HORSES AND HORSEMEN.

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 188, 1 April 1932, Page 2

HORSES AND HORSEMEN.

'Racing Taxation. "Chiron," of the "Australasian," wh'le jn Sydney for the Easter racing, wrote: "As fai; as racing is concerned,. Melbourne appears to be much better off than Sydney, but when the times mend Sydney will recover. That, however, cannot happen until the sport has been relieved of most of its eripplin'g hurdon., .of, taxation. Taxation is killing racing ,in New Zealand, and it is. stranglin'g it in New South Wales. Nobody objects to the sport being callpd upon to carry its fair share qf taxation, but there is a strong objection to politicians taxing it almost oqt of existence. If Time was Right! Few of those present at the Dannevirke nieeting accepted the tiine. returned for the Highwight Handicap, won by Flower, as correct. Flower was credited with having run a mile and a quarkr under 9.6 in 2min 8 3-5 sec, while Arajean, with 7,8, was timed to take 2min 9 2-5sec for the Cup, run over the same distance, and under the same course conditions a little latsr in the afternoon. If the timekeeper did not perform that very human feat of making a mistake, Flower's gallop was very good. In any case, she won nicely after making all the pace. Copper King Gone Off It is evident from his appearance and from his performanees that Copper King has gone off. Copper King might have won at Dannevirke had his vider not been indisposed, but his forpi there and at Woodville suggests that he lias had a temporary setback.

Coal-BIack Colt. Middle Watch, who is by the Night Patrol, is a son by Aspirant, a daughter of Comedy King, a Melbourne Cup winner and sire of many fine stayers. He is described as a coal-black colt, and in these days there are not any seen out in the Dominion of that colour. Advance, so often referred to as "The Black Demon," was the best ever bred iri New' Zealand :'of that shade and his sire, Vanguard, by Traducer, both dark in colour, left quite a number of good class black and brown performers. Real Bargain. v The real bargain of the sale of Mr. G. J. Barton's stock may prove to he Worship, the two-year-old by Pombal from Homage, who brought 300gns (says the Dunedin writer "Sentinel"). He has grown into a big youngster, and shows size and substance, requiring time for hjm to develop. The wise policy ofjbeing easy on him in his first season should bear good fruit, and next season he will fill the eye as one likely to prove not the least distinguished of a very successful family. Worship is to remain in S. G. Ware's stable. Among other cheap lots of the sale' was A1 Jolson, who realised 130 guineas, and has already paid for himself by winning at Cromwell.

Not a Robust Horse. Arrowhead should have prospects of winning a hurdle race or two during the winter, but he is not a robust horse, and already seems to be feeling* the effects of the fairly strenuous racing he is getting. However, if not overdone he should lead a field of jumpers home shortly.

Double Totalisator. At the annual meeting of members of the Onkaparinga Racing Club, South Australia, last month, the chairman, Mr. Young, M.P., in moving the adoption of the annual report, said that the doubles totalisator, which the club had first introduced into South Australia at its Easter meeting twelve month s ago, had proved successful beyond all expectations, and there was little doubt that it had created a very much greater interest in racing in the State. In the further course of his speech Mr. Young said that many people had considered that' it would be impossible for the Onkaparinga Racing Club to provide the same amount in stakes as previously, but the club had done so and had come out of last Easter Monday's meeting with a profit of £1000. The club was now in a sound financial position. . The ambitipn of the eommittee was! to increase the stake money, within reason, as soon as prosperity returned to the State. Mr. Dumas, who is the oldest member of the club, and who had never missed a meeting since its inception, seconded the motion, and in doing so congratulated the eommittee on the excellent financial position of the club. It was a remarkable thing that a club could show a profit of £1000 on a one-day meeting. Wilson as Public Trainer. Luke Wilson, in his day one of New Zealand's best riders, and more recently trainer of Mr. J. S. McLeod's horses, proposes establishing himself as a public trainer. Probably he wjll have a small team of young horses under his care very shortly.

Hard Times. Of the sixteen races contested at Dannevirke twelve drew Qnly one-dividend fields. In each of two events there were only three runners. It is noteworthy that the biggest fields were drawn by the Dannevirke Cup and the Hartgill Memorial, events that carried trophies for the winners. Betting was on a par with the fields. The £2117 put through the totalisator on the first day was almost identical with the amount invested on the Cup alone a few seasons ago.