A BRILLIANT IDEA.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVIII, Issue 1013, 5 August 1909, Page 7

A BRILLIANT IDEA.

Numerous suggestions have been put forward by fertile brains as to how the present unsatisfactory colour system in vogue on the New Zealand turf might be remedied. It has been suggested, for instance, that racing clubs should have 20 or 30 sets of colours, and that ownerls should be compelled to use them in the following manner:—No. 1, red; No. 2, blue; No. 3, yellow; and so on. This would mean that an owner’s horses could start in eight races a day, and each time run under different colours. It is hardly necessary to say, that there is no likelihood of this being put into practice by racing clubs in New Zealand. A South Island scribe, however, jocularly remarks that “ If an easy method of locating a horse is being sought after the horses should be coloured instead of the rider. A horse is several times larger than the average jockey, and under the writer’s scheme a race card would read something like the following:—Sir George Clifford’s Husbandman: Yellow body; blue head, neck, and quarters; white legs and tail. Hon. J. D. Ormond’s Zimmerman: Red body, white fore end and quarters, red mane and tail.

legs invisible green. Mr. G. P. Donnelly’s Gold Seal: a la zebra—red and white hoops. The Hon. George McLean’s Pampero: White and red spots. And so on. It is not necessary to labour on the point, but such a scheme would at least have some humour about it, although it would be necessary to blindfold the horses while their decoration was being effected.”

The Wellington Pony and Galloway Club, however it is said, contemplate giving the system of fixed colours for horses carrying No. 1 and so on saddlecloth. With fields of moderate dimensions and no sentiment borne of long association with the turf, such a scheme would doubtless be found quite practicable at Miramar where changing colours at the last moment has often been in evidence. —“ New Zealand Times.”