RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 21744, 12 June 1934, Page 10

RACING NOTES

RACING. Juac 14, IS.—Hawke’s'Bay J.C. Juiw 16.—South .Canterbury J.C. Juma 21, 23.—Napier Park R.C. Juua 23.—Ashburton C.R.C. June 30. —-Gamam J.C. July 6.—Daunevirke Hunt Club. July 10, 12, 14.—Wellington R.C. July 21.—Hawke’s Bay Hunt Club July 26.—Waimate Hunt Club. July 28.—South Canterbury J.C. July 28.—Manawatu R.C.

TOTALISATOR SYSTEMS. The delegates from the Dunedin Jockey Club who will be in charge ot the following remit: —“ That chibs have the option of installing one machine tor win betting and one machine for betting on the 75-25 per cent, basis/ should find plenty of support when it is discussed at the annual meeting ot the conference to be held next month. Duiing the past eighteen months the individual members of executives of many clubs have been divided in their opinions as to whether the old twodividend or win and place systems or wagering is the better for owners, the public, and the coffers of their iespective clubs, and the experience gained during that interval has not been of much-help in arriving at any final decision in favour of either sys- ’ tem. At the larger centres, where tickets on both the. “win and “place” systems can be purchased^at the same, selling windows, that method has unquestionably been popular with the public, and the returns satisfactory ■ to the clubs, but at the smaller fixtures where tickets on the ‘ win and “place” machines are only obtainable at different windows, often some distance apart, and where the betting pools are so much smaller, the system has not been as popular nor the results as satisfactory to the clubs. Some owners are very outspoken in their condemnation of the win and place system, but it is alleged that most ot these are not really patrons ot any system of wagering through the totahsator, and' therefore their objections are probably more personal, than m the real interests of racing. Under the conditions that racing is now being carried ou the authorities must seek the best and most popular methods of controlling it and the, totahsator, and it i» with this always in view that clubs are given the opportunity each year ox considering proposals put forward to popularise, without in any way mter- . fenng with the efficiency, the control or racing. It cannot he. claimed that the win and place system has been an unqualified success. Investments have certainly increased during the past sea- , son, but this is probably more due to the general improvement in the hnancial position of the dominion, and the increase, might have been just as great had clubs not been given the right of the alternative systems. The proposal by the Dunedin Jockey Club, if carried, will give. clubs the right of a third alternative, and cannot in any way affect the efficiency ot control. It appears to be framed on spund lines, and should help the authorities to eventually arrive at a system of working the totahsator which trill be acceptable arid popular with both owners and-the public.

JOTTINGS. ’ Roy Reed, who has been engaged to ride Silver Ring in his Sydney engagements, is' expected to leave tor Australia this week.'* ■ Mr Norman M'Lean, the stipendiary steward fox* the South Island will xemove his residence from North Canterbury to Timaru this week. ■ There were only five , racing; events on. the Grey mouth Racing Club g card on ..Saturday, and L. J. Ellis rode the winner*! of three of them and second in the other two which were won by A. E. Ellis on Giggleswick, and A. H. Eastwood on Rose Val. . ■ Australian writers' make lavourabie reference to the way in which the Auckland jumper, Royal Visitor, has been working since arriving in Melbourne, and his appearance m a race is eagerly awaited. _ Royal Visitor is expected to do well in Melbourne. The Auckland horseman, L. Dulieu left for Australia to-day to ride Royal Visitor in his engagements. Mr J. A. M'Dougal, * owner of Nightly, was present to witness the racing at Ellerslie and stated that, all going well, Nightly would be sent to Australia, probably some time next month, to compete at the spring meetings, Nightly has furnished into a fine horse during his respite from racing and hopes are entertained that he ,wUi prove* a ; really good four-year-old. Reports of many of the smaller meet-; ings in the North Island during the season now drawing to a close, give the impression that there are already too many days of racing for the public to support, and no fewer than eleven extra days have been applied for in next season by North Island Clubs. The Waikouaiti Club is the only body in the South Island that has applied for an.:extra day. When Prince Imperial won the Remuera Hurdles of £3OO at Auckland on tjie King’s Birthday lie returned a big dividend. Last March Prince Imperial was purchased by his present owner, Mr N. Grafas, for 17gns at the sale of Mr Thomas Impy’s horsee. At the same sale Mr Grafas also bought Exaggeration, who has since won. Two owner horses sold at the same time to other purchasers, Gold Pocket and Greek Gold, have also been successful since, the latter winning the Members’ Handicap at Ellerslie on Saturday, while Expectancy, who was sold privately before the sale, has scored two wins.

When Donalda jumped away from the rise of the barrier at the start of the New Zealand Sapling Stakes on Saturday he seemed to begin as fast as any other .from the front line, but almost immediately afterwards faltered and lost a lot of ground. Donalda’s preparation for this race was checked some little while ago, and maybe he was still a little sore on Saturday, which would cause him to go away slowly. Over the last six furlongs he paced well, and finished fast into seventh place. After his good showing in the mud at the Porbury Park' Trotting Club’s Winter- Meeting Ronald Derby was looked on as a good thing for the Tinwald Handicap on Saturday, and, beginning very smartly, was always prominent. When the field turned for home he was in charge, and his name was called as the winner until more than halfway down the straight, but over the last furlong he weakened and finished close up fifth. The race was run at a solid pace all the way, and the going was getting slippery. The latter may have been the cause of his defeat.

Since Prairie King won the Musselburgh Handicap in 4miu 36sec at the Summer Meeting at Porbury Park in 1933 he has not been seen to advantage over two-mile journeys, and many have condemned him as a true stayer. In

[By St. Clair.]

—Season 1934-35. — August 4.—Poverty Bay Hunt Club. August ■ 4.—Christchurch Hunt Club. August 14. 16, 18.—C.J.C. Grand National Meeting. August 18.—Pakurauga Hunt Club. August 18. — lig mo Li I-Wanganui Hunt Club. September I.—Otago Hunt Club. TROTTING. Juno 20, 25.—Auckland T.C. June 24.—Hawke’s Bay T.C.

the Winter Handicap at Ashburton be put up a very good performance, and over the final 50yds really outstayed the opposition. A change of stable and methods of training appears likely to bring this ex-Southlander right back to his best form. T. Wallis, who trained him in Southland, always held a very high opinion of this horse, and the credit of developing Prairie King is due to him. Tudor’s record of three starts and three wns at the Great Northern Meeting, following upon his success at Te Rapa, where he beat Valpeen, is a most imposing one, and he is one of the greatest finds in the jumping game lor many years. His previous jumping experience in public was limited to a couple of hurdle races last spring, which he won, so that he has yet to be beaten over obstacles, and is only now rising five years, so that he has reached the front rank of jumpers at a. very early age and with comparatively little experience. His success is a great boost for his sire, Little England, who was imported by the Waikato Hunt in 1926. Miss Archie, the dam of Tudor, is not in the Stud Book, but. as she is by Archietown from a Spalpeen mare, she is well recommended from the jumping viewpoint. Thurina, ridden bv D. O’Connor, gave an excellent display oyer a round of the country fences at Riccarton on Friday. He negotiated each fence faultlessly, and pulled up as if he could have done another circuit without any trouble. Thurina may be started in the • steeplechase at Washdyke nest Saturday if the going is good. The blood of Swynford received a great advertisement in America this month by the performances of the colt Cavalcade, who followed. up his success in the Kentucky Derby by winning the American Derby., This colt is by Laucegaye, a son of Swynford, who was raced by Mr W. M. Singer, the breeder of the successful Australian stallion Valais. Cavalcade, who is the foal his dam Hastily was carrying at the time of her purchase at the English December sales of 1930, must be an outstanding colt. L. J. -Ellis was again in good form at Greymouth on Saturday, winning three races and filling second place twice in five rides. His total for the season is now seventy-nine, or six more than that‘of K. Voitre, who had one success at Foxtou on Saturday. Both horsemen will be busy during the remainder of the season. Ellis will be riding at Timaru, Ashburton, Onmaru, Wellington, and South Canterbury and Waimate Hunt Meetings, while Voitre will' have an opportunity to add to his figures at Hastings, Napier, Dannevirke, Wellington, Rangitikqi, and Manawatu. . A public meeting was held at Dannevirke last week to consider placing the Dannevirk© Racing Club in a sound financial position in order to avoid amalgamation with the Woodville Club. The meeting unanimously decided to try to raise £2,000 by public subscriptions. It was made clear that any amounts given would not be called up until the total sum aimed at was promised. A proposal that debentures should be issued was defeated, the .meeting deciding that moneys promised should be in the nature of straight-out donations. A committee of more than thirty members was elected, with power to add, and at a subsequent meeting of the committee members were divided into groups for the purpose of making a thorough canvass of the Southern Hawke’s Bay district. A promising start was made when approximately £3OO was collected in the room. _ Before asking Mrs F. B. Robilliard to decorate Moana Tama with the blue riband, at Ashburton on, Saturday, Mr H F. Nicoll briefly outlined the history of the New Zealand Sapling Stakes, and he referred to the part that the Riccarton sportsman, Mr Free Holmes, had played in the institution of the two-year-old classic. Mr Holmes, who had made several trips to America, had had experience of class racing, and ho saw the advantage it would be to breeders and owners in New Zealand. He made the suggestion to Mr Nicoll. and eventually the Ashburton Trotting Club agreed to act on the suggestion made. The introduction of class racing had created the greatest interest, and the Ashburton Club had been well rewarded by the wholehearted interest of owners, trainers, and the public. The field for the latest race showed the advance that had been made in the development of early speed, and the condition in which the' two-year-olds had been turned out reflected credit on those responsible.