VERY INTERESTED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 115, 17 May 1930, Page 4

VERY INTERESTED

USE OF TOTALISATOR VISITOR’S IMPRESSIONS PLEASED WITH “KOATANUI” “I must certainly say that the appointments and everything else at Mr G. M. Currie’s Koatanui stud, are up to the highest standard to be seen anywhere in the world, so far as I have travelled,” said Mr. R. Milbanke, of, England, last evening when interviewed by

“Kestrel.” “The stud compares very favourably indeed with the world-famous studs in Australia.”

Mr Milbanke is on a three weeks’ visit to New Zealand as the representative of the Irish Bloodstock Agency. He left the Old Country four months ago and was three months in Australia before coming to New Zealand, arriving at Auckland on Tuesday afternoon by the (Jlimaroa from Sydney. Mr Milb.anke spoke in terms of the highest praise of the appointments on the leading Australian racecourses and the way the public was catered for, this being far different from England, where the horse came first and the spectators were a secondary consideration. The Totalisator. Mr Milbanke was very much interested in the totalisator and was looking forward t« ,eeing it in actual operation for the purpose of receiving investments on a racing day. He will be the guest of the Wanganui Jockey Club to-day at the Steeplechase meeting and will be an interested and discerning visitor. Ho referred to the dissatisfaction expressed with the early primitive machines used on the introduction of the totalisator on English racecourses, and agreed that a commission could well have toured New Zealand to report on the use of the machine here and advise the Board in England. On Wednesday afternoon Mr Milbanke was conducted through the gardens and appointments at Ellerslie by the racecourse manager, Air Alfred Hill, and the beautiful grounds came in the nature of a revelation to the visitor. He was also interested in the racecourse itself, particularly the steeplechase course, and he personally inspected several of the fences. He mentioned that he had purchased a jumper some months ago with a view to riding it in the Grand National Steeplechase at Aintree last March, but the plans came undone when he and his mount crashed while schooling at Sandown (near London) and the horse was killed. The visitor was very pleased that Air T. Henry, who is in charge of the electric totalizator at Ellerslie, gave a practical demonstration of the operation of this machine. Air Alilbanke was considerably surprised at the huge totalisator house—it is 309 ft. long—and the modern mechanical methods by which the betting public is catered for, also at the fact that in the boom times- over half a million sterling pass-1 ed through the machine during the • four days of the midsummer carnival with nearly £30,000 handled on the big) race, the Auckland Cup. those figures I eing supplied by Air W. S. Spence, )

secretary of tho A.R.C, Proudly Mr Henry stated that the totalisator at Ellerslie had not held them up once—and he then made obeisance to the gods by touching wood. The machine handled more money a day’s racing than any other totalisator in the world. Air Alilbanke left Ellerslie quite convinced that so far as tho totalisator was concerned, the Old Country has still a lot to learn from its young Dominion, while there was no comparison in tho facilities offered for racegoers. Impressed by Bloodstock. Naturally, Air Alilbanke was very interested in several stud farms which he visited in Australia, chief among them being the famous “Kia Ora’’ stud where the mighty Windbag was bred, while he placed the Koatauui establishment on a par with any he had seen. He expects that Pombal will prove just as much of a success as Limond has done. Tho visitor is looking forward to seeing Air John Donald’s stud farm at Westmere, -where he will be particularly interested in Chief Ruler,- Grand Knight, Diacquenod and Captain Bumsby, four English-bred sires which are now standing at that stud. On Monday morning Air Alilbanke will leave for Wellington and will return next week to Auckland, whence ho will leave for England on the first day of the Great Northern meeting. The visitor expressed keen regret at tho fact that ho would miss seeing racing on the picturesque Ellerslie course, and hoped that the racing at Wanganui to-day would be some measure of compensation. It is customary nowadays for visitors to Australia upon arriving in New Zealand to be asked the question of tho moment: “What do you think of Ph ar Lap 1 ?” To this query Air Alilbanke expressed his opinion that Australia’s present champion “would hold his own with any horse in England.” And that means that there is no better horse in the world to-day than Phar Lap, although there may bo his equal, for England’s best can always be regarded as practically the world’s champion. The visitor said that Phar Lap was not a good horse to look at. He was big and ungainly, and all angles. But handsome is as handsome does, and Phar Lap impressed him very much indeed. He also regarded Nightmarch and Amounis as particularly fine-look-ing horses, and the former struck him as a really good horse. The visitor had a good word to say for tho stock of Manfred, all of whom took after their sire in looks. Regarding horses in Australia Mr Alilbanke said that they appeared to be finer trained and carried less condition than the English thoroughbred. The jockeys, too, with few exceptions, were not up to the English standard. Betting was most interesting, and it seemed to be harder to make money, this important factor being possibly duo to the fact that the races were mostly run under handicap conditions, as against the numerous classic and set-weight events staged in the Old Country. Air Alilbanke said he had attended race meetings at Randwick, Flemington and Caulfield, as well as at other centres, and the privileges extended to him by the clubs had been greatly appreciated. All things considered, Mr Alilbanke appears ’to be well placed to receive a very favourable impression of racing in New Zealand and return to the Old Country with the highest opinion of the proverbial hospitality of the Dominion.

AURORA BOREALIS HURDLER AND ’CHASER VERSATILE DAY COMET MABE When Aurora Borealis was passing the post in the Century Hurdles on Thursday her rider, H. Dulieu, was leaning forward stroking her neck. That will give a better idea of how easily the Day Comet mare won than will the bar c statement that she won by seven lengths. As Aurora Borealis was in the rear of the field early in the race, being with Mister Gamp and Perle do Leon the best part of a hundred yards behind the pacemakers, some idea may be gained of the merit of her performance. She is a good stayer and an effortless jumper. She went after Elicit approaching the turn and ran round him without much apparent trouble, going on to score the comfortable victory already described. For Elicit it may be said that he had been set the task of heading off Prince Lu and then had to muster up another effort against Aurora Borealis. The latter should have a very profitable season and she is bred to go in the mud. It will be interesting to note how the Auckland handicapper treats her in reviewing her Great Northern weight. Last week she won over the country at Hawera. and as she followed this up with the Century Hurdles five days later sh t must be accounted a versatile mare.