RACECOURSE DEMONSTRATIONS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 942, 26 March 1908, Page 5

RACECOURSE DEMONSTRATIONS.

The hooting of owners in racing, and umpires in cricket and football, is very unpleasant, and in racing it is calculated to keep any sensitive man from coming into the game. It is all very well (says the “Australasian”) to be called upon to explain by the stewards; but to be judged by a few losing backers, who are generally hooting because they have lost a trifle on the race is rather too much of a good thing. We are not arguing that there are not occasions on which the small punters have a legitimate grievance; but, generally speaking, it is

th a man with the least at stake that edmakes the most noise. A great many good horses have had their peculiarities, and as for bad ones well, there is no accounting for what they will do. Commotion, after he had been racing a few years, would not make his own pace, nor would he race to the right. A good horse in Fryingpan was broken down through making a terrific , pace over the first two miles of the second Champion Stakes which Commotion won. Malua, again and again, showed that he was verp apt to run a bad race at the end of a meeting. The year he won the Melbourne Cup he raced well on three days, but was no use on the last. Much the same thing occurred with Malua one autumn meeting. He won the Australian Cup, with 9st 91b, and then ran unplaced—hardly able to canter home —in the Chamipon Stakes. It should be said, however, that Mr. I. O. Inglis has always suspected that Malua did not get fair play over this race. Marvel was a tremendous puller, and in a race at Flemington, in which he had two moderates in Steadfast and Sadim to beat, his jockey tried to hold him behind. He succeeded; but fairly choked the horse in doing so, and Marvel ran last. The crowd hooted; but the stewards were satisfied that there was nothing wrong. Horses that have had falls are often too frightened to stretch out in a crowd afterwards. Horses have memories. Most readers know the story of how Hermit won the Derby of 1867, after breaking a blood-vessel. Henry Custance, the jockey, in his book says Hermit was never the same horse afterwards. Custance rode him in most of his races, and . declares that in a hard finish Hermit always seemed frightened to make any great effort. He was afraid of again breaking a blood vessel.