RACING.

Waipa Post, Volume XII, Issue 943, 18 May 1920, Page 6

RACING.

NEWS AM) COMMENT.

Mr H. W. Brown informed ' Sentinel," of the Otago Witness, that he refused an offer of 6000 guineas for Arrowsmith subsequent to that animal's win in the Thompson Handicap at Wellington. As since then Arrowsmith has won the Prince's Handicap in Auckland it would be difficult to say what Mr Brown would now take for him. It shows that racing is in a particularly flourishing condition in New Zealand when an owner can afford to refuse 6000 guineas for a horse that is* likely to continue to do most of its racing there. Arrowsmith has won six races this season, five being in the ownership of Mr Brown, who, in prize money, inclusive of places, has received about £3500 against the 3000 guineas lie gave for the son of Chaucer last. December.

In discussing Arrowsmith and Amythas, which have been doing so well in New Zealand, " Wayfarer," in the New Zealand Referee, said that at the Wellington meeting the former, with all his condition, still looked a mean specimen of the thoroughbred. He then went on to say that Amythas was quite a different type, and, seeing that horse and Arrowsmith together, one realised afresh the truth of the adage, " they run in all shapes." Amythas is a big fellow, nicely balanced, with beautiful shoulders, good bone, and great driving

quarters. He is essentially masculine, and without being exactly handsome, is good looking. We occasionally hear what some proprietary club director or other has done for racing. so, but nothing by comparison with what racing has accomplished lor others figuring in a similar capacity.

From America comes word that a bill has bee? l - passed which taxes race clubs in K utucky £SOO each racing day. This tax goes to the State, and does away with all other taxes likely to be imposed on behalf of a country, city, town or municipality. It is,mentioned by a New Zealand writer that Desert Gold never paid a double-figure tote dividend, her largest'return being between £8 and £9 —the exact amount is not stated — when she won the New Zealand Challenge Stakes at Wellington in 1915. Any fair racehorse commands ready sale in New Zealand, and, recently the Hon. E. W. Alison-sold the six-year-old gelding Rockfield for £1250. Despite his recent wins Rockfield is not a top-notcher, but £IOOO handicaps are becoming so plentifu. in New Zealand that even an average horse stands a chance of finding a valuable stake.

The question of raising the minimum weigbt from 6.7 to 7st in handicaps will again be brought before the New Zealand Racing Conference in July. The general opinion is that it will have a better chace of being made a rule of racing than on au> previous occasion, and considering the difficulty of finding 6.7 riders is seemingly greater in New Zealand than in Australia, there is not a great deal to be said against its adoption. In the case of horses weighted at 6.7 in New Zealand, overweight seems to be the rule, and it is little use having a 6.7 minimum, if most of the riders have to declare from 21b to 51b over. It is stated by an American paper that the recent sale of Tracery, the highest price ever paid for an American bred horse was £14,000 for Ham-' burg. Last year the successful American bred stallion Fair Play was reported to have been sold for £20,000, and other considerations, but the deal fell through. Topiary, the dam of Tracery, was imported from England by Mr A. Belmont for the purpose of mating with Rock Sand, and her first foal to that horse was Trap Rock. Rock Sand, sire of Tracery, is stated to have cost Mr Belmont £25,000 when he bought him in England, and he later sold him for £30,000 for' export to France. The totalisator turnover in Sydney last month was £422,711 ss, which is a record for that period in the metropolitan area. The days on which there were racing totalled thirteen—seven registered meetings, four unregistered, and two trots. The Government revenue from the toalisator for the whole of the State for the ten months up to the end of April was £193,739, against £110,511 for the same term in 1918-19. The betting taxes total £82,776 against £65,290, so that the advance for ten months is £100,714. If the High Court had upheld the Commonwealth totalisator tax the machine revenue would have decreased in marked manner, and, to make up the deficiency, the bookmakers might have been taxed to an extent out of proportion to an increase of their turnover.