THE CLUBMAN

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1550, 8 January 1920, Page 8

THE CLUBMAN

Another summer meeting of the Auckland Racing Club lias gone down amongst the records of turf history, and, save for the outstanding abnormal increase in the totalisator figures thereat and an increase in the attendance on each day as compared with previous corresponding attendances, was much like summer meetings which have preceded it in every other way. The same can be said of the Auckland Trotting Club’s summer meeting, which was a part of the big Auckland summer carnival. What is true of both these meetings has been the experience at all other race meetings which have been decided throughout New Zealand during the festive season. The Auckland clubs have not had these highly profitable and successful and very interesting meetings on their own. Population is increasing everywhere throughout the Dominion, more so m the North than in the South, and the wealth of the people has been increasing, too The prosperity of the people is reflected nowhere more than on the racecourse. The totalisator may be taken as an index to the state of the. money market, and it is certainly a great distributer of wealth and keeps a lot of money in circulation. Its popularity is greater than ever, and especially where it can be use'd with the least inconvenience to investors. At Ellerslie and at Alexandra Park, Epsom, the respective race grounds in Auckland, there were larger crowds than heretofore, and the facilities for doing business were never so good—that is to say, never quite so complete. Large increases in the totalisator turnover were naturally anticipated, though they may perhaps have exceeded the most sanguine expectations of those who are controlling the destinies of the clubs for the pleasure of the . people. Where the larger crowds assemble, there the bigger business must be looked for, and greater >facilities be provided to cope with it In proportion to the attendances elsewhere Auckland racegoers have done • no. more than has been done elsewhere, though the big figures would lead most people at first blush to assume so.

The difficulty in coping with such crowds as assembled at Ellerslie, in catering for them in various ways, must always be a care for the executives of these institutions, requiring their best consideration. Even the few improvements effected at Ellerslie since the last summer meeting must have been very greatly appreciated by those present. The chronic complaining ones, and those who have had good cause to complain, were thankful for small mercies, ahd the promises some of which they know now are to take practical shape with as little delay as possible they are content to accept as an earnest of the desire of the executive to provide comfortable quarters for all, from which they can take their pleasures less sadly in future. The racegoers . this year—-and they come from all parts of the Dominion to Auckland — seemed to be in great spirits. Apart from the capital entertainment which the racing afforded them, the spectacle of Ellerslie at its best is something for the casual as well as the regular visitors to recall. The year will long be remembered when Karo won the Auckland and Summer Gups and the first “three thousand pounder” handicap in New Zealand; when Royal. Stag sprung a surprise in the Great Northern Derby over Rossini, and old Snub, a game hero of many weight - for - age contests, similarly effected the overthrow of the same three-year-old. People will recall also that the colt Hurhbug, /-'with four white stockings, won the Great Northern Foal Stakes, and Gloaming, the best four-year-old gelding ever seen in New Zealand, or probably this side of the equator, added in racehorse fashion to his long and formidable roll of honor, two important races, beating Silver Link, the most brilliant of her sex and age in commission, and also the best two two-year-olds in the Dominion, each of the starters with one exception previous winners. Yes, the A.R.C. summer meeting will

go down to be remembered for a very long time for these and for other reasons. Some course record-breaking achievements were included.

We are in an age of record making. The old year was one in the category, the new, so far as racing is concerned, has made a good start, and in other respects will be a notable one. Ellerslie was in great feather from first to last, and if the Prince of Wales should happen along and a special race meeting at the same popular tryst in his honour is one of the functions, let no one be surprised. How his young and manly heart would have warmed could he have seen the happy crowds there on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, enjoying the king of all their outdoor pastimes in their own accustomed way, so unlike in many respects the ways of conservative England, to which we owe so much for our thoroughbred producting that they have tbeir limitations

tions and the rare qualities found in the patrons of the good old AngloSaxon sport,, which is so flourishing in these islands of the Southern Seas,. The racing at Ellerslie was good enough for the most exacting of con- . noisseurs of horseflesh. The meeting produced horses that we designate stayers from their ability to compass long distances in fast time; it produced horses of exceptional brilliancy in each department, horses of varying ages, successful over distances e 5? tending from five furlongs (the shortest distance) to two miles on the flat, and at a mile and three-quarters and two miles over hurdles, some of them good enough to hold their own anywhere south of the line, as results have proved in the cases of Gloaming, Snub and Rossini, the last-named a late foal, who, though twice beaten during , the meeting, shares the honour wiupMeputation (also a Martian) of having done more than any of their actual ages at the time ever did in this country. People rush to worship the rising sun, and soon start to decry the qualities of a horse from which much has been expected when he has fai'ed. They overrate some and -underrate others and expect them, to be always like machines, that can he wound up like watches or clocks to go for a given (time and to produce the same results every time, forgetlike human beings. There were many horses that were expected to win and

backed accordingly, and which failed from various causes, and the owners of some of the winners were as much surprised as some of the owners of loosers were disappointed. It will ever be the same. Supposed “good things” will come undone. Our Desert Golds and our Gloamings, our Carbines, Nelsons, Multiforms, and numerous cracks we could name have met with their days of defeat when thought unbeatable, and what has been will be to the end of the chapter in events in whicli equine and human agencies are operating.

The financial success of both the Auckland Racing Club and the Auckland Trotting Club’s summer meetings, though both were giving increased prize money, has been such as will leave them with more profit than any meetings they have ever held —that is to say, more profit in proportion to the stakes given. The number who paid at the turnstiles on

Boxing Day was, as mentioned last week, over 31,000, and the secretary (Mr. Spence) informed us that there were between five and six thousand in addition in attendance. Putting the number at thirty-five thousand—which according to the secretary would be a conservative estimate—and counting on a big drop, say to twenty-five or twenty-six thousand, on New Year’s Day, and not more than twenty thousand on each of the other days, we get an average of 25,000 per day, who provided the huge totalisator turnover of £435,781 10s. for the noticeable change. The Auckland Trotting Club’s meetings have been getting a larger share of the patronage, too, and it is surprising how solidly the followers of each branch of the sport invested on their fancies during the week. The totals for the three days at Alexandra Park were: First day £68,463, second day £52,659, and £52,271 10s. on the third day, a grand total of £173,393 10s. for the three days, or an average per day of £57,797 in round numbers, against an average of £108,945 per day at Ellerslie. The total for the seven days of the two meetings came to £609,175, as against £369,521 last year, the average investments being £52,788 per day as against £87,025 per day at the meetings concluded last week. Various reasons will be assigned for this large increase, and there are no doubt many. The money is in the

country and none of it goes out. As usual the bulk of the stakes have been carried off by visiting horses, whose presence really make the meetings what they are, and brings the people together from all parts to see them race. As a matter of fact, considerably more than half the place money for the thirty-two races decided at four days, made up as under: Boxing Day £124,916 10s., second day £93,601, New Year’s Day £118,544 10s., and fourth day £98,719 10s. Usually New Year’s Day has provided the largest crowds, but since the Thames meeting was dropped there has been a Ellerslie was won by horses from other provinces. They really got fifty-two of the ninety-six prizes. Horses trained elsewhere in the province than at Ellerslie as a regular thing got twenty-one of them, and Ellerslie-trained horses twenty-three, only three straight out wins falling to them, and these in minor events.

If it had not been for the Waikato and Takapuna horses winning and the consistency of Uncle Ned, trained at Avondale, and who was second in the Auckland Cup and Auckland Racing Club Handicap, the Auckland province would have cut a sorry figure indeed at the A.R.C. meeting. This is by the way. No one should begrudge the owners of the best horses their successes, if there are some who envy them the possession of better than they possess themselves. Gloaming stood out as the best weight-for-age performer at the meeting, and as good a gelding or quite as brilliant a galloper at his age of any sex has probably never been seen at Ellerslie. Karo would likely beat anything else at weight for age that competed at the meeting, but it would need to be over longer distances than Gloaming won over—say a mile and a-quarter and beyond. She is what can be termed a good stayer. Vagabond, Uncle Ned, Snub, Mascot and Gazique are very much of a class when it comes to racing over a middle distance or a journey, say, up to a mile and a-half, but they do not represent top class weight-for-age form. People have been heard referring to Gloaming as a non-stayer. It would be interesting to see how far the acknowledged stayers would have to go before they could'beat one of his class on w.f.a. terms over any reasonable distance.

We have seen better Derby candidates and a few a little more brilliant than Rossini, but he and Royal Stag (who was lucky to beat him) and Rose Wreath were the best three-year-olds over a distance. In the lastnamed we saw a filly who, though beaten in the New Zealand Oaks by Warlove and St. Winnow in a neck and neck finish, is a useful, consistent one, no doubt improved since she ran at Riccarton. As a sprinter Silver Link only had one superior at the meeting, and that one was Gloaming, and if Some Boy 11. could be produced at his best he would be amongst the best short-coursed ones that ran at the meeting. Tigritiya, Taiamai, Simonides, Hymestra, King Lupin and Lord Kenilworth were amongst the useful place-getters in handicaps during the meeting, and the lastnamed pair mixed it between sixfurlong and mile and a-quarter events. Amongst the two-year-olds Humbug, Right and Left and Moorfowl stood out, and their Foal Stakes form may be accepted as the truer indication of their relative merits. Of the hurdlers, Rekanui, who jumped from 9.5 on the second day to 12.2 on the last, is probably the best, though Movement had a hard time racing under her solid imposts each start, and there is not much between them.

By the Maheno leaving Auckland this week for Sydney the three-year-old gelding Crenides, by Demosthenes from Gold. Thread (a brilliant mare in her time), is being shipped to Sydney, from whence he will go on to India and become a member of a prominent racing stable there, for which he was secured on-the recommendation of an Aucklander. Mr. P. Keith, an ex-New Zealander, who has imported a good many horses from England to Australia and was instrumental in the deal, came over to take delivery, and he will also have charge of the Hallowmas—Overall three-year-old filly-Negligee, purchased from Mr. Highden, and not raced this season, but which is to compete at suburban meetings about Sydney. Crenides has been a consistent gelding, and has not been over-raced; he has proved brilliant and has given indications of staying on, and should prove one of the most likely racing propositions for India that has left these shores. The Indian market for colonial horses has b i?n practically dosed for some considerable time owing to English horses having been obtainable at reasonable prices, but for suitable ones, now that the war is over, there should be again a market for racing and good utility horses if shipping space can be obtained in the near future for them. This is a market that the Government of the Dominion should do its best to open up. Regular drafts of horses were sent from both islands at one time, and there is no reason why some of our surplus horses should not be disposed of to go there. A capital picture of Crenides appears in this issue, taken a few weeks ago, and it was a pity that' racegoers in Auckland did not have the opportunity of seeing him compete in the Great Northern Derby, as it was generally considered that he would have had a great chance of annexing that stake.

Mangamahoe got out of his paddock and wandered away to Te Papapa, a mile and a-half away, where he was discovered some time later none the worse for his freedom. Just before the horses were saddled up for the first event of the second day’s racing of the Taranaki Jockey Club’s Christmas meeting, a fire occurred in a corner of .the outside stand-, and fanned by a strong wind the flames soon began to get a hold of the structure. The fire brigade was called, but in the meantime a, bucket brigade succeeded in extinguishing the outbreak, very little damage being done. . .

Nominations for the Takapuna Jockey Club’s summer meeting, which takes place on January 29 and 31, are due on Friday next (January 9) with the secretary, Mr. R. Wynyard. The principal event to be run at the meeting is the Takapuna Cup, of lOOOsovs., IV2 miles, which shpuld attract a splendid entry from the North Island stables.