of whoso progeny was imported Woodwild. who was killed at Rosehili nearly three years ago.

American, owners believe in standing horses right up in their work, and in going over the track doiugs of Kentucky Derby candidates it was mentioned by the Lexington “Thoroughbred Record ’ of April 30 that a colt named Coyne had galloped a mil© and a quarter in 2.4 1-5, which was only lourfilths of a second worse than the record for the race. No doubt Coyne’s trial uas done under racing conditions, so far as shoeing was concerned, though it is probable lie carried less than Derby weight. At the same time 1 can imagine the joy of the average New Zealand trainer if he found himself possessed of a horse that in its trial could get within a. second of the time record for a mile and a quarter race. Tryster and Leonardo IT. were the Derby favourites at the end of April, and both were showing good form. Leonardo TT. (Sweep—-Ethel Pace), in particular, was pleasing the critics. He was reckoned the handsomest, and. as nearly as possible, the biggest two-year-old racing in America last season. That he had lost none of his earlier galloping abilitv -was demonstrated when he put up 1.42 4-5 for an eight and a half furlong race at Lexington on Anri] 23. Ho earned 7.5 and bent the second horse eight lengths. Behave Yourself, who was cabled as the winner of the Kentucky Derby, was racing at Lexington at the same time as I/eonardo TT., hut was not showing form. As his name was not even lie in g mentioned then in the newspaper discussion of possibilities, it is probable he started at an outside price. AUSTRALIAN TROTTING. AIR W. KERR’S OPINION^. Air W. Kerr recently returned from an extended trip in Australia, and I had an interesting chat with the New Brighton studraaster, who M-aa very willing to describe his holiday. Naturally, be looked up Air Hungerford. the secretary of th© Neiv South Wales Trotting Club, and that official extended many favours to the New Zealand visitor. Air Kerr saw 6ome racing on the New South Wales Trotting Club’s course at Epping. He stated that the track is only four furlongs and very narrow. Large fields contested the events ou each of the days Air Kerr attended, and there were several smashes on one of the days, due t-o the smallness of the track. The racing was particularly clean and interesting, and ‘some of the finishes were close, but he missed the sustained interest of a twomile race, so popular in the Dominion, because they do not race over that distance on any Australian tracks. Mr Kerr saw a lot of horses but considered most of them were of the speedy type, although a few looked as though they would stav if there were longer races for competition. The starting was by the seconds style, and Mr Hungerford dispatched the fields with a watch, in the manner in which races were started here years ago, before the clock mad© its appearance. A feature of the meetings Mas the fine showing of freelegged horses. The club specially eaters for this class, and many pace really well without the aid of the straps. The totalisator house amused the visitor, as it M r as quite a small affair, and most of the betting was don© with th© bookmakers in preference to the machine.

Another point that impressed tho visitor was the absence of ladies at the meeting and. considering the size of the city, the small attendances. It seemed to Mr Kerr as though the general public took only a casual interest in the sport, and only those attended who to a large extent m ere directly interested.

• Air Kerr was unlucky not to sec any racing at Victoria Park, as he was away in Afelbourpe when a meeting was held there. The track on this ground is a mile, and the races arc run on tbc grass. There are a large number of tracks on th© course, and it is a most popular training course. The totalisator is a small building, and the machine has not yet gained the popularity R. enjoys in th© Dominion. At Victoria Park the races are started by' tbc yards svstem, so that, like New Zealand, two styles are in operation iu Sidney, but th© visitor was impressed by the manner in which the horses have been educated to stand at their marks. At Melbourne Air Kerr saw some racing at Richmond. Here the varejs starting style is in operation, and the Higgins barrier used. The visitor is firmly convinced that tho yards style, with’ a barrier, is the best method of dispatch. T found Mr Kerr most emphatic on this point, and he gave mo many instances of what he saw in .Melbourne. In one race twenty-five horses started and every one moved off without a mistake: in fact, he stated that it was an eye-opener to him how the horses had been educated to stand up to flic barrier. A fine horse ho saw racing there was Bonnie Voyage, a. trotter by First Voyage—Blonde Grattan. In a race for pacers and trotters Bonnie Voyage was easilv the best, but w hat-impress-ed Air Kerr most was the horse’s almost faultless gait and his manners. Standing right up to the barrier, when it was released the trotters went away as fast as the pacers. Whilst in Melbourne Air Kerr saw D. .1 Price, who is now training a large team of gallopers, and wished to he remembered to all his old Now Zealand friends. That great - reinsman, “Lou" Robertson, is having a holiday just now. Air Kerr said that Robertson had put on a good deal of weight, and was looking well. Ho had devoted a lot. of his time to galloping horses, and informed Mr Kerr that he was not likely to take up the business again for some time. He is married and lim* a few miles out of Melbourne. His brother, *“ Andy,”, is now a. publican at Hampton, not far from one of the seaside resorts of Afclbourn©. R. S. Henry, who was well known here some years ago. is still raciug trotters and pacers around Melbourne. ATr Kerr journeyed about thirty miles out of Sydney to see the American stallion. Don Pronto. Ho stated that he was a nice. quality-looking stallion, rather on the small side, but one that should get useful stock. The pacer Happy Voyage is considered the best in Australia, and Air Kerr stated that be was a racy-lookmg sort, full of quality. Durin"' his stay m the Commonwealth Air Kerr received a ."rent many kindnesses from officials and private members of trotting clubs. and he thoroughly enjoyed his holiday. STARTING QUESTIONYARDS OR SECONDS. The question of starting by yards instead of seconds is sure to create considerable controversy at the forthcoming annual meeting of the Now Zealand Trotting Conference, and it is interesting to note that three of those appointed as a deputation to the ruling body to advocate the seconds system were present at the Auckland Totting Club’s recent fixture, and naturally watched the working of the barrier very keenly. As far as Aucklanders are concerned, 1 do not think that anyone connected nith the sport Mould advocate a. ret urn to the old order, of tilings, for tho barrier start lias been so successful here that no one seriously

thinks of the starting by seconds which a. number of the Southern clubs adopt. A most ardent supporter of the barrier from tho owners’ point of view is Air H. F. Nicoll, one of the largest owners in New Zealand, M’hile from the trainers, drivers, and riders’ bide the opinion of James Bryce, probably the most successful trainer and driver Now Zealand lias ever had, and who strongly supports tho barrier, is a most valuable oue. It is also worthy of uot© that the leading driver and rider of tho season (J. M’Lennan), when asked for an opinion the other day on the question, simply replied that he had driven four or five strange horses at the fixture, had never been left, and had won. two races. One argument against the yards system is that it handicaps the back marker, but the records show that those at the long end win as large a percentage of races as from any other mark. Alan o’ AVar won th© Auckland Trotting Cup from tlie extreme back mark, while, to come to the more recent fixture at Epsom, Doan Dillon won the Winter Handicap, giving long starts, M'liile tlie latter gave away the longest yards handicap yet given at .Epsom, and only just ; missed the Hillsboro’ Trot Handicap, ! running second. AA’itli the seconds s.ys- : tern in force, and with big fields prevailing, it is a matter of impossibility, T don’t care bow capable the starter, t© check every horse, and it is probably a matter of being able to get an advantage at the start that weighs a lot when th© chance to yards is opposed, If space- permitted, numerous arguments could be advanced in support of starting by barrier, but the fact that in Auckland, where both systems have been thoroughly tested, tho vote is unanimously in favour of yards as against seconds, seems pretty convincing.