SPORTING

Taranaki Daily News, 5 August 1920, Page 3

SPORTING

AUSTRALIA AND TOTALISATOR. By '.Telegraph.—Press Assn— Copyright. Melbourne, August 3. At the annual meeting of the •Victorian Racing Club, tho chairman announced that a campaign was being- initiated to secure a legalised totalisator. It was intended to bring pressure to bear on candidates at the forthcoming State Parliamentary election to support the -machine—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. CANTERBURY SCRATCHINGS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. Graftella was withdrawn from the C.T.C, Enfield Steeplechase yesterday, and Tortrlx from the Avonhead Handicap this morning. TURF TOPICS. (By "Moturo*.")

Matters in connection with the New Zealand Wand National meeting, which opens on Tuesday next, are proceeding smoothly, and everything points to a successful meeting. Practically all the acceptors in tlie chief events will be there, and the fields all round will be satisfactory. Mr 1 . Henry's weights for the minor jevents appeared on Monday, and should produce numerous acceptances Kohu, Ladoguer, Mannish ai\d Otnuru Kid read as well as any in the Trial Hurdles, while Signysian and Gaekwar appear to be a cut above the crowd in the Hunters' Hurdles, The .lumpers' Flat Race will take some picking, hut if Loyal Arch, All Talk and King Star go to the post they will have friends. Ouan.ico, Ormeshy and Barrister are nicely placed in the Enfield Steeplechase, and no fault can be found with the weights allotted Checkmate and Sir Fanciful In the Avonhead Handicap. Died in Wnngamii this week, "Andy". MacFarlanc, who for many years manipulated the Wanganul Jockey Club's semaphore. "Andy" was a popular sport, and his management of the semaphore was always marked by promptness and correctness. Never of a strong constitution. Mr. MacFarlane, though suffering with a heavy influenza cold, stuck gamely to his position throughout the rain and bitter cold of the Club's winter meeting, and was then forced to; take to his bed, from which he never rose again. The North Taranaki Hunt Club meeting is now attracting attention, and owners and trainer* should note that entries close for nil events on Saturday, August 7, at 9 p.m. Good slakes are offered for all classes of horses, and the meeting has been well advertised, so that big entries should be received on Saturday evening. Tho full programme will be found in our advertising columns. At the annual meeting' of members of. the ■Remont liaelng Club an effort was made to limit the number of persons admitted to the birdcage, but in spite of the various sound reasons put. forward in support, the motion was defeated. This is a matter fnr regrc', for the congestion and confusion in the birdcage at. recent race meetings has been very noticeable, and why members .should persist in demanding admission to a small enclosure that is already overcrowded by officials, owners, trainers, and jockeys, passes comprehension Few, if any, members have business there, and the public have Hie right to vlow the horses when parading, and not the backs of a crowd of persons who have little interest In racing beyond the mere fnct. of gaining a little "information" which is expected to supply them with a better chance of picking the winner. If racing clubs do not make efforts to keep their birdcages clear, no doubt the stipendiaries will recommend the Racing Conference io legislate against the evil. In spite of heavy expenses the Egmout Racing Club appears to have made a profit of nearly £3OOO on the season's racing. Stakes ran away with £BSBO. and advertising nearly £OOO. Just over £2OOO went for attendance at meetings," and "general expenses." The former item (£1287) seems fairly high. "Improvements £097,". stands for 'money well apejit, and the tracks and appointments aro a credit to the club. "Jtalntentmce" and "salaries" only account for £IOO9, so the cost of running the Club is remarkably small. As usual, the Government (£7021) scores heavily in taxes As regards totalisator and oiher revenue, the Club bus scored well, and the farming receipts (£4681 are satisfactory. TOTE IN DANGER. Says the Manaivatu Times: The totalisator is in danger from two sources—its enemies and Its friends. Its proclaimed enemies are those who, like tho Council of Churches, are against gambling,in any shape or form, and those who see in the constantly mounting investment figures, something very harmful to the national morale. Its ostensible fronds are those who seek to increase the number of racing permits, those who desire to instal the double totalisator, and those who wish to legalise telegraphed bets. One of the chief Indictments of the bookmaker Is that he makes every day a race day in every town and hamlet in the Dominion. The bookmaker, and those who bet with him, are to be placed within the criminal category, obviously not so much on the ground of morality as of expediency. This will throw the bookmaker into the arms of the opponents of the machine, and it it is found that the nett result of the newest legislation is to increase racing, end Stato facilities for betting <n horses, there is a danger that the totalisator will be Jeopardised, not by its enemies so much as by well-imeaning but short-sighted friends.

THE SPORT OF KINGS. ROYALTY'S INTEREST IN RACING. It la on record that scleral Sason kings—the Ethelberts, the Edgars, the Efberts, and other "Berts" of the old throat-cutting Saxon days—amused themselves occasionally by racing horses (chiefly presents from Spain) In England; but blurt Henry the Eighth was the first reigning monarch to attempt the Improvements of the English horse. He made some stringent laws with that object. One mado it compulsorj\ for anybody possessing a certain Income to keep a "stoned" horse. But the biggest racing monarch of the Middle Ages was Charles the First, whose attendances at Newmarket were very frequent during the whole of his reign, atid the sport Benefited by his patronage and wise legislation relative to it, though at Newmarket he bossod the gayest of courts, and while helping In the Improvement of horses, disregarded the morals of (he army of gallant and flue ladles who followed In the train of the* court. Many men havo lost their all on the turf; hut Charles lost his head by the grim order of Cromwell. It is on record that the whole course and Cabinet used to attend Newmarket for the meetings, followed by "jewellers, milliners, players, tiddlers, venal wits,''and venal beauties. The streets were made Impassable' by coaches of his, and' in places of public resort peers flirted with maids of honor, and officers of the Life Guards, all plumes and gold lace, jostled professors In trencher caps and bl<tck gowns " Cromwell maintained the Royal Hampton Court Stud, which was the property of the King, and, being a soldier, he did much towards the Improvement of the English horse. Regular race meetings were established at Newmarket by King James", who was the cause of much of Newmarket's early prosperity, and thin sporting Scotch prince atended the meetings In person; but none did so much racing as Queen Anne during her 12 years' reign, from 1702 to 1714. She instituted Queen's Plates all over the country, and in addition bred some good horses. After her came George the First, who could not speak English and took no interest in racing, nor did the two Georges who followed him; but George the Fourth was a great racing man, who, as Prince of Wales, in 1874, made Ms first appearance on the turf as an owner, and seven* years later retired owing to Insinuations against his honor and the riding of his jockey, Sam Chiffney, on his horse Escape, who was responsible for a distinct roversal of form. The stewards inquired into the running, so, in sympathy with his jockey, the Prince, who was in no way to blame, retired from the turf, on which ho had met with much success. The best race he won was the greatest English race, the Derby, which he carried off with Sir Thomas In 17SS. William the Fourth, a sailor, kept a number of racehorses, but seldom saw them run. O.i one occasion ho had several engaged in n race of importance, arid his manager sent for instructions. The King ordered him to "start the whole fleet." Though Queen Victoria owned a famous stud, Hampden Court, where she bred La Fleche, she never raced a horse, and only once saw the Derby, In IS4O, when Utile Wonder scored. But her son, his late Majesty King Edward VII.. became the greatest owner of our time. He won the Two Thousand Guineas with Diamond Jubilee, mid Minoru, (he One Thousand Guineas with Thais, the Derby with Persimmon, Diamond Jubilee,, mid Minoru, and the St. Leger with Persimmon and Diamond JublHee.