THE CLUBMAN

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1304, 22 April 1915, Page 6

THE CLUBMAN

The great event of the week has come and gone. Warstep has added further to her scroll ot fame by winning the Trentham Gold Cup at weight for age, over two miles, against 'five of the best in the Dominion, including the two three-year-olds Balboa and Indigo, Merry Roe and Pavlova, two mares of the same age, and the wellperformed Ladoga. Details of the race show that the ladylike hay was always out making the pace herself-, that she was only led for a brief interval by Merry Roe-, and that as one at\ er the other tried to displace her she shook off their attentions and finally won, apparently nearly all out, by a length and a-half from Balboa, whom she had previously finished in front of on each occasion they had met. The time for the two miles constitutes a fresh Australasian record for the distance, as it was run in 3min. 24secs. As Balboa and Indigo were so close to Warstep at the finish they also must have got within the best previous New Zealand record of Bridge, which was always doubted. The performance indicates that Warstep retains her form.

The time the Trentham Gold Cup was run in is an indication that the Trentham racecourse was phenomenally fast, and as it was specially laid down and properly graded we have always looked upon it as likely, when thoroughly consolidated, to become faster than the courses of most other clubs in favourable seasons, it has been getting faster and faster s nee it was first raced upon, and the exceptionally dry season has made it this year faster than ever before. The records go to show that, and the records put up this year on so many New Zealand racecourses and trotting tracks can be put down to the season, and of course to the excellent condition in which the tracks are kept. We have often wondered what might happen if a number of cracks were to be pitted against each other on the Ashburton racecourse when at its best and on a favourable day. Pavlova cut the mile and a-half record for the Dominion when she won the Wedington Cup in January last on the Trentham course, and smart performances were recorded in other races won at that period. The great time achievements reported from the Trentham tracks on the eve of the meeting this week prepared us for some fast races at the Wellington Rac.ng Club’s meeting. It was only a question of the weather remaining fine and everything being favourable.

All the races at Trentham were run brilliantly from a time point, and not only did the two mile record go by the board, but other records for different races were cut. The four-year-old queen of the New Zealand turf, Warstep, is no better in our eyes than she was before, nor are the other winners. There is a danger of our geese being magnified into swans because of these extraordinary time performances, when we should more properly give credit to the tracks. All the same there is only one Warstep just now in the eyes of the racing world, and a right good bit of racing material she is, the heroine of so many strenuous battles. When Mummer won his race, the Autumn Handicap, over a mile and three furlongs, beating Goldstream a neck at level weights, and Rinaldo, carrying 8.10, was only a neck away, in 2.19 4-5, and unlucky to get beaten, another Australasian record under so much weight was registered. Few would have selected Belasco to carry 8.12 and Rene 8.11 and run a mile in 1.40, nor the brilliant Croesus to carry 8.6 and get to the end of six furlongs in 1.12 1-5, and then only beat Hoy-* (8.6) by a neck. Time indicates, as we have said, the superb condition of the tracks more than any marked improvement in the class of our horses.

There is one other New Zealand-bred one that we would have liked to see in the Trentham Gold Cup measuring strides, fit and well, with the halfdozen others that competed, and that one is Mr. Bidwill’s Reputation, as he stood out well ahead of Balboa and Indigo and others of his age. There would have been something doing in so true a run race between him and

h's relative had they met again. It was he who caused Warstep to lower the Auckland Cup record, and he had 61b. the worst of the weights. His presence in the field and that of Sir George Clifford’s colt First Flight and Bonny Helen would have completed Its strength and increased the interest. Pavlova was racing a little below her January form. It is a rare thing to get all the cracks together qu'te cherry ripe on the same day. It ever was and ever will be so, but Warstep is undoubtedly the equine queen and we can lift our hats to her, and can congratulate her owner-breeder, her trainer and rider upon her latest success, and the Wellington Racing Club upon having had such a stirring race, {t was another great advertisement for Mr. J. Buchanan’s grand little sire Martian, who was himself a good racehorse. It will be interesting to note whether Warstep can add the Awapuni Cup to her list of laurels this week at Palmerston North at the Manawatu Racing Club’s meeting. The one thing more than any other which we hoped for was that the Trentham race should be run for on top of the ground, and we trust that the Awapuni Gold Cup w'll be run for under similar conditions.

The Wellington Racing Club deserved to have a really good meeting, and it was a magnetic attraction like the Trentham Gold Cup that helped towards its success. A lot of people went specially to see that one event, and though there were other more closely contested races —some fine finishes indeed —they got their money’s worth, and will be talking about Warstep for the rest of their days. Financially the returns were record ones for the meeting, and the totalisator figures reached to £44, 420 10s. on Saturday and to £72,909 10s. for the two days, as against £58,236 10s. last year. The amount invested on Warstep for the Trentham Gold Cup was a little under £3OOO, but constituted a record investment on any one horse in the history of the club. As showing that investors are ever ready to entrust their money on good ones, it may be mentioned that Reputation has been the most heavily supported performer per medium of the machine that has been sent to the post in New Zealand.

A war tax is inevitable. in what shape it is to be imposed is a burning problem. Recently the Auckland Employers’ Association made some suggestions on the subject. One was that all amusements should be taxed, and that the tax upon the totalisator should be increased. That would be a very simple matter indeed, and about the easiest to collect, but racing in many ways is a very heavy

contributor to the State at the present time, and the Government already derive a tremendous revenue from this particular branch of sport. The cari’ age of racehorses and their attendants, of owners, trainers and horsemen and the public to and from meetings is a big item in the way of railway receipts. The post and telegraph business is very largely increased, and indirectly the public contribute handsomely. The Government already take two and a-half per cent, of the ax upon the totalisator receipts and pay absolutely nothing towards the cost of installing totalisators and their working. This is all left to the enterprise of the clubs, some of which, owing to the cost, have been working with out-of-date machines in the hope of being ultimately in a position to get better ones. They have been saving money with this object and in the hope of making better provision in the way of accommodation for their patrons and the horses the owners bring or send to compete. Now it is proposed that a further tax should be placed upon those who find the money for investment. Ten per cent, is a direct charge upon the losers and winners alike, and directly and indirec Ty the cost of working absorbs

from 2 to 2M> per cent, independent of the 2% per cent, paid to the Government, who, in addition, tax other receipts of the racing clubs. Very considerably over £lOO,OOO per annum is now being taken right out of the racing game by the Government, and yet we find people advocating a further increase of taxation from the same source. It would be most unfair to take more than the 2% per cent, of the gross revenue or more than a third of the revenue the clubs now receive. Surely no one really imagines that the Government, will seek to increase the percentage taken from each pool and make racegoers pay more b.eavily than they do at present. But for the higher price of wool, meat, grain, butter, and products of the country it is just possible that the totalisator turnover this year would have shown a falling off, or at least not have exceeded that of the previous year. It is only during the past few years that the Government has so largely benefited, and it has been thought that the large sums diverted on behalf of the State would shortly be missed by the supporters of racing, and ins'ead of the stakes being largely increased become stationary. In bad times they could not be maintained. The curtailment of a number of meetings meant an increase of business for the privileged ones, but it must not be assumed that the increasing of the number of meetings next season means a proport’onate increase of business in the aggregate throughout

New Zealand. Auckland is the largest contributor, but if there were race meetings in Auckland every Wednesday and Saturday throughout the year the large sums now handled would not be reached. We protest strongly against any increase in the cost to the public in the way of deductions from their investments. We were hoping to see it reduced in the course of time, and we feel sure that the public will resent any such further imposition. We can imagine, too, what the feelings of horse owners throughout the land will be if it is proposed to do anything in the way of taking the money which goes towards what they themselves already largely contribute towards the stakes. Instead of reducing the cost of nominations and acceptances we shall have the clubs increasing them if there are further inroads made upon their revenue. That means that more owners will be sure to drop out of the ranks.

Comparatively few horses trained in the Auckland province race outside of it, and very few are sent into retirement during the winter months, though a good many have an easy time after the June meeting of the Auckland Racing Club, the next big meeting and the last of the season to be held within the provincial boundary this season. We shall have to rely on the support of outside horse owners to some extent, as usual, but it would appear from present indications that we will have by far the larger proportion of runners in training within our own boundar.es this season, if not the best. The chief items in the till-of-fare are, of course, the Great Northern Hurdle Race Handicap, which extends to two miles and a-half, and the Great Northern Steeplechase Handicap, each of which are worth 125050v5., the second money in each case being 25050v5., and the third lOOsovs., deducted from the prize. The Winter Steeplechase, of 75050v5., which provides SOOsovs. clear for the winner and 150sovs. for the second and lOOsovs. for the third, is another fine race, and there are other jumping races of less value, some of which we would like to see considerably increased, as we have so often said before, the Maiden Steeplechase in particular being one, the stake for which is not as large as horse owneis think it should be, though the winner does not now incur a penalty for the Great Northern Steeplechase. Then there are three good flat races, one each day. They are the Cornwall, Prince of Wales and York Handicaps, each of which is worth 65050v5., or 500sovs. clear to winners and lOOsovs. for the second horses and 50sovs. for the third. The minor races, jumping and flat, will appeal to so many owners that the secretary of the Club, Mr. J. F. Hartland, and his staff should be as busy as ever when nomination day comes round for those particular races. The nominations for the six races of greatest value will be taken on the last Friday in the present month, so that we should not have long to wait for the first indications in connection with the meeting.

It is pretty well certain that there will be a dearth of steeplechasers, or at least those approaching class, but the nomination of some clinking good and promising hurdle horses seems certain, and there would probably be more were it not that good flat races can be won by the best of our jumpers, and the owners are reluctant to engage them and allow them to be schooled further for the jumping prizes. The Dominion has always enjoyed a good name for the class of the jumpers that have come out within its borders, and there is no doubt that there have been some particularly good ones from year to year. Record Reign was perhaps the best all round that wei proved before he left us. Liberator was another surprising gelding. Ahua was a wonder for his inches at all three games—flat, hurdle racing and steeplechasing. Clarence Canard, The Agent, Macaroni, New Year. Levanter and Nor’- west are names that occur to us off-hand Moiffa, a Liverpool Grand National winner, was a good horse, and we could name scores of other good ones since his time. Coming down to a more recent period.