Turf Notes

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 643, 20 April 1929, Page 10

Turf Notes

CONDUCTED BY

EARLY BIRD

Te Rapa In Autumn The autumn fixture of the Waikato j Racing Club opens at Te Rapa next j Saturday and concludes on the follow- ! ing Monday. Palestrina’s First Those who saw that good mare Palestrina race will be interested to learn that her first i'oal in the shape of a colt to Shambles is now being handled by W. G. Hobbs at Riccarton. The same trainer is also educating a colt by Night Raid from Week End. the dam of Economist, Frivol and Evening. Commendation Mr. W. H. Gaisford, of Oringi. lias j denied statements circulated that Com- \ mendation will be taken to Australia for spring racing. He informed a Wellington writer that there is no foundation for the story. Commendation will do bis spring racing in the Dominion, but if he shows a return to his best form he may—probably will —be taken across the Tasman in the autumn. Ladies’ Tickets The decision of the Forbury Park Committee in regard to ladies’ tickets, in effect, reduces the cost to members of the club and increases it •to the ordinary public. The members of the club are now entitled to three (or more) ladies’ tickets and the public i to one (or more) at two shillings and i sixpence each. Clashing of Dates

The Franklin Racing Club will hold another meeting on May 11. They lust raced on March 9, so that but nine weeks will separate the two meetings. This would not have been so bad but for the fact that the date allocated

clashes with the Egmont Racing Club’s winter fixture (comments a Southern writer). The meeting at Pukekohe is sure to affect the Hawera gathering to some extent as Auckland trainers may decide to give their charges an outing there before the Ellerslie fixture. This will also affect the Marton and Wanganui clubs, and it is a pity that a strong and united protest was not made by the three dubs affected on this circuit. A date much nearer the Great Northern nieetnSc might easily have been selected by the Franklin Club and to its greater ad vantage. Sound Again

Felstead did not run in any races last year after winning the English Derby. Splints stopped him, and he was puncture-fired at the end of last year. Now he is said to be quite himself again, and, all going well, he will make a reappearance at Newmarket next month in the Burwell Stakes, a mile and a-half, w.f.a. race, with penalties. In the last nine years the only English Derby winners who were also successful at four years were Captain Cuttle, Sansovino and Coronach. Grand Parade did not run at four, Humorist died shortly after his Derby win, Manna broke down in the St. Leger, and Call Boy’s nominations were voided owing to the death of his owner. Spion Kop and Papyrus raced at four years but did not win. Like the Place

A feature of the acceptances lor the first day of the Hawke’s Bay autumn meeting was the number of horses paid up for which either won or ran into minor places there last year The cup winner, Tresham, was engaged again, and also other winners in Royal Elm, Gold Bag, Keen and Jeanette. Braeman, who acted as runnerup to Red Fuchsia in the Mangatarata Hurdles, was having another try to win, and Great Charter, who finished third to Joy King and Crown Area in a great Hawke’s Bay Stakes’ finish, was another runner. It was at this gathering last year that the King Mark —-Venetian gelding, Keen, returned a phenomenal dividend, over two hundred pounds, being sixteenth in order of favouritism in the Poukawa Handicap. ' Owners and the Tote

A correspondent recently wrote to the Christchurch “Press” and made an interesting suggestion, as follows: “That, for say five minutes before the totalisator opens for the customary betting on each race, it should do business on a single dividend basis, and so enable an owner to make his bet at sudden death odds. There would always be plenty of other people watching to see that nothing went unbacked. The machine would then close. The result of what I should term the owners’ pool would be posted on the machine, and the totalisator "would then reopen for ordinary business. Say 15 minutes before closing time. There is so much time cut to waste in New Zealand staring at the totalisator that there is ample time to work my scheme. Beyond the fact that it would give an owner a chance to get decent odds about his horse, the great point is that it would put the legal form of betting through the totalisator in a position to compete with the bookmaker, into whose hands everybody is playing at present. Surely there is merit in the idea! It looks to me as though it would suit everybody except the bookmaker; at any rate, I hope this letter will draw both criticism and comment.” This drew the following letter from Mr. J. S. Barrett, well-known owner and committeeman: “It is very heartening to any of us who, perhaps for our sins, have the control of racing, to find anyone taking an intelligent interest in the problems that confront our management and for that reason alone the contribution of your correspondent “Gee-Gee” is valuable. En passant and barring a bad joke, it is remarkable how much the “Gee Gees” of Canterbury owe to the G.G.’s. But would the public stand to the system suggested bv your correspondent? At any of our principal meetings, either racing or trotting, there are at least thirtv thousand people present. The number who would be likely to take advantage of your correspondent’s suggestion would not be more than half a' dozen a race. We cannot in a democracy legislate for such small minorities. The suggested priority to owners who desire to bet on a fir st past principle Could only be effective if concealed from the public. Such concealment is illegal under Section 32 (2) of the Gaming Act. 190 S. So that it works out that no matter what we do or suggest it will be necessary

for us to go to Parliament-for our ideas to have effect. Now why not concentrate and get right down to brass I tracks on the point that we all believe ' in. viz., the wiring of wagers to the tote. Nothing will be so effective to destroy our enemy and nothing we can do will so ensure the popularity of our i national pastime. There was never a i better chance. No Minister that I have ' interviewed was so rational and help- ; ful as Mr. de la Perrelle. He listener] j in a calm and sympathetic manner to I what the chairman of the Canterburv j Jockey Club had to say, and I am perfectlv sure that if the case of racing \ and trotting is put reasonably before j Parliament it will get a fair spin. Of course, in this letter I express only my i own views.”

' Egmont Meeting The Egmont Racing Club will hold j its winter meeting on Thursday and ! Saturday, May 9 and 11. The Egmont | Steeplechase this year carries a stake ;of 400sovs. the Tongahoe l-lurdles ' 200sovs, and the Mcßae and Flying Handicaps, 300sovs and 225sovs respectively. On the second day the principal events are the Adamson Steeplechase (300sovs), ManawapOu Hurdles (ISOsovs), and t,he Davidson (225sovs), and Mokoia Handicaps (200sovs). Nominations will close on Monday next at 8.30 p.m. The H.B. Stakes Cimabue was not the only previous I lTawke’s Bay Stakes’ winner engaged i in the classic yesterday. The Hawk won the race way back in 19.21, while Cimabue’s success was in 1927. The Hawk is a wonderful old fellow and a worthy companion on the honours list of the classic with great horses like Bloodshot, Multiform, Daunt, Rosella, Screw Gun, CruciforVn, Royal Artillery, Archilles, Sir Tristram, Elevation. Bobrikoff, Royal Scotch, Bon Ton. Desert Gold, Sasanof, llymestra. Silver Link. Gloaming and Glentruin. Archilles and Royal Artillery not only won but have the further distinction of siring winners of the race, Silver Link and Royal Scotch respectively. An Interesting Point I An interesting betting dispute was j settled by City Tattersall's Club in ! { Sydney last week. The committee 1 ; was asked to determine whether a. I j person by introducing a man in good faith to a bookmaker automatically ; guarantees his credit. Jt. decided against the bookmaker. It appears that S. Bdtro, a well-known owner- j trainer, introduced a man to J. Mandel, a Rand wick fielder and a member ! of City Tattersall’s Club. Mandel ! had transactions with the man at the ! meeting, and. although the latter ! finished the day about £7O on the wrong side, he settled. Later, at Randwick, Mandel alleges that the man whom Batro introduced asked for some very big wagers. Sus-r picious, the bookmaker accommodated the punter for several fairly large bets ,but not quite so big as'the backer wanted. On settling day neither the punter nor his money put in an appearance. Subsequently Mandel reported the matter to the committee, which lie asked to determine whether Batro, having introduced the man, was liable for the moneys owing. The matter was thrased out at length, and the committee, after seeking legal advice, decided that as Batro’s guarantee to Mandel was only verbal no action could be taken. Lucky Turf Man Known on the racecourse at Mr. "J. W. Johnstone.” South Australia has a young owner who has had many a turn of luck’s wheel, records a writer in the “Australasian.” Mr. Jack Richmond cam© to .Adelaide from Victoria to make good, and he did it thoroughly, working up a millinery establishment which lias grown to large proportions. Ele always had a fondness for the racehorse, and early in his career he was interested in Epistle and Pistol ' Prince. He has a staunch friend in i Sydney named George Kirby, whom ! Mr. Richmond has much to thank for i in the way of selecting horses. Gerau- j roon and Gavestoon were two that Mr. ! Kirby persuaded Mr. Richmond to buy. ; Gaveston was killed after winning i races, and Gemaroon deteriorated so much that Mr. Richmond sold him at. Broken Hill for something like £ 10. Jurisprudence was the next secured for him in Sydney, and it was only a few months ago that that horse won the Grand National Steepleciuise in Adelaide for. him, but the chestnut met with fatal injuries in Melbourne, just when he looked like adding to his account. On toj> of this comes the success of the same owner in the Great Eastern steeplechase with Laurelmond, who was also purchased by Mr. Kirby, for 250 guineas. Laurelmond was a frost at hurdling, and he has had fewer than six outings over the bigger timber. Jack Richmond now has aspirations for the Grand Nationals with this son of Seremond.. TE AROHA TOPICS (Special to THE SUN) TE AROHA, Friday. The imported Spearmint horse, Spear Dance, is doing well in his new home at Matamata, and Mr. J. Pohlen is well satisfied at the manner in which he is furnishing, for he is a line stamp of the thoroughbred. Mr. G. McSlleffrey’s Marble Arch gelding, Grand Arch, in M. -L. Lipsey’s charge, is thriving on the work allotted him. Ele has an exceptionally fine constitution, and is a good weightcarrier. Lack of experience with the colours up may tend against him in his Te Rapa efforts. The locally bred and owned Te Kawana is among the entrants for the hurdle events at the Waikato meeting. He is a nice stamp of a jumper, and has quite a' good turn of speed. He is a promising candidate for this department. Te Koroke has had another change of scene, and is now in charge of T. -M* Morriss at Cambridge. Although J. H. Wallace had the son of Humbug in practically perfect condition on many occasions, he failed to run up to track work. Perhaps a course of hurdling would tend to improve him. Apprentice J. W. Chandler continues to get on the winning list, his last win being on Lucy Rose at Whangarei. The light-weight is very popular here, and many local, sportsmen benefitted financially over the win of the Lucullus filly. Mr. R. Hines’s principal trio. King Lu, Queen Arch and Waltzer, are doing excellently, and with ordinary luck should register further wins in the near future. King Lu looks a picture, and is hitting out really well in his work. All being well Hungahunga will be among the steeplechase division in the coming winter. His condition will be very solid by then, while he has proved he is an efficient jumper. It is stated that The Lamb vill join A. E. Cox’s stable. He will prove a worthy addition, as he is a performer of more than average merit. Racing has improved Black Maize, and he is now at his best. He races well in any going, so at Te Rapa may get into the money.