FIFTY YEARS AGO

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 111, 27 May 1937, Page 13

FIFTY YEARS AGO

Race Times Compared Times at llandwick 50 years ago make interesting comparison with tkdse of the present day, wtites "Pilot" in the Sydney Referee. The circumference of the course was less than at preseht, and, with riding tactics diti'erent, times were much slower in. the longer races than is now customary. At the Australian Joekey Olub's spring meeting in 1886, the only races run at anything approaching presentday pace were those at half-a-mile, and that caxised pessimists of those times to shake their heads and s'ay : "Ah, we are breeding too muchi for speed." Une half-mile at the meeting referl'ed to Was ruh by two-year-olds in 50jsec, but the best for six furlottgs was lihin, 17^sec,, and in those days they did no more waiting in sprints that is now / customary. Starting was thfeti done by flag, and if a rider beat the starter he did not thtoW away his advantage. Ifi spite of that, six furloiigS races are now run several seconds fastfer from standing starts. The Epsom Handicap, at that meeting, was run in lmin. 41^sec. The fasts est-run mile and a-half was the 2inin. 88sec. record in the Derby. Of the four mile and a-quarter races, thie fast^ gst was wOn ih 2min. 9jsec, time that would be useless nowadays at RandWiCk. A nine furlongs race Was won in lmin 56j-sec, which Was miich faster than was recorded in the correspoiiding race for the three pr'evioUs years. Old' time r ace meetings make interesting reading, and emphasise the fact that in order to win, horses have to gd much faster nowadays.