RACING

Te Ao Hou, Summer 1954, Page 49

RACING At one time the Maori, with few exceptions, confined his interest in horseracing to an occasional flutter with the local ‘bookie’, and attendance at meetings somewhere near to his home. The Otaki-Maori Racing Club in recent years has won a reputation for conducting one of the best country meetings in New Zealand, and has placed the Maori on the official racing map. This progressive Club, under the guidance of men like Nepia Winiata, is offering stake money and attracting a class of field which would do credit to many clubs in the larger centres. It is interesting to note, too, that the race cards for most North Island meetings now include horses owned by Maoris. Some notable successes in recent times have been Mr George Asher's ‘Rareka’, with impressive wins at Rotorua and Franklin; Mr ‘Doc’ Tatere's ‘Maire’, which won at very handsome odds at Marton; and C. Renata's ‘Golden Eve’, which took the main race at Foxton on November 28. Other prominent owners are Mr Emery, of Rotorua; Mrs R. Wehipeihana, of Ohau; and now I hear that Mr Wallace Tako, who went to England for the Coronation, bought a £900 steeplechaser in Ireland which he intends to race this season. I understand it has been aptly named ‘Royal Tour’. Perhaps the best-known figure in Maori racing at present is owner-trainer Eric Ropiha, formerly of Otaki, and now of Woodville. He has become in the last two years one of the most successful trainers, with good performances at most meetings, and a brilliant New Zealand Cup win with the former good stayer ‘Conclusion’. His own horse, ‘Wally French’, raced under lease, and Mr McColl's ‘Finito’, have been consistently in the money, and it is not too much to suggest that one or the other could have collected one of the coveted cups or classics this season. There have always been a few Maori jockeys, and some have been at the top of their calling. Ashley and Roy Reid, who both lost their lives on the track, were champions. Bill Broughton, one of the best ever, has some Maori blood. So has Grenville Hughes. There are many more, but of the young ones I would like to mention Mokaraka, of Rotorua, whose splendid judgment and careful riding was very largely responsible for Balgarvie winning the big steeplechase on his home course at Labour week-end. Broughton, as well as being one of the outstanding horsemen of our time, is also president of the Jockeys' Association.