Topics of the Turf

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 697, 25 February 1933, Page 12

Topics of the Turf

NEWSFROMEYE/iYIVHERE

for the Wellington Racing Club’s meeting on March 17 and 18 close at S p.m. on Monday. Forfeits for the New Zealand St Leger and North Island Challenge Stakes are due by the same hour. BREAK IN THE CLOUDS. In 1932 a wet Saturday meant that the Canterbury Jockey Club lost over £6OO on its summer meeting. This year, with a fine day and win-and-place betting, a profit was made on the fixture. Much, of course, will depend on the weather, especially with Easter so late, but if the April meeting of the club is similarly successful, there seems a chance of an upward move in Riccarton stakes. Such a development would be extremely welcome. Canterbury owners and trainers, by helping to ensure a successful Easter fixture at Riccarton, will probably be aiding themselves in the long run. MOTUKARARA FIELDS. Acceptances for the Banks Peninsula Racing Club’s meeting next Saturday are on the whole satisfactory. A small nomination was received for the concluding event, the Forsyth Flying Hack Handicap, and only five have accepted. Also there are only six in the Peninsula Cup, but apart from these two events, punters will have plenty to choose between. RIDING OUT. The fine of £2O imposed on a jockey in the North Island for not having ridden a horse out served to direct attention to a matter to which connections of racehorses and jockeys in particular should give thought. Owing to the introduction of place betting, third position has become of vastly increased importance. With time, that will be automatically remembered by all concerned, but while the system is in its infancy, jockeys wishing to avoid trouble will be wise to keep it in mind. When place betting first became of importance in Australia, there were several instances of riders earning the displeasure of the authorities more through their own carelessness than for any other reason. WILL DO BETTER. United has gone on the right way since he raced at Takapuna, and may have his next outing at the Franklin meeting on March 4. Although United tailed to get in the money at the North Shore meeting, his effort in the Rangitoto Handicap on the second day was encouraging, and he is likely to lo better before the season ends. * :*c $z After a few years’ absence from training, W. H. M’Kay has decided to eturn to that department of racing. He is resuming at Riverton with Some Rose and several young horses. RACING IN INDIA. Sans Ame, the French colt, who won the King Emperor’s Cup (one mile) and the Viceroy’s Cup (one mile and three-quarters) at the big Calcutta meeting towards the end of December had been only a few months in India and for that reason was not fancied by experienced Indian racing men. The Viceroy, Lord Willingdon, is racing a few horses and has had some success. His Excellency and Lady Willingdon were given a great welcome by a crowd estimated at 100,000 when they made their State arrival at the races. TOTE IN IRELAND. In Ireland last year, the totalisator handled £105,557, an increase of £19,799 over 1931. It was operated at 81 meetings embracing 197 day’s racing. The actual profit for the Board of Control was £1745, compared -with a loss of £1732 in 1931. ADDITION TO STABLE. The Ellerslie trainer, A. D. Adams,, r s expecting an addition to his stable during the next few days in Sun Lover, a full-brother to Coon Song. Sun Lover is a four-year-old gelding by Hunting Song from Sangfroid, by Polydamon from Sanguinary, but has never raced.

Advice was received at a meeting of the stewards of the Pahiatua Racing Club that the Racing Conference had approved of the club's application for Wednesday and Thursday, April 5 and 6, for the annual two-day fixture, which was postponed from January. MUSKET RLOOP AND JUMPERS. Spion Kop, winner of the 1930 Derby at Epsom, was represented by three winners over jumps in England in the week ending January 14. He is a son of Spearmint and so a grandson of Carbine. Musket blood has long been valued in a jumper in New Zealand and Australia. MILLIONAIRE RIDER'S DEATH. News of the death of Captain R. E. Sassoon, the millionaire racing owner and amateur rider, was cabled at the time. The fatal injury was received while riding his own horse Clear Note at Lingfield Park on January 22. The extreme seriousness of his condition does not appear to have been apparent at first as, four days after the accident, a London paper referred to his “ painful injuries ” and added that there was every reason to expect him to recover. He died late the night that was published. Captain Sassoon had been removed to a London nursing home and

had received a blood transfusion. NO MORE TREBLES. Treble betting has been in existence in Melbourne racing for some years. In recent months it has taken varied forms. One bookmaker has been advertising on an extensive scale his “ original Nu-Way treble, to win £IO,OOO each race day.” In a recent advertisement, he stated that he laid £550 to £5 about a winning treble a few days earlier. The starting prices of these three horses aggregated only 26 to 1. Apparently the treble business became popular enough to constitute a nuisance, as the Victoria Racing Club committee recently discussed the innovations from various aspects. It had before it information concerning the large sums involved, and rumours of a disquieting character relating mostly to suspicions aroused by the running or scratching of horses. It was ultimately decided to prohibit trebles betting at Flemington, and it is understood that other Melbourne metropolitan clubs will follow the lead given. Treble event betting was not permitted at Williamstown following on this announcement. NEWCOMERS. New racehorses are always interesting. Among the debutants in the Juvenile Stakes at Motukarara are Marquato, a brown gelding by Martarma from Torquato, an English mare by the Desmond horse Sir Archibald; Some Shambles, by Shambles from Some Abbey, a mare owned by the late F. P. Claridge; Rose Marie, also by Shambles, but from Dame Straitlace, a Kilbroney mare, bred by Sir George Clifford; Sweet Arrow, who is by Arrowsmith from Comely; and Silver Brier, by Silver Scorn’s sire, Silverado, from the Paper Money mare Paper Rose. COMING BACK TO FORM. Forceful, who ran second to King Win in the Omata Handicap at the Taranaki meeting, is evidently approaching his best form again and may yet uphold his early reputation. He is an Australian-bred gelding by High Force from Bretelle, and, being a four-year-old, there is still time for him to come good This hack, who races best when the sting is out of the ground, should pay his way during the remainder of the season. SYDNEY SENSATION. Richard Wootton and trainer P. Nolan, disqualified for a year over the running of Bush Melody at Victoria Park, have full cause to regret the decision of the Australian Jockey Club last month to include the hitherto unregistered courses in its fold. But for that decision, Wootton and Nolan could not have raced a horse at Victoria Park. Another change that appears to have served them ill is in regard to the stipendiary stewards. One of these officials of the Australian Jockey Club, Captain H. L. Temperly, recently returned to England. Instead of filling the vacancy in the ordinary way, the A.J.C. committee appointed the two stipendiary stewards of the former unregistered clubs to act in future with its own officials at all Sydney meetings, and so there are now four stipendiaries in Sydney, as there have been in Melbourne for some time past. The Australian stipendiary system varies greatly from that in operation in New Zealand. The Dominion plan resembles that used in India and suggested for England, but in the principal Australian centres, the stipendiary stewards not only create investigations but hear and judge these inquiries themselves. There is always a right of appeal to the ruling body against their decisions, but as a rule they are difficult to upset. Among the penalties suffered by Wootton and Nolan is that they automatically cease to be members of the leading sporting clubs once their disqualification is confirmed.