RACING NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 226, 24 September 1929, Page 8

RACING NEWS.

CHAMPIONS GUARDED.

LIMERICK AND NIGHTMARCH.

WATCHED '* WHILE ASLEEP. ""*

NEW ZEALAND HORSES IN FAVOUR FOR BIG SPRING RACES.

2 (From Our Own Correspondent.) "' SYDNEY, September 20. - With prospects of fortunes to be won 5 at the big spring meeting of the Aus- • tralian Jockey Club at Randwick, the r connections of popular fancies for the ' big races are taking no chances of interference by unauthorised persons 1 while the horses are in their training l quarters. > The New Zealand candidate for the Metropolitan, Nightmarch, Is one of the | most closely guarded of the favourites while the crack weight-for-age per. > former, Limerick, another New Zealand candidate, is also receiving every care. * A special ex-police officer has been ; engaged to keep watch over Nightmaroh which is the property of Mr. A. Louis' ' son, and arrived from New Zealand a ' few weeks ago in the care of Trainer A. McAulay. Nightmarch soon became one of the | popular fancies for the Metropolitan, ! and was coupled in doubles with most of \ the fancied horses in the Epsom Handicap. Hundreds of punters follow every ' move of the champions in their train- , ing, and should anything go amiss with [ them, thousands of pounds would go into the bookmakers' bags without the investors getting a run for their money, Trainer McAulay discussed the possi. bility of the Metropolitan favourite, ■ Nightmarch, being tampered with at night, but added that he is quite confi. dent that his regular attendant, R, Donovan, can be relied upon to watch every move of the horse. "In fact," said Mr. McAulay, "he is wandering ■ about half the night to see that nothing ' goes wrong with Nightr .arch." Apart from the precautions taken against "nobblers," the trainers of vari T ous candidates are also up against weather conditions. For several days during the past week, cold, biting winds have been blowing in Sydney, and when the horses appear on the training track in the morning they are muffled up tio the eyes in rugs and cloaks. They ar» not allowed to stand for more than a few seconds, but are kept on the move from the time they leave their warm boxes in the stables until they ar« housed down after their training spin, Limerick, another New Zealander, has also come in for his share of attention. A special attendant from New Zealand sleeps in his stall at night, waile Phar Lap, the favourite for the Derby, has attendants sleeping in beds on either side of his stall. Bookmakers have laid heavily against Nightmarch, and if he succeeds in the Metropolitan, he will give the Australian "ring" one of the hardest knocks they have had over the race for years. On September 9 a commission was worked in favour of the New Zealand champion by a well-known paddock bookmaker of Sydney, who supported the horse to win just on £50,000 in a straight-out win. Others followed his lead, while Nightmarch is also coupled with all the Epsom favourites for big amounts. Victorian and Queensland candidates for the big races are now arriving in Sydney, and the training tracks at A.J.C. headquarters at Randwick, as well as the suburban courses, are now assuming a busy appearance. The Police Department has placed a special guard on the racecourse buildings, as during the last two or three years attempts have been made in Melbourne to interfere with the stands and other ground arrangements. On one occasion, at Caulfield, the main members' stand was burned to the ground on the night before one of the big race meetings. No pains are being spared in Sydney, therefore, to preclude such a happening here.