OLD-TIME MEMORIES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 100, 14 May 1937, Page 13

OLD-TIME MEMORIES

The Turf in Hawke's Bay and Elsewhere EARLY MEETINGS Among the mauy visitors to tne Hawke's Bay Jockey Club's jubilee race-meeting was Mr James Siddells, of Wanganui, whose memory i stretches back to the early meet1 ings held on the Hastings racecourse. Some of his reminiscences he has been good enough to jot down. for us and they will no doubt be found of interest by many, especially among the "Old Brigade." "Yes," -writes Mr Siddells, "I havo seen many changes in most thrags per taining to life; among them I may mention horse racing as carried on m the dim and distant past. My first recolleetion of a raeehorse was in 1871 when I saw that great mare Peeress. She-was being ridden by Johnnie McGlaFhan from Blenheim to Nelson for tho races there. In those days horses b&d to get from one meeting to the other m a very different way from that used at present. It was at Havelock, between Blenheim and Nelson, and we thought dt a great sight to see a raeehorse. Ihe mare Peeress was the foundation of a great line. She herself won the Canterbury Cup twice, 1871 and '72, in the colours of that great sportsman, Mr Henry Redwood. The Redwood Stable. ' ' About the year 1874, I, as a lad, went to work at Mr Redwood 's farm at Spring Creek, the racing stables being on the farm. I naturally knew what was going on, and while there a string of horses returned from Melbourne. I remember . that Lurline, lxakapo and Papapa were among them, and they all were in the front xank of New Zealand horses at that time. Many of the leading trainerf and joekeys of the early days passed throug'h Mr Redwood 's stables. There was Mr Richard Mason, who rode many winners for the Black and Red Cap etable. He subsoquently beeame New Zeaiand-'s most famous trainer. "Then there were the Cutts Bros., one, the late E. Cutts, who trained with much success for the late Sir George Clifford and, I think, trained Crutchfieid, winner of the first Hawke's Bay Cup, fifty years ago. Two sons of the late Mr { E, Cutts, Allpert and Harry, have, for many years past, looked after the preparation of many winners from the popular Gold and Elue Checkers stable, now owne.d by Sir Charles Clifford. The other of tho Cutts Bros., George, made his home 'at Auckland, where he met with much success, first as a trainer then as starter for the Auckland Racing Club, wnich position he ably filled for many years until his call came.

Others from Spring Creek. "Others who started from the Spring Creek stable and were there in my time, were the late Percy Martin, well and favourably known in Hawke's Bay; the two Lyfords, leading horsemen in the seventies. Then there was the late Mr Prank Bolton, who afterwards owned and trained that great horse Lara, winner of a Wellington and Auckland Cups. During the short time that I was at Spring Creek, one of my jobs was to help Mr Bolton break in a number of unnamed youngsters and on looking up the Turf Register it if> probable that one of those youngsters was the mighty Guy Pawkes. Shortly after I left Spring Creek the late Wally Clifford. joined the Redwood stable, and he became a great horseman. Many of the old-timers aver that Clifford was the 'daddy' of them all, and many were good at that period. Pew of them are with us now, the only ones that I can think of being R. Gooseman, Robert Derrett and M. Goodger. "The first real race meeting that I attended was at Wellington Hutt Park in January, 1879,: whexl I saw that good mare Maritana, owned and ridden by the late R. Ray, carry 9.4 and win the Wellington Cup. My memory of that meeting is anything but a pleasure as , the aoeommodation then was as bad as it is good at Trentham.

At Hastings in 1880 "My next meeting was at Hastings, on 17th March, 1880. At that time the Hawke's Bay races were considered among the most important in what was then Renown as the Colony. The principal race was won by Mr A. Keith's Soukar, It is doubtful whether any of the stewards or officials at that meeting are alive to-day. The late Captain (afterwards Sir William) Russell was, I think, president, the late XJlick Bourlce treasurer, the late Mr Luckie secretary, and the late Mr J. C. Evatt handicappex*. "At that time the totalisator was just coming into use, Betting on a large scale was carxied on through J bookxnakers. No doubt but 'that there — are a few, hesides xnyself, still living who attended that meeting. Among the Im few I know of are Mr Robert Gooseman, who rode Maori" Weed in the pi'incipal race in 1877 axxd afterwards trained many winners for the late Sir George Hunter and others. Another is Mr Nightingale, the well-known Waipukurau Racing Club secretary. I saw Ixjm hale and hearty at a Wellington meeting a year ago. Mr Charles Price, who is -at present writing articles on vesterdays of Hawlce's Bay (same are very interesting to us old-tiiners) probably attended the 1880 meeting. Mr N. Kettle and Mr Vigor Brown were tlxen at Napier, but T cannot say whether or not either of thenx attended tho w [meeting in aucstion.

"Rafferty Rules " "At this meeting I was on duty as a constable, being then stationed at Port Ahuriri. Since then, as Constable, Sergeant and Deteetive, I have attended many race meetings in various parts of the Domjinion, consequently have seen great improvements in racecourse management. At the time of whiph I am talking there was a good deal of 'Rafferty rules' in existence, and games which are now deemed illegal, were allowed, the consequcnce beiug that many and varied means were adopted to part simpletons and others from their cash. All sorts of birds, animals and appliances weie in use; the painted goose and dressed monkey to pick out numbered :marbles wero quite common. As a rule the fun was fast and furious, fights frequent. Police duty at raeecourses in those days was no sinecure. How times have changed since then; now we lose our cash surrounded by comfort and peace; then one never knew whether he was going to get home without being called to take part in a serap. I often wonder where it tis better supervision or if the love of fight has ceased to exist." [Pressure on spaee compels holding cver the balance of Mr Siddells' notes for another issue.]