RACING IN AUSTRALIA.

Shannon News, 1 October 1929, Page 2

RACING IN AUSTRALIA.

SOME IMPRESSIONS OF A STRATFORD OWNER.

Mr J. Fredric, who returned to Stratford recently after ten weeks spent in Australia, in conversation with a "Post" representative, naturally expressed disappointment at the result of the tour so far as his horse Se.atown was concerned. The horse was never in better condition, he said, but the heel trouble he contracted'had necessitated the curtailment of the tour. The Brisbane tracks were very hard, and after his race there Seatown took a bit off his heel. Although special shoes were used the trouble recurred and the horse had to be sent home. PROPRIETARY 'CLUBS.

Some of the proprietary clubs showed little consideration for owners, even when their horses were running, and the admission charges were high —lss 5d to the lawn aiiu 5s 5d more, for the members' stand. Other clubs, however,, left nothing, to be desired as regards their treatment. Fast times were put up at the meeting at Brisbane for which Seatown was entered. In the Exhibition Cup, of a mile and a quarter, the last nine- furlongs was run in lmin. better than the Australian record, the last mile in lmin 37|sec, the last seven furlongs in 1 min 25scc, the last six in lmin 12f sec, and the last four in 48fsec. Seatown in this race carried 8.9, a pound belcw the top-weight, and was very close up sixth. In Queensland the 5s totalisator for' ladies was well patronised. THIRD HORSE DIVIDEND. On fields of six horses''two dividends were paid on the same system as followed in New Zealand, but for fields of nine there were th|ee dividends—6o per cent, for first and _2O per cent, each for second and third. Sometimes quite good dividends were paid on the third h'orse. In New Zealand racing was regarded purely as a sport, but in Australia, particularly among the proprietary clubs,-it was regarded more as a business, the ehief idea being the payment of dividends to shareholders. Mr Fredric wa.3 told that each year £IOO,OOO was sent in dividends from Queensland to _ Melbourne shareholders in • proprietary clubs. Messrs W. P. Russell, the wellknown judge and handicapper, and Mr A. Wilson, travelled to Sydney with Mr Fredric, who also saw a good deal of Mr and Mrs A. S.' Cleland, their flats practically) adjoining. Mr Jand Mrs Cleland intend leaving for home en September 11th. Mr Cleland's horse Bright Glow will come on the same, boat, missing the final day of the AJ.C. meeting. / BOOKMAKERS' OPERATIONS.

In Australia, says Mr James Fredric, owners have to back their horses heavily to make the sport of racing worth following, owing to the poor stakes offered. For instance, in a division race at Menangle Park, in which the New Zealand horse Tasty, was engaged, the first prize was only £2O. At the Canterbury Park meeting, the .best race on the programme had stake money of £SOO, but the next best; race was only worth £250, and a race of eleven furlongs was only worth £l4O to the winner. The attendance at this meet-

jug was about 18,000, the course being not far from Sydney. The New Zealand horse, Ceremony ran in one of the races and was backed for £4OOO by sundry r>eople. The totalisator is not very popular, most of the betting being done with bookmakers. A 'POPULAR JOCKEY. M. MeCarten was generally regarded as a very clever jockey. The public have great faith in his riding, and the horse he rides .is always well backed. Race meetings were held nearly every day, and, in Mr Fredric's opinion the country is. very much over-raced.. This was apparent from the fact that in Victoria a suggestion was made to cut out 300 odd racing rays. Iu Queensland *a Commission was to inquire into the conduct of racing generally. A useful feature in "the racebooks is a list of horii'S engaged, shoAving the 'number of the box they occupy. Mr Fredric has some souvenirs of the King'" Cup in the shape of the totalisator tickets he had on Seatown. These are rather quaint, being something under tA'/o inches long by three-quarters of an inch. These are made of thick cardboard "and would be much more liable to 'be lost "than the 'Ncav Zealand tickets; BOOKMAKERS.

Mr Fredric was greatly interested in proceedings-at Tattersall's Club in Brisbane, where, on the night before a meeting, the card is called on the principal race, aijcl ■bookmakers are able io adjust their books by laying off money they hold. A hundred or more bookmakers would operate at the Club, as they would on the course on the morrow. For the King's Cup the betting varied from 4 to 1 for Oratrix, the favourite, to 500 to 1, for "Willow King, a New Zealand horse which ran very well. It was a remarkable fact that the three top-weights in the King's Cup were New Zcalanders —Satrap, Seatown and Oratrix, while the horse fourth in the weights, Soulton, was out of the New Zealand mare Evelyn Soult. The Queensland Turf Club did not make much concession in the admission charges for ladies. Men were charged 12s for admission to the saddling paddock and ladies 9s 3d. The club's course was a. very pretty one, floAver.3 and trees around the buildings making an attractive scene. It was claimed that racing was cheaper for the owner in Australia than in New Zealand because of the lower transport charges between (meetings. Horses are carried to races in motor vehicles called floats which hold up to six horses. They were put aboard "the float as soon as their race was over, and in consequence a start at a meeting might involve only a few -hours/*absence from the trainer's stable. RACES WELIi ATTENDED. There were big attendances at all

Australian meetings, but there Avas. an agitation to cut out mid-week meetings and confine racing to Saturdays. Tlvi attendance on King's Cup day was 20,000, which Avas a record for Queensland, and the- totalisator investments over the three days totalled £59,257, but this represented only a very small part of the betting. A bookmaker would make no bones about taking a bet of £IO,OOO. All the bookmakers are guaranteed by the racing cliib, so that one can be sure of payment on his horse winning. The King's Cup is a donation from His Jklajesty the King, and is raced for in a different Statd each year.- It Avill be seven years before it is again competed for in Brisbane.—Stratford Post.