EARLY RACING DAYS.

Waikato Times, Volume 103, Issue 17384, 21 April 1928, Page 19 (Supplement)

EARLY RACING DAYS.

INCIDENTS OF THE TURF. AUSTRALIAN HORSES IN INDIA. WRITER TAKEN TO TASK. Mention of the American Turf reminds me that in a February number of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Record that notoriously anti-British writer, Herr Fr. Becker, quotes a letter he received from the Irish senator, Mr J. J. Parkinson, who objects to "the great boost of Australian horses" in "Roamer's" notes in the Thoroughbred Record, says "Touchstone" in the Australasian. Senator Parkinson encloses a list of winners of important races in India, and says: "In it you will sec that nearly all the Australian horses dominated the position up to 1909 or thereabouts. Horses described as 'bred in England,' most of which, by the way, are Irish, have completely altered the situation, and whereas 90 per cent, of all the horses running on Indian courses were Australian bred, I hero is not at this moment 5 per rent, of Australian horses running in India." lb 1 declares that Australian horses mared in a climate more like the Indian than the English and Irish "had other advantages," but would be hard put to show what these 'advantages' are seeing that the voyage from Australia is a more protracted one than that from England, and that in 'terms' races English and Australian horses meet on an equality. He continues: "The Viceroy's Cup was won in 1909 by Retort, and since that not a single ; Australian horse has won the race, though previously they had won it times out of number. May Fowl was sold here for £2OO. He won the cup four times, and Brogue, another winner of it, I bought as a foal at Newmarket for £io. I mention this to show that it was not even necessary to pay very big prices in Australia (?) for horses bred in Ireland to defeat the best Australians." This is the kind of crooked argument that particularly appeals to the biased Fr. Becker, who gleefully publishes a table of the Viceroy's Cup winners, from 1914 to 1922, to show tlmre is not one Australian horse in the list.

Misleading Statements. Both Parkinson and Becker conveniently forget to mention that since 1909 very few Australian horses have even started in the Viceroy's Cup, so how could they prove successful? But first let me deal with Senator Parkinson's misleading statements regarding the cost of May Fowl and Brogue. I arrived in India early in 1909, so happen to have some firsthand information on the subject. The late Sir Apcar Apcar, in whose colours May Fowl raced, told me that while May Fowl then only a moderate performer). was originally sold in Ireland for £2OO, General Locke Elliott, who was acting on-behalf of Sir Apcar, paid considerably more for May Fowl, who, when I first saw him at Poona, was only a four-year-old, and used to give the stable jockey, Hoyt, some pretty rough rides. May Fowl improved out of all knowledge, as indeed did many other comparatively cheap horses in India. On the other hand, many expensive purchases—English, Irish and Australian—did no good at all. Senator Parkinson also conveniently forgets to tell up what Mr Galstaun paid for Brogue. He must know that it was a pretty stiff figure, for if my memory serves me right, the mare won a good three-year-old handicap in England and was only beaten a head in the Durham Plate before Mr Garstaun bought her. Yet he deliberately endeavours to create the false impression that May Fowl and Brogue went cheaply to India.

Value of Racehorses. Herr Fr. Becker merely displays his ignorance when he writes: "India, indeed, would seem the only country where English and Australian horses can take a measure of each other. And if it should be true that the Australians there are now persistently ousted by Irish platers, even the most enthusiastic advocate of the Australian horse' would have to admit he has no case to plead for." Anyone who has taken even a passing interest in the Australian export trade is aware of the fact that in the last 16 or 17 years, not half a dozen high-class racehorses have been sent to India, and not many more of any other kind, with the exception, perhaps, of a few of the "Griffin" and paperchase type, which can be picked up cheaply. Speaking from memory I should say that Night Watch, Purser, and Seremist, were the best stayers shipped from here in the last 14 years, but no Australian imagined there was a potential Viceroy's Cup winner in this far from brilliant batch. Night Watch had only 0.9 on his five-year-old back when he beat the four-year-old Kennaquhair (9.0) half a length in the Melbourne Cup. But he was a useful stayer—better at two miles than at any other distance—and probably would have paid his way in India but for going wrong shortly after his arrival. Purser was seven years old when he won the Caulfield Cup, and then had to endure an enforced absence from the racecourse for another year, consequently he was far too old when put into training again in India. Sercmist won the • Queensland Derby, but Queensland classical form is very poor compared with that of Victoria and New South Wales.

Exportation Ceases. The exportation of Australian race- ! horses to India practically ceased about 18 years ago, and for much the same reason that we have sent no .Merman, Newhaven, or The Grafter to England in the same period. After a number of lean years, following the collapse . of (he land boom in Victoria, racing ! began to flourish again early in the present century, and by the year 1910 j stake money in Victoria and New South Wales had increased to such j an extent that a racehorse witli any pretentions to "class" became worth more money in Australia than the ani- j mal would have brought in India-, j Melbourne; and Sydney owners were able to outbid Indian buyers when- ! ever a promising horse was on the I market. With so much money to be won in Victoria and New South Wales with a • good horse, is it any wonder that few Worses are now' being shiniied to

India? The V.R.C. distributed £42,474 over its spring meeting of four days, the V.A.T.C, Moonec Valley, Williamslown, and other Victorian clubs also provide liberal stakes. With the exception of an occasional apprentices' race (which under the rules must not exceed £500), the lowest slake given by the V.A.T.C. is £6OO. In Sydney the A..T.C. is giving £43,200 added money for the four days of the autumn meeting this Easter, and owners' sweepstakes will swell the total considerably. There is also big money to be won at Warwick Farm, Roschill, and other Sydney courses.

Calcutta Takes to "Griffins." While the present prospect of the Turf in Australia continues there is little chance of representative Australian racehorses of the Kingcraft, Great Scot, and Filz Grafton type again trying conclusions with the English and Irish horses in India. I had this forcibly brought home to me when on the Monday after Salitros had won the Victoria Derb/ of 1920 I received a cablegram from the Bombay sportsman, Mr M. Goculdas, instructing me to offer up to 10,000 guineas for the Limelight colt. At that time the rate of exchange favoured the Indian buyer to an unprecedented degree, the rupee (par value Is 4d) having sky-rocketed to 2 s 4d.

Personally, I did not think Salitros worth the money—Mr Goculdas himself selected the colt on his performances—but the owner Mr \V. V. Minion, turned the offer down flat, would not consider it even with the Melbourne Cup stake thrown in, provided, of course, that the colt was equal lo winning it, which 1 did not for a moment consider a probability. Salitros was one of the* first horses beaten in the Melbourne Cup, and so the Indian sportsman escaped being saddled with a bad bargain, for Salitros was not the Lype'Of ho"se to do well in India. About that time Reciprocity; -and one or iwo other moderate performers were bought here for ! India, and won races there; but, as Senator Parkinson remarked, Australians do not exceed 5 per cent, of the horses now racing in India—probably less. In an official list of the horses entered for the Bombay season 192021—one of the years mentioned by Messrs Parkinson and Becker—l find that of the 270 horses entered only four were Australians! By the way. a recent arrival from that country tells me racing is in the doldrums over there. With the once leading owners, Messrs Goculdas and Galstaun, knocked out of the running (only temporarily, let us hope) through severe financial reverses, and Heveral others "gone west," there are now few buyers of good horses, no matter where they come from. In fact, lh/j Royal Calcutta Turf Club is so concerned about the dearth of owners that it has inaugurated a "griffin" system on similar lines to those which have been in operation for many years in the Straits Settlements and Ceylon. Batches of 20 or 30 young, unperformed horses, costing about £3OO each, are imported and balloted for among members of the club. By this means sportsmen of moderate means are enabled to see I heir colours carried in a race of some sort, lowly though it may be, hoping that preliminary success in the "griffin" class may lead to better things.