Poor Fields Contest Open Ellerslie Hurdles

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 998, 14 June 1930, Page 12

Poor Fields Contest Open Ellerslie Hurdles

A Problem for the A.R.C.

By

“EARLY BIRD."

There is no gainsaying the fact that the recent Great Northern meeting conducted by the Auckland Racing Club revealed a most lamentable dearth of hurdle horses. Strange to relate, on this occasion, and also in the past, the steeplechase events drew sufficient competitors to make these affairs exceedingly interesting.

I think it will be admitted that the crux of the position, so far as the hurdle horses is concerned, is the comparatively recent innovation of the substitution of high-weiglit races for jumpers, an innovation that is now bearing fruit —dead fruit that the Auckland Racing Club has been left to pluck for several seasons past. There is the other aspect, the financial. And by financial, of course, is meant the totalisator revenue, which clubs must draw upon to provide the stakes. One point in connection with the financial side of it is that the general run of backers fights shy of obstacle races, for figures indicate a decided preference for flat races. For very many years now the open hurdle races on the second and third days of the Auckland Racing Club’s winter meetings have drawn fields that in the majority of cases could be termed miserable. Take the last five winter meetings held at Ellerslie, the second and third days. There have been ten open hurdle races, and the largest field that has faced the starter has been —nine! There have been three seven-horse fields, three six-horse fields, two fivehorse fields, and one four-horse field. A Farcical Race To make these figures even more illuminating, it need only be mentioned that in the four-horse race mentioned, two horses fell at the first fence, and the horse that eventually finished second actually fell twice, and on each occasion was remounted. On the other hand, there has been plenty of competition in the hack hurdle contests, the size of these fields over the past five winter meetings ranging from half a dozen—this small field was seen out last week —to 19. To make it really plain, a list is set out from which the situation during the past five years can be gleaned. The following table shows the number of starters in the open and hack hurdle events on the second and third days of the past five Great Northern meetings: 1926.

second and third days, 5.2. Average field a day in hack hurdles on second and third days, 11.9.

Instead of improving, the position is apparently becoming worse. This is understandable, for the reason that there are not the opportunities or encouragement given to owners to go in for hurdling, which after all is but the stepping-stone to steeplechasing. Reduce the High-Weights When one sees a club like the Wellington R.C. staging three high-weight events for jumpers at its three-day summer meeting, is it likely that smaller or country clubs will b© influenced to remove such contests from their programmes? Obviously the remedy is to permit ! high-weight races in lieu of hurdle races where a special dispensation is necessary. For instance, the turning Takapuna course is not favourable to hurdle racing. Such clubs as Dargaville, Bay of Islands, and Waipapakauri should be exempted, for their difficulty is to get sufficient horses to make up their fields. But Franklin, Thames, Matamata,

Rotorua and Bay of Plenty, who for some time have conducted high-weight races, are placed well enough to replace them with hurdle races. The lastnamed club may, however, be in the same box as the far northern clubs already referred to in securing enough horses to make their meeting. What Backers Think An entirely different viewpoint is taken by the general run of racegoers, more popularly known as punters or backers. When it comes to investing their money on flat races or events over obstacles, they go strongly for the former. As proof of this, look at the following schedule, which shows the investments, in round figures, on the totalisator for flat and obstacles races last week. OPENING DAY. Hurdles Flat Races. and Steeples. £7,290 £6,425 £9,075 £8,400 £11,695 £12,445 £12,540 £S,SSO Totals. £40,400 £55,850 SECOND DAY'. £7,285 £4,795 £9,475 £6,210 £9,635 £6,275 Totals. £26,400 £25,700 THIRD DAY. £10,775 £4,210 £11,570 £4,920 £10,545 £7,770 Totals. £32,890 £22,950 Aggregate. £99,690 £84,500 Average a Race. £9,969 in 10 races on the flat. £8,450 for 12 races over obstacles. These figures are most illuminating. Fancy a hack race (second day) carrying £1,215 more than the amount invested earlier the same day on the Great Northern Steeplechase—a race the chances of the various candidates in which have been canvassed for weeks, and the general topic wherever racegoers foregather. On the first day last week there were four flat races and four events over obstacles, and yet the investments on the flat contests exceeded by about 14 per cent. The second day the difference is even more remarkable. For three flat events as against four jumping contests tho totalisator handled £7OO more. So it was on the third and final day. Here tho discrepancy is more marked. Indeed, it is nothing short of remarkable. The three flat races saw £32,890 invested (and one of these was an event for amateur riders'; at which backers are most times shy), and £22,950 was handled for four obstacle events. The average that day for the flat events was nearly £.11,000, as against an average of £7,320 for the four contests over hurdles and steeplechase fences. That is the crux of the position, and one in which the Auckland Racing Club executive, always out to do the best for the sport, will find plenty of food for thought. Reducing Hurdle Events One suggestion that may be worthy of consideration, in the event of the dearth of open hurdlers continuing at future winter meetings, is that on the middle day the race for open hurdlers, the Remuera Hurdles, should be deleted and a flat race substituted; and on the third day, the hack hurdle race be taken off the programme and the present open hurdle contest be left

This would have a threefold effect. In the first place there would be two more flat races, with a consequent increase in speculation; secondly, with no open hurdle contest on the second day, owners may give their jumpers a chance of capturing the Great Northern Steeplechase; thirdly, it would ensure a good field for the open hurdles on the final day, for some of the better class hacks would he forced into the higher class. The performances of Taumai last week suggested that this would not he out of class.

The Auckland Racing Club leads tho Dominion in its racing control and administration. For this reason it may not he disposed to take the rather drastic action suggested, as it may he considered detrimental to racing generally. However, the points raised are worthy of consideration not only by the A.R.C., but also by those clubs which in the immediate past have staged high-weight events.

Open Hack Murd les. Hurdles. Second day 7 19 Third day .. 1927. 7 15 Second day 5 9 Third day .. 1928. G 16 Second day . 9 10 Third day .. 1929. -1 14 Second day . 7 9 Third day .. 1930. 6 12 Second day 6 9 Third day .. 5 6 Totals .. 52 119 Average field a day in open hurdles on