ELLERSLIE GALLOPS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 89, 9 January 1935, Page 13

ELLERSLIE GALLOPS

Candidates For Thames

Dominion Special Service. Auckland, January 8. The No. 2 grass was available for galloping at Ellerslie to-day, but the first work wii6 practically confined to a few hordes with engagements at the Thames Jockey Club's meeting on Thursday and on Saturday. The nest effort was recorded by Boat Song, who defeated Sir Abb in a smartly run live furlongs on the grass. Boat Song (Gilmer) finished several lengths clear of Sir Abb (Walsh) in 1.2 4-5, the first two in 25 1-5 and the last three in 37 3-5. They were together until well into the straight, but Boat Song finished resolutely to draw clear of Sir Abb, who is inclined to loaf at times. Boat Song's latest track efforts have been very encouraging. Trevace (E. Manson) was a few lengths in front of My Money (Connor), with (Buchanan) a couple of lengths furtheh. back, at the end of four furlongs in '5l. he still carries a burly appearance Trevace is making progress. A promising colt who should prove useful if all goes well with him, he is a half-brother by The Ace to Capris, i recent winner in Sydney. Baroscope and Princess Bede covered half a mile in 52 1-5, the latter having a slight advantage at the finish.- Princess •Bede is carrying a bright appearance and should make her presence felt in the hack class when the tracks become easier.

The Goldfields Cup candidate Lady Spy (L. Dulieu), after running the first three in 39 1-5, completed six furlongs in 1.18 3-5. The time was nothing out of the way, but she did her work nicely. She is in excellent order after her recent racing and should be capable of a solid performance on Thursday. Lady Spy competed over a mile and a quarter earlier in the season, when she finished a close third to Gold Trail and Emotion in the Park Stakes at Napier Park.

On the tan. which was extensively used for pace work. Express (light boy) covered a round at about three-quarter pace, running the last seven furlongs in 1.46. He strode out with plenty of freedom, and appeared to relish (he easy going. ■King March and Gay Marigold were separately allotted useful pacing. King March came through his strenuous campaign at the summer carnival in great style, and R. S. Bagby should have him fit to show further good form when required to race again, which will probably be at Trentham or the Takapuna meeting. Gay Marigold has freshened up' nicely, and she infused plenty of vim into her work. She is also nominated for the Wellington and Takapuna Gups., The racing they had.at the recent summer carnival does not appear to have been harmful to Tybalt and Air Laddie, ami both strode along freely in their work. Tybalt’s form in his latest races was very encouraging, and if he runs up to it he should have excellent prospects at Thames. Air Lassie has shown any amount of pace on the tracks, and any time she displays the same dash in a race she should be very difficult to beat in novice company. A slight alteration has been made in the order of running on the first day of the Thames meeting, and the Flying Handicap will now be the third instead of the sixth race. RACE INTERFERENCE Said to be Far Too Common Instructions have been issued that a stricter supervision must be made in connection with interference taking place during a race. For far too long it seems as if a race meeting would be incomplete unless a case of interference became included in the reports of the results (says "Sentinel”). In other words, a most objectionable side of racing has continued in evidence without sufficiently serious attention being paid to the matter. It has gone on and on for years and will continue to go on unless the authorities pay far more serious attention to the matter —this most important matter—which, through lack of sufficient attention, places the lives and limbs of riders and horses in ever-recurring danger.

At meeting after meeting cases of interference occur. At the recently held Royal meeting ar, Trentham. serious cases qf interference occurred, and. later still, the same very underisable state of affairs cropped up in connection with the running of the race for the Auckland Cup. it is fur from sufficient that the authorities should draw attention to the undesirable and far too frequent cases of interference. They should take a commonsense view of one of the greatest blots on racing and go deeper into the matter They should ask why arc cases of interference so very frequent in connection witji racing in New Zealand. The official records show that such is the ease, but nothing of a satisfactory nature ean be achieved unless a remedy can be sought and found for one of the greatest and at the same time one of the most undesirable and unnecessary dangers that has been imported into racing. The evil exists beyond the shadow of a doubt. It occurs' at every meeting almost without exception, and despite the gravity of the matter, we are still a~ far from a remedy as years ago. It is far from sufficient that the racing authorities should draw attention to the undesirable eases of interference. They me neglecting a very important duty to the welfare of the sport in not delving deeper into the matter and endeavouring to eradicate the evil by tracing it to the source. It seems to be an inevitable part of racing on a circular course that interference will lake place with more or less undesirable frequency. Still the cure is not impossible under proper control and supervision. The cause of the evil must be sought just as medical men trace trouble to its origin before attempting to effect a cure. Placing punishment or a sticking plaster on the outcome of deep-seatea trouble is’ not the sane and sensible method of effecting a cure. The undoubted evil must be traced to its source before anything in the shape of satisfactory results can be obtained. It is on record that some of the most important races decided this season have been marred by more or less serious cases of interference. Horses going well in front of a field have been sent back with their chances wrecked by interference. The question then arises—is the interference deliberate or due to incompetent riding? Drawing attention to the far too frequent cases of interference and merely leaving the matter there suggests a lamentable weakness on the part of the racing authorities. It is a cure that stands most in demand, and not frequent punishment for a far too frequently recurring evil. The trouble is obvious, and the cure is equally obvious if the authorities go the right way in dealing with the matter.