Start of Avondale Spr nt Was Amazing

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 775, 23 September 1929, Page 12

Start of Avondale Spr nt Was Amazing

NO aw usd oi merit conferred by the highest authority in the land would be good enough for the 10,000 or more spectators who were at the races at Avondale on Saturday. They saw £2,330 literally fired into the sea. and not a murmur was heard in protest. Can you beat it

Assuredly the patrons at the open- i ing on Saturday of the spring meeting \ of the Avondale Jockey Club are entitled to the first prize for good be- j haviour in the racing school. When one recalls vividly the remarkable demonstration at Ellerslie nearly twelve months ago—that was not a. riot, as many were pleased to describe it—it would have occasioned no surprise had the Avondale course witnessed another such outbreak. Whatever the rights and wrongs of the Ellerslie affair, there was no doubt as to yhere the blame lay hist Saturday. Tho starting had not been of the best up to the sixth race, but the super-climax arrived in this event. This was the open sprint, the Flying Stakes Handicap, the second “leg" of the double. A Premature Start It was not generally known that the race preceding the big sprint, the Avondale Stakes,. was started before the signal was given. At this stage the programme was several minutes late, so it was not a case of having to run the race over again. At Avondale the signals given to the starter are: (1) The hoisting of a flag on the pole in the birdcage as soon as the totalisator closes: (2) the hoisting of a “balloon” on this pole when the totalisator lias been balanced (races not being permitted to start until this has been done). The Avondale Stakes was actually started before the ‘‘balloon” was raised. It

was by no means a perfect start, but probably tho starter was hardly to blame, most of the two-year-olds having their first race. Incidentally there was a lot of cribbing of barrier positions in this race. A Tragedy The real tragedy of the day’s starting came, with the Flying Stakes Handicap. Tho inside lot of horses were in line, but half a dozen, including four wide out, Vere not in line, and to the great surprise of those who wer© waiting for the barrier to rise, Mr. O’Connor let the field go. The result was that Gold Money (second favourite), Awarere (fourth favourite), Air King (seventh favourite), Flying Juliet (eleventh favourite), Kingfield (fifteenth favourite), and Archeen (seventeenth favourite) , were left standing on the mark. Fly- . ing Juliet and Archeen were sent after | the field, which was the ’'best part of a furlong on its way when They got off the mark. Of course there had to be an inquiry, and a verbal statement was ! made to the Press that the starter's j explanation, that the horses concerned I slewed round after he had released j the barrier, had been accepted. When j

| all is said and done, the stewards probably had no alternative but to i accept the explanation. Wrong End On

With Mi*. O'Connor’s (the starter) version of the affair the writer wholeheartedly disagrees. If the starter really thought all the horses were in line at the barrier when he pulled the trigger, then his eyesight is defective. At the time of starting Air King and Awarere had their backs to the tape, facing the reverse way, the former also being right out of line. Gold Money was sideways on, and there were one or two other horses concerned also out of the line. In one respect it was distinctly fortunate that the warm favourite Eaglet led tho field home, with the wellhacked Lady Quex and Silvennine in tho other places. But one section was absolutely disgusted with the result, and that was tho bookmakers, for their patrons had taken all tho money available about tho winning double, starting with Historic in the Avondale Cup and endinwith Eaglet in the Flying Stakes, in the Auckland district alone a good four-figure sum must have changed hands. Big Money Went West But that is by the way. The money invested on the half dozen horses who had their chances ruined in the sprint represented about 34 per cent, of the total investments on that particular event, so it will he recognised that tho muddle was a serious one to the backers. Among the unfortunate horses was Gold Money, the heavily backed second favourite, and with this consistent and popular horse with Auckland racegoers out of the race the contest was sapped of a lot of nterest. Tho following shows the extent to which the half dozen horses who were left were backed on the totalisator alone: Gold Money £973 Awarere 675 Air King 343 Flying Juliet 177 Kingfield 117 Archeen 45 Total .. £2,330 It is the general opinion of observant racegoers that as a starter Mr. O’Connor has slipped badly, and after Saturday's incidents, particularly the dispatch in the Flying Stakes Handicap, racing clubs will have to cast round for another official to act at their barrier. The writing has on the wall for some time now, and if the clubs are to retain the confidence of their patrons something will have to be done. No More Fiascos Wanted Auckland sportsmen do not want to see a repetition of the fiasco ot last spring repeated. The question will be asked: "Where can we get another starter? The answer to this is obvjous. Clubs have been splendidly served lor very many years by Mr. O Connor, but many of them have never made any apparent endeavour t<* encourage a younger man to take it up. Now, when forced to look around for a succesor, there is none available, if one excepts Mr. J, Vincent. For years Mr, O’Connor has been recognised as the Prince of starters. But even princes have their day. One of the most remarkable aspects of the debacle at the start of the Flying Stakes Handicap was tho entire absence of anything in the form of a demonstration or protest on ihe part of the public. Apparently the majority of the spectators were unaware of the fact that many horges uaa been badly lelt at the post. Those wlio were aware of the fact, doubtless surged inwardly, but to taeir everlasting credit they made no iusa f and so proved themselves sportsmen, j seeing their money go up in smoke I without so muen as a murmur. But it might easily have been otherwise i —“ Early bird.” GtRALDINE FIXTURE THE HANDICAPS I'rcsx Associatioti CHRISTCHURCH, Sunday. Ihe following handicaps have been declared by Mr. F. C. Thomas for the Geraidine races: 7, F ' rs , t , t luro,es > 1 “He an.l 5 fur.—Gala Q.Q, 11. u; Carmthic, 11.1.J2; Guncase, 10.7; Beauty iaght, y.O; ileisier, 0.0; i'angolin, *.u; Gold town, 9.3; Exult*. Blue re ter, Antrim Boy, luuigiwliio, Waihemo, 9.0. i Ohap, Hack Handicap, a lur.—Desert k-k: Airpant-, 8.5; Caiptivae, Positive, Bi larthorn, Huntley, 8.3; Handsome, ! Twang, l'ixitr Gold, Ace Pot, Good ; Aiglit, Gaiivanter. Inevitable, Bay Queen, j fctupitmt, 'lane, Aladdin, Kanleagh, Goli niun, GiggleswicK, 8.2. ■ . .Geraldine Cup miles.—First Sight, Beau Geste, 8.4; ±>lack Mint, 8.2; Taboo, 8.2; Royal Game, 7.13; Money Mine, PricKles, 7.12; Chickwheat, 7.5; ' ». o> . vn Bank, W'ingutui, 7.4; Evening, : Malmsey, uront Rank, Geraldine Trot, L. miles.—Headlight, Du Maurier, Reveller, VVyuna, Brook Pointer, Ulm, Moira, Mac Locanda, Teremoa, Litt e Victor, Princess Huon, Tama, Lydia, Alexis, Jeanette, Locanda, i>adie Bingen, Llewellyn, Lady Zephyr, limit; Golden Vale, 12yds bhd; Devon Child, Rey Child, Locanda Lu, 36; Levanter, Lee Thorpe, 72; Jessie Huon, 84; Mignonne, jacky Ju>gan, 1U8; Wild Voyage, 120. Squatters’ Handicap, 6 fur.—Rapier, 9.12; Great Stax-, 9.3; Money Order, S. 10; Aspiring, Night Lad, 8.2; Royal Gnrae. cl2; Stealth, Caterpillar, 7.11, Silver Ccot, 7.9; Sea Raid, 7.6; Sagittarius, 7.5; hirst Raid, 7.3; Arch Arrow. 7.2, Solrose, 7.1; Bulolo, 7.0. Ruapuke Hack Handicap, 7 fur.—Dutch Money, Sea Raid, 9.0; Haze, 8.11; Sweet Refrain, 8.7; Glenrowan, 8.1; Grand Acre, ; 7.13; Amourette, 7.12; Phastar, Solpeie, ! <.11; Page Boy, Topere, Louise, Blue Metal. 7.10, Revision, 7.9; Mount Boa. 7.1; Acredity, 7.5; Colonel Quex, 7.4; Fallow, j Royal Flower, 7.1; Handsome, Quick Plunge, Gay Bird, Sailing Home, Miss Nightraid, Morian, Rapina, 7.0. Orari Trot, 1J miles.—Du Maurier, Kevj eller, Good Girl, Wood Girl, Island Lass, Dixie Thorpe, Brook Pointer, l*im. Mac Locanda. Brixton. Guy Denver, Little Victor, 1 ’ando Pointer, *DoL Dance, Mar-isc-o, Arklow, Tama, Sea Mist, Royal Silk. ! Alexis, King’s. Cup. Happv Lass, Grattan Queen. Lady Zcplivr, Francis d'Oro. Headlight, limit; Golden Vale. Starina. I*2yds bhd; Student Prime. Rey Silver Sea, 24; Imshi. Otaio Rose, ?6; r:ing. n Maid, Great Eps-m, Actor, 48; John Noble Jacky Logan. 72. Belfleld Handicap, 1 mile.—J ■' rst Sign-. j 9.6; Taboo, x. 6: Blar-k Mint. 8.5: Kascal. ; 8.0: Rovai Game, Honeycomb.^ , ; 7.13; Mombo, 7.9; Nincompoop. 7.5; ! wheat. Wingatui. 7.7: Gold Briek. i five. 7.5; Don Jose, 7.2; Pango’.in. From > . Rank, 7.0. ; ! > ! On the Active List ! First Prince, who has been tho drone brigade for several month* [ past, has been set going again. He is , one of the team under the tu.tion of Fjj P. Neagle, at Taradale. He is a seven- , i year-old son of Prince Willonyx. t ro £ Lady Birkful. by Birkful —Lady Cook. ■ by Marshall Soult —Cuisine, by Ctnr- - assier (son of Musket).