THE TURF

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19367, 25 July 1925, Page 6

THE TURF

FIXTURES July 25—South Canterbury Hunt Club. Juiy 23, 25 Gisborne R.C. Aug. I—Christchurch Hunt . Aug. I—Poverty Bay Hunt. Aug. 11, 13, 15- -Canterbury J.C. Aug. 15 —Pakuranga Hunt. Aug. 29—North Taranaki Hunt. Sept. 2, 3—Marton J.C. Sept. s—Otago Hunt. Sept. s—Manawatu Hunt.. Sept. 10, 12 Wanganui J.C. Sept. 16—Dannevirke R.C . Sept. 17.- Dannevirke Hunt. •Sept. IS, 19 —Ashburton County R.C. Sept. 24, 25 -Geraldine R.C. Sept. 25, 26 Otaki Maori R.C. Sept. 26—Napier Park R.C. Sept. 26, 28—Avondale J.C. OTHER WANGANUI DISTRICT MEETINGS Oct 24 Egmont-Wanganui Hunt. Oct. 26 Waverley R.C. Nov. 1 S--Ashhur!«t. Nov. 28, 30 Feilding J.C. Dec. 26. 28. 21) Manawatu R.C. Jan. I 2 Marton J.C. Feb. 3. 4 —Egmont R.C. Feb. 11. 13- Taranaki J.C. Feb. IS. 20 Wanganui J.C. March 24. 25 Manawatu R.C. March 24, 25 -Rangitikei R.C. March 27—Waverley R.C. April 3, s—Feilding J.C. May 13. 15 —Egmont R.C. May 20, 22-Wanganui J.C. NOTES AND COMMENTS (By •'Early Bird.”) Gisborne concludes to-day. I Horses likely to go well at the Eafct .Coast fixture are Garzon, Sunlike, Entitle Knight, Manutai, Ranui, Carniola and 'Pari.

The South Canterbury Hunt meeting is io be held to-day, and interest is added to the programme by reason of the fad that some National candidates will be seen out.

Notable among them are Tigerland and Kipling (Steeplechase), and Mountain Lion and En Route (Claremont Welter!. They should go well in their engagements.

There are in all three steeplechases on to-day’s Hunt programme, and Uncle Bob, an easy winner at Waimatc on Thursday, ought to go close in whichever race ho is sent for. 'l’he hurdles is run over a mile and a-half, and Kaikahu, who should hold the rest safe, is a promising sort. According to a Hawke’s Bay writer, Runnymedc is booked to make his next appearance in the Wanganui Guineas, and Gold Light will contest the N.Z. Eclipse Stakes, run on the second day of the Wanganui Spring meeting. Sir Rosebery was unplaced in the last Grant! National Hurdles, with 9.13, and has been allotted 11.9 this year. He has been asked to meet Santiago on 2 lib worse terms, Nukumai at 261 b. ami Vagabond at 291 b. so that Sir Rosebery will have to improve well over two stone Io have a winning chance this year. He may prove able to battle against the poundage, but there will be some ‘‘men from Missouri” who will want to see, writes “ Sentinel.”

Advice was received in Wellington that Maurice McCarten was to leave Sydney yesterday for New Zealand. He might bo found riding Anticipate in the Winter Cup.

When R. J. Mason left for Sydney with Gloaming, he also took the two year-old filly Society, by Absurd from First Class, by All Black from Class, by Wallace from La Tasoo. with the object of soiling her. Nows is now to hand that Society has boon sold to Mr. P. Miller, proprietor of the Ki ora Stud, Now South Wales, the most extensive breeding establishment in Australia. Mr. Miller has about 126 mares of his own, while he has four imported sires —Sarchodon, Magpie, Nassau and Saltash.

In Wanganui we have seen a horse', being schooled over hurdles and an ' other horse going with him as a companion on the flat outside the fences, but I local trainers have yet to supply us with the following novelty recorded at Caulfield recently:—“St. Roseland jumped three ordinary fences at Caul field. He was accompanied by Loch Morar, who jumped three hurdles. The fences end hurdles wore placed side by side. St. Roseland and Loch Morar then strode over a mile on the tan.” Mr Harry Taylor, in cabling to his fat hor-in-law. M r Sago Bruce, that ho had bought Caravel, from the Mac quarie stud, stated that the horse is rr garded as the best miler in England.. Caravel is beautifully bred. His dam. My Dear, is by Beppo, from the Radium mare. Silesia, the dam of Radosia (a half sister to famous horses in Bavardo ami Lembers), who during the war was shipped from England by Lord Dewar and bought in Australia by Mr L. K. S. Mackinnon, the chairman of the V.R.C. Radosia is the dam of Susie Pye, a recent winner in Melbourne. My Dear, who has boon described as one of the best mares in England, in her day. won the Goodwood Cup. Her dam, S’, lesia, is a daughter of the celebrated mare. Galicia, while her siro was Carbine’s best son, Spearmint. Mv Dear’s sire. Beppo. was by Marco. Frank Wootton. the Australian jockey who rode with outstanding sue-’ cess in England a few years ago, is returning to Sydney in order to join his father. Mr Richard Wootton. Tn paving a farewell tribute to him. the Evening News remarks: “Frank Wootton was a brilliant horseman, akin in genius anti entitled to rank with Fred Archer, George Fordham and Dannv Maher. Ho would have boon even greater if his impetuous temperament j had not conflicted with the authorities.’ • > Prank Wootton, with his brother Stan ! ley, also once a jockey, but now a leading trainer in England, spent their early boyhood in Sydney. When Mr Wootton transferred to South Africa in 1904 he took Frank, then not quite 10 years old. i with him. The boy was too young to j ride in Australia, but ho was allowed in South Africa to begin his jockey’s career at once. Ho had not. reached his 10th birthday when he rode in his first race there, and won it. In the two years they spent in Africa, the Woottons, father and son. wore most successful. Tn 1906 they went io England, where Frank has since, remained. He quickly won his way to Ihe top of the tree as a jockey in England, but. increasing weight necessitated his forsaking flat race riding. Tie then took . up riding over jumps, and again did

well. Tn a letter to his sisters recently, Frank Wootton said that be was going to the Isle of Wight to ride his lust winner before retiring. lie duly won the race.

Although the Flemington steeplechase course is justly termed severe, veterans like the present-day trainers James Scohie and A. Ferguson, who rode over it many years ago. will tell you emphatically that the fences now-a-days. are not nearly so high or so formidable, It is the amount of jumping in tho l course, with, at certain stages, the near | ncss to each other of the obstacles, that | tests the modern jumper—generally i more familiar with easier courses. In 1 the three miles and a furlong of the I G.N. course there are 23 fences, but j actually the whole of these are jumpo'i in 19 furlongs. Vhere are 14 individual jumps, but nine have to be crossed twice. The 14 comprise one stone wall, two of logs, seven post and rail, one of palings, and three brush. Ono of the log obstacles is 3ft. lOin. and the other 4ft. high. The stone wall is 3ft. lOin. Two of the brush are 4ft. I in. All of the other fences are 4ft. high except one post and rail, which is 4ft. Olin. The average length of the fences is about 72ft. The take-off and landing sides are given particular attention, and on the latter arc placed heavy layers of tan. Probably the most dreaded fence nt Flemington is the third last, which is, incidentally the final stiff fence. It is a post and rail obstacle 4ft. high, situated near the training sheds, about five furlongs from homo. It was here that Ilaoma and Liberate fell two years ago, when they wore so far ahead that the issue appeared to lie between them. The brush on the obstacles of that type is growing privet hedge, about sft. ■wide at the top. Half of the record field of 22 for a V.TLC. Grand National Steepdeehasc failed to finish. That was in 1908. There were 13 starters a year ago. and eight completed the journey. This year only seven nut of thirteen finished the course, and two horses had to ho destroyed. Eleven out of 19 met With mishaps in 1892, as did len out of .17 in 1912. and nine out of 13 in 1919. In the appended table is given the number of starters and of those that completed the course in each of the last 39 years:

RICCARTON NOTES. CHRISTCHURCH, July 23. Santiago arrived at Riccarton this morning to fulfil his engagements at the National meeting. This morning was dull and cold for training operations at Riccarton. The No. 6 grass track was open for fast work, but it was dead, and the times registered, of course, were not fast. Deucalion worked nicely in a run over live furlongs. The time was Imin. 7secs. Retrospect and Rich Prize were well matched in a working gallop over seven furlongs. The time was only fair. Royal Dispatch pulled hard while being treated to a few rounds on the sand. ►Sun Up appeared to be staying on nicely at the conclusion of a working gallop over six furlongs, which occupied iniin. 24 3-ssec. Moorland and Last Dart were given a working gallop over once round on the sand, both horses pulling up well. Barn Owl dashed over live furlongs in good style. Boadicca strode over six furlongs nicely in J min. 21 3-ssec. Tuki and Sanforte were companions in a working gallop over about a mile. Both horses worked with plenty of dash. Solferite galloped a useful nine furlongs, and seemed to appreciate the distance. Tilt worked nicely over seven furlongs, Footfall assisting over the last half-mile. Ayrburn finished on better than Sunny Loch after galloping five furlongs in Imin. 6sec. Musical and Killocra finished on terms at. the conclusion of a working gallop over five furlongs, which occu pied Imin. 8 4-ssec. Goldstep and Starmist were given a sprint over three furlongs. Penury Rose, who appears to have freshened up nicely, was given a fev\ strong rounds on the sand. Kukumo was too good for Rigel ai i the conclusion of a working gallop rui I over seven furlongs, which occupiec 1 min. 36sec. Gold!own could have improved or the time, 54scc, it took him to rui half-a-mile. Tcnterficld and Vagabond got to thi end of a seven-furlong gallop in Imin 38 4-sscc. Tigerland and Charlatan worker nicely together in a gallop run over ? mile and a-quarter in 2min. 21 4-ssec. Finora had an easy victory over Ra< Fair in a gallop over five furlongs. Warhaven and Chickwheat fiuirfiet on terms after galloping six furlong lin Imin. 22scc. En Route galloped five furlongs ii I Imin. Ssec. He then bolted with hi I pilot and after doing three full round 'a bystander on a hack came to the res ' cue. and pulled him up. I Sartist beat Granuel comfortably a the end of a working gallop run ovc | six furlongs in Train. 21scc.

Bonomel galloped a useful six ftn* longs. To Kawa is suffering from a splint, and wiM not fulfil his engagement at the South. Canterbury fixture. WINDBAG IN ACTION AGAIN. Received July 24, 8.30 p.m. SYDNEY, July* 24. The erack three-year-old, Windbag, after a spell, will be started in the New Mexico Stakes at the A.J.C. Fleet meeting to-morrow. A JOCKEY RETIRES. LONDON, July 23. It is announced that Frank BnllocX is retiring at the end of the season owing to the drain on his constitution by riding below 8.5. He feels that n continuance will seriously impair his i health and so he is taking a trip to Australia. Ho may return and take up training in Britain. Bullock has a long and honourable career and has nevet ridden better than in 1925. A TALE OF TWO POSTERS We are assured by a correspondent that the folio wing incident happened in Kensington the other day. A dear old lady halted by a Sporting Life content® bill which read:— Epidemic Of 6’3 In Kent I “Dear me! ” she said, “I thought Kent [ was such a healthy place!” It reminds us of another incident during the war» ; when one of our posters read:— Premier Sporting Daily. I The old lady's comment in this ease was, “No wonder it takes us so long m | boat the Germans!” BETS LIMITED TO £2 NO ANTE-POST WAGEKTNO. WAY THEY HAVE IN JAPAN. No punter allowed to plunge more than £2 on a nice. Winning wagers limited to £2O. None of the anti-post betting, which in Australia enriches the few at the cost of the many. Bookmakers not allowed, though perhaps they would not want to be with such limited opportunities, writes ‘ ‘ Poseidon/* in the {Sydney Sun. These are a few of the points about racing in shaky Nippon that Captain Yasuda, secretary of the Tokio Kacinj Club, made in a chat one had with him, and to which Baron Kusumoto, a eon* mittecman of the club, nodded assents They have no misconceptions about Japan’s place in the sun of racing They had just come in from Randwiek* and the genial captain remarked, have so much to learn. We can’t make an ideal place like Rand wick in a day i or a year or two, but we are going uf |do our best. Wo are here because oui* ! people understand that the best racingappointments in the world can be seen! in Australia.” “MAD ON BETTING.” It seems that for many years racing I in Japan was confined to foreign resii dents. Tfcen, with a view to assist ■ the horse-breeding industry, pennissioal was given for a few meetings, but ia consequence of "the people going mad over betting,’’ a paternal Government foreclosed, as it were, seeing danger in the growth of the betting habiU Nevertheless, still wishing to cncouragts horses the State gave cups for racot on which betting was not allowed; buA public interest declined! Finally, nftcjJ much argument. Parliament two yearsl ago agreed to permit racing under eep* tain restrictions. This nutshell history is interesting in a land like Australia, where racing has some as showing the stage another people has reached in its turf legislation.

No bookmakers are allowed, and th# betting is done on the French par»* mutuel plan. Our Japanese friends, proud of their nice as mathematicians, say that they have men who calculata the figures for dividends “like lightning. ’ ’ Individual bets are restricted to 20G yon (£2) on a race. How some Aujw tralians would jib at this! But how* beneficial it would be to many a small punter if his speculation could thus be limited! Thon the dividend is limit-‘ ed to £2O. Any surplus is returned to/ the club and goes to assist in tb» breeding of horses. The Tokio Club is allowed to hol<l only two meetings a year—in the* Spring and Autumn —and they are of four days each. The added money for each meeting amounts to £lO,OOO, besides which a percentage of the parimutuel receipts goes to winning own- *

There is none of the lure of ante--post betting for the simple reason that entries for a race are not received until 50 minutes before the event is timed to start. Fields are limited'lo .16 because racing is thought to be cleaner and nicer than if a larger number wera permitted. The distance of the majority of races is six furlongs, and it varies up to two miles.

Some of the horses arc Japanese, but others have boon imported from England or Australia. The Government subsidies any breeder who will import good stock. Nowadays racing has such a hold of the community that the Tokio Club is going to spend up to £200,000 on a modern course. Captain Yasuda says: “As soon as we get properly going wo shall import many more horses from Australia, and wc are looking forward to strengthening the bonds of sportsmanship between our two countries.” The Japanese sportsmen expect to spend about six weeks in Australia.

Started. Finished. 1R95 IS 11 1896 13 10 1R97 12 10 189« 11 a 1R99 21 13 1900 16 6 1901 19 9 1902 19 9 1903 16 11 1904 21 10 1905 19 12 1906 19 12 1907 1G 10 1908 no 11 1909 17 12 1910 17 8 1911 14 11 1912 17 1913 16 10 1914 16 13 1915 13 7 1916 17 9 1917 1R 9 1918 13 R 1919 13 4 1920 IS 10 1921 12 9 1922 12 7 1923 16 8 1921 13 8