SPORT IN CHINA.

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 15276, 28 June 1923, Page 3

SPORT IN CHINA.

THOROUGH STAYERS.

BETTING SYSTEM LIKE TOTE,

During the pasl fortnight the main topic amongst the sporting fraternity of Shanghai has been the biggest race meeting of the year (wrote a Sydney paper's correspondent on March 7). It was held last week. Altogether 43 events were decided during the four days' racing, the most important being the Derby,' of 5000 dollars, and the Champion Sweepstakes of 3000 dollars, the two prizes together being equivalent to about £IOOO in our money.

For one making his first appearance at a race meeting in China the sight was one never to be forgotten. The racecourse is situated at Kiangkwan, about three miles out of the city, and all sorts of conveyances are used in taking the crowd to and from the course. Many thousands of rickshaws, drawn by coolies, make a long line along the route, while the well-to-do avail themselves of the more up-to-date conveyances, such as private carriages and cars. Over 90 per cent of the spectators were Chinese, who for the most part are born gamblers. To anyone who has witnessed or is at all interested in racing in Australia the whole affair here appeals as a real burlesque. There is nothing to suggest that a real race meeting is going on, as neither "horses," jockeys, nor the system of betting resembles the real thing. The nominations for each race remind one of a pony meeting in Sydney. For each event about 70 nominations are received. They arc all China-bred animals, and average about 13 hands two inches high. Nearly AM Greys. •The first thing that appeals to one is the number of greys competing. As race after race is decided you realise that over 70 per cent are of that colour. But there arc none here to compare in speed with Sydney's onetime champion pony of that colour, Lady Liddell. To give some idea of the comparison between the two the record here for six furlongs is 1.29, as compared with about 1.15 of Sydney's best ponies. It takes them over a minute to run half a mile, which is about Usee slower than our ponies are capable of doing.

But it is over the longer distances that these ponies show their real worth. Many of the races range from two to three miles, with a minimum weight 11 stone, and in comparison with our own horses they run longer distances much faster than they do the shorter ones. Although it takes them over a minute, ridden right out, to run a race of half a mile, they often run the last half mile of a two-mile event in faster time. As for the jockeys, who are all amateurs, the nearest they should claim to rank amongst that profession is that they wear colours. With feet nearly touching the ground and head, thrown well back, a half-dozen ot them present an amusing sight in a close finish. When one takes into consideration that these ponies traverse two miles with these alleged 11 ttone jockeys astride, and at the flngh considerably hampering them /ather than assisting, it calls for great admiration as to the grit and stamina of these ponies. The crowd was certainly the most unenthusiastic one possible to imagine. On going to the stand to watcli the first race I noticed that the ponies were just going round to the starting post Looking for things that would interest me. I diverted my attention elsewhere. My surprise can be imagined when, on looking round to see if the ponies were ready to go, 1 found them racing at their top aboul 100 yards from the winning post. There was not a single sound or exclamation of any kind to indicate that they were racing, and the finish called for no more enthusiasm. The Women's Clothes. During the racing I took my position in a stand comprised entirely of Chinese and by the expression of their faces and their lack of interest in the actual racing one would think they were being addressed by one of their religious spirits. The clothes worn by the women were extremely gaudy. In regard to dress, the Chinese closely regard themselves as being smartly jessed without many bright colours. While standing there during one race the finish between three ponies at the. end of a two-mile race was such that would have had the Sydney public in n fever of excitement. They raced the last furlong neck and neck, and finished almost in a line. But not a cheer or cry of any kind came from . the Chinese. In the stand further down, in which there were many Europeans, the finish was recognised a little differently. But the lack of enthusiasm during the racing displayed by the Chinese is counter-balanced by their eagerness to bet. Their system of betting is extremely crude, it being a kind of tote betting, and closely resembles Paddy's Markets on a S/iturday night of years ago. There are a number of stalls erected, behind which a Chinaman issues tickets. On finding out the number of the horse, you wish to back, you go to one of these stalls that is selling the number that corresponds with your horse and there you are mixed up in a complete scramble. The Chinaman, who is only protected by a small counter, is grabbed at from all sides by the crowd in an endeavour to purchase a ticket. He holds a roll of tickets in his hand and tears them off as he receives payment, and leaves himself quite open to have the lot taken off him in one go. Northern Union Beaten. On entering the course my colleague, Mr H. Millward, and I were confronted with a big board on which the runners for the first race wero posted. On looking through the names we were surprised to find here, in Central China, one that coincided with the object of our visit here. Wo straight away put ourselves in that scramble for a ticket on that pony. As the race was being run we found that we had invested for a. place only, and the result was the half-head defeat of Northern Union, who returned us ! a dividend of three to one for second I place. As a rule we are nol subject to superstition, but this parti- ! cular instance was so pointed that we availed ourselves of it, to our monetary advantage. On every race a big sweepstake,run on the same principles at Tattersail's attracts thousands of investors.' the lucky one of whom receives somewhere in the, vicinity of £r>ooo. I'nr ibe Champion Swecpslake.«. on which tickets can he bought for days p'o'vlouslv. Ihc hrst prize is 250,000 dollars (about £27,000). After reviewing the meeting, that wbirb. appealod most to me web the

novelty of the whole thing, and something- really worth seeing. One thing that reminded me of a Sydney, pony meeting was the scene at the conclusion of the day's racing outside the course. There thousands of young Chinese gather asking for a coin, in the same way as the Ascot youngsters gather around well-known Sydney book-makers at the conclusions of a race meeting there.