IS RACING LOSING ITS POPULARITY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8092, 24 April 1906, Page 3

IS RACING LOSING ITS POPULARITY.

[BY " Motoboa."]One often hears lately that racing ill New Zealand is on I lis.' downward grade. The necessity for forming :■ Horse Owners' Association would also tend to strengthen tins rumour, otlierwise the liacing Conference should be —and I believe is—in a position to uieet all tlfc needs of horse-owners and Baeing Clubs. However, it is apparent in some places, that racing matters are not what they were two or thre# years ago. Various theories have been suggested as to the cause, one being the excessive amount of racing in New Zealand at the present time. Probably there may be some truth in this, for the racing public ou whom the clubs depend for support to a greit extent, have not an unlimited amoti.it olf capital fpr racing purposes. Anotb t matter thai only goes to show that tue racing world—in the North Island at auyrate—is not so .-prosperous, is the so many, clubs now excluding tilt ; telegraph office from their course. Ho doubt in doufg this, these clubs ar# endeavoring; to eons'der their own interests, but at ; lie sami time overlook the fact that; tliey are ignoring the internes of "horse-owners; and i such be the case, nominations arc likpl to decrease inste.id of increase, Thi is an esseiiti il paint, for with sour fields a necling cannot be successful finaii :i .iiy. The abolition of the telegraph ollice appears to me to be not only a curtailment of the privileges of the British public but also a shortsighted policy, as it is not the ordinary race-goer who utilis.es the otli.'e, but the horse-owner iy)io must have some means of recouping himself for the considerable outlay he is put to ? training expenses, etc. A ''ouple o tickets on the machine will not suffice, and by investing a considerable amount on the totalisator he naturally reduces the dividend, whereas, by investing with the bookmaker, lie would probably get three or four to one;instead of two to one or less ou the machine. I fai to see why horse-owners in New Zer land should be handicapped in this way and not have the same opportunity of paying their training expenses as their brothers in (he sport have ill other places wherp the machine is not in existence and where he may make his investments with the bookmakers without reducing the dividend to himself. One cannot evade the fact thai the average owner of racehorses I'annot pay his way without betting, in addition to stakes, uuless he is fortunate enough to own something capable o£ winning some of the bigger stakes. How are the totalisator receipts goiug to increase if owners refuse to nominate where they cannot secure these facilities ? I think this is a matter which deserves most careful consideration on the part of ltacing Clubs.

NOTES. [By "Motuboa."] Aboriginal was reported to have sustained some slight injury whi!< rolling in her box, and this, no doubt accounted for his non-appearance a. Tauherenikau. Prelude pulled up lame after tl; Wairarapa meeting. Friskee, who won the Onslow Stake: m Auckland —for two-year-olds—is b;San Francisco from Lady Moth and is therefore a half-sister to the defunct Hohoro. Lady Moth, with the foal, was purchased at the sale of Sylvia Park Stud for 380 guineas.

Nervine, the winner of theßuckland Handicap on the last day of the Auckland meeting, who paid the splendid dividend of £27 ss, is one of the first of the progeny of I'hu-hus Appollo. He was bred at Wellington I'arl; and cost his owner 4)0 guineas as a yearling. The Wellington acceptances snow there has been a great weeding out. The Railway Handicap has being reduced to seven and the best of these may be Ailsa, Glcnowlct and Gawain. In the Thompson Handicap there is still a good Held, and the winner may come from Exinoor, King Billy, Starsboot and Mobility. 1 shall endeavor to make a final selection later on.

Egmont acceptances close with the Secretary on Wednesday, at U p.m.