CURTAILING VICTORIAN RACING.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2519, 21 July 1915, Page 10

CURTAILING VICTORIAN RACING.

B,y Telegraph—Press .'.Association-Copyright - (Kcc. July 20, 8.20 p.m.) Melbourne, - July 20. In view of the war tho Stale Cabinet has decided to cimtail race meetings by at least one-third, but before acting will confer with, the clubs. NOTES AND COMMENTS [Br Glencoi.] ,Tho Manawatu Hunt Club's first totalizator meeting takes, place on tho Aw-a-puiii racecourse to-day. Mr. H. -Whitney's horses,- Mount Victoria. and Cyra, aro to compete at tho Pahiatua and Woodlands meetings. According to G. Price, who returned from lvugland on Monday, it was the desire to keep the railways clear of special trains, and so facilitate tho transit of itraops and munitions that brought about tho restriction of racing in the Old Country. Tho London "Sportsman" will not have it .that' this was actually tlit case, and expresses a doubt as ito whether 5000 men had teen moved in England on any one day during the six 'months prior to the rniddlo of May. - Soldiers are generally conveyed at night. After going thoroughly into the subject, the "sportsman" concludes as. follows:—'"Racing has iiot been stopped because it did any harm or interfered with recruiting. It was simply a 'sop to the Harmsworth Press, in tho hope that tho other attacks would cc-ase if the Government fell into, line, on' this .particular question!" ( Mr. Gerald L.-Stead, who took'Sauci, The Pole, and Tim Doolan over with him to, Melbourne, did not-fare badly on tho "trip, even if he did' miss the objective of his journey—the carrying off of tho Graud National Steeple with Tim Doolan. Having disposed .of tho former pair, after winning with'them, and getting £350 for Tim Doolan's second, the trip cannot be deemed a losing one by any means, though it might easily have been better.' Mr. Stead returned to New Zealand from Australia yesterday! . On July 5, during the settling at Tatfcersall's Club, Sydney, Mr. A. Hill, the chairman, spoke on the question of the race meeting which is being arranged 'for the benefit of the wounded soldiers and the Bed Cross at Eandwick. 1 ' The first bookmaker to contribute to the fund was Mr. G. Monte, who .sent 10 guineas to the A.J.C., while the .first itrainer to respond was Mr. J. Wliitworth with 2 guineas, Mr. A. Kerr, a member of the Ting, has expressed his willingness to donate 100 guineas' to the fund, provided that nineteen other bookmakers contribu'te-a similar sum each. Sydney Tattcr&iU's Club has already subscribed liberally to various patriotic funds, but is going still further in tho. matter. It : has been recommended by Ithe committe& of the club that i£2ooo of the club's funds-be donated to the fund being, raised for tho benefit of wounded soldiers and the Red Cross.

Yesterday was not a very favourable day for landing horses that had been on board steamer far six weeks, but the itwo colts and two fillies,- brought from 'England by G. Price, left tho Ruahine without mishap, and were sent to stables .in Thorndon. They will be railed to Awa-. puni ithis morning by the New Plymouth mail train.

The fact of the Australian Rules of Racing debarring any horse • from competing for a race ill Australia unless registered at time of entry has so often been brought undei' tho notice of horseowners that'it is rather surprising oversight in that direction' should still continue (says the Sydney "Referee"). Howover, it was discovered last week that'the New Zealand steeplechaser Scots Guard was not registered, and in consequence he was ineligible to start for the V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase, for which ho was backed prior to the discovery of the error. As there are doubts on the point, it may be mentioned that a registration under the Rules of Racing in any Australian Stato holds good in all the' others. So far as bets on Scots Guard are concerned, they are void, according to the ruling of the V.R.C. in the case of Audacity, when it was discovered that that horse -was, ineligible for the Newmarket Handicap, notwithstanding lie had previously , run in the Ihiturity Stakes. Sccits Guard has' been • withdrawn from the Australian Steeplechase at Caulfleld, and possibly he may. now "return to New Zealand. ■

. The annual report :of the Wairarapa Racing Club abates that the year commenc«L with a cretlit. balance on tho working account of JC99O 13s. 1(1., and end,cd with a credit balance of J27CI 10s. lid. During that period the sum of ,£1793 ss. was spent on building and improvement. The new stewards' stand was completed In time for the summer nieating, and proved to be a most suitable "building for the purpose. Alterations to tho course are now boing'earned out, and will result in improving the turn from the Btraigh't. With this objcct, a piece of laud was purchased from Mr. Q. Donnld, at a cost of £122 3s. 9d. In tho present great war tho call upon tli'o resources of the Empiro has been universal, and tho stewards hnvo endeavoured to assist tho various patriotic funds promoted during the past year. The grants niado by tho club amount to ,£655. The racecourse and buildings have also heen offered to tho Defence Department, for military use, and a large detachment of troops is now encamped ithere. For the coming year it is recommended that a sum not exceeding ,£lsoo'be allotted for stakes.