SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 April 1922, Page 11

SPORTING.

STAKES IN THE ARGENTINE. The Buenos Aires Jockey Club, thanks to the Totalizator, gave £318,000 in stakes at Palermo last year. This is nearly half as much as the combined distribution on the fiat in England and Ireland in 1921, and in those countries owners provide a large share of the stakes in forfeits and sweepstakes. Sir William Nelson recently sent a small string of fillies from England to the Argentine to be raced. In the latter c’oun-. try fillies are eligible for practically all events, but some years ago foreign-bred colts were barred from all but classic races, and the embargo has not yet been removed. BOOKMAKERS IN TROUBLE. The English Gaming Act of 1835, which permits of the recovery, of money paid by cheque for betting debts is causing bookmakers in the Old Country a lot of anxiety. Advantage is being taken of the Act in many quarters, and claims against bookmakers for refunds now total over a quarter of a million. There is an agitation for the amendment of the Act, as the position is decidedly unfair to bookmakers. It may be pointed out that they can also make claims for refunds, but they will have little chance of getting much out of some broken backers to whom they paid bets by cheque a long, time ago. Tiie only thing on which the bpolHes can congratulate themselves is a test of many years, their financial position is so much better than that of "'men wix> started out to break the ring. ENGLISH TOTE COMPANY. The £lOO,OOO Pari-Mutuel Co. in England appealed to investors, and the required amount was quickly subscribed. Messrs. Douglas Stuart, J. Lee, Bert Fry and Sutters are th«d promoters, and guarantee to take over, if 'called upon within three months of the first annual general meeting, the shares of any holder at the price of the amount paid up on such shares. The share issue was 80,000 at £7 each, on which 2s was payable on application, the remaining £20,000 being allotted as fully paid te the vendors. Die prospectus stated that the business was on a paying basis, and that a deduction of 5 per cent, epabied the management to guarantee that the P.M. prices should not be less than the S.P. returns. However, as Totalisators run on the lines indicated benefit neither racing nor the Government. T suppose they will eventually be suppressed in England, just as they were in Nev South' Wales some years ago. As an illustration of the possibilities with a good two-year-old in Australia the windings of two of Mr. Ernest Clarke's horses at ihat age may be cited. Thrice, which was the erack juvenile of his year, won £8972 in the 1916-17 season ; while Furious in the 11920-21 season annexed stakes to the value [of £7843. Many of the races won by this ■ pair have since greatly increased in value, kw that possibilities are greater now than ■sver. I A Sydney "bookie (says the Bulletin) re-l-.ently evolved a more profitable method of ■ ealing with the local Captain Owen Peels ■han that of gaoling them. Having been well Stung on the old, old lines, he paid up with- ■ >ut a murmur and did some wiring himself. Kn response an affable stranger came to town ■ and proceeded to make himself pleasant to | some of the paneiller's patrons. He sugI gested presently to those who were chained Ito their offices on race days that If he [phoned them a good winner immediately the ■race was wvu they might bw« tlma to gtt .

their money on. Buoyed up, both morally and financially, by the success of their previous venture, they rushed in heavy bets. Not till later did they discover that the animal given them by their false friend from the country had run nowhere. No fewer than 48 horses have now won £lO,OOO or over in stakes in the turf in Australia or New Zealand. From tte point of view of the number of races won Gloaming’s total of 39 successes is easily the best among the equine stars. Desert Gold, which appropriated more money in stakes than any other mare to race In Australasia, follows Gloaming in this connection with 36 firsts. Carbine is in third place with 33 victories. Eurythmlc may improve on his total of 28% wins before the A.J.C. meeting ends. Gladsome and Mistico each won 28 races, and that great mare Wakeful claimed 25 wins. Yale Lock, a noted performer in West Australia about 20 years ago, appropriated no fewer than 44 events. One notable feature of the list of stake winners Is the rapidadditions made to this equine roll of honor. Less than nine years ago the list of horses who had won five-figure stake totals numbered 16, and to-day it has just trebled its size. At the beginning of the 1913-14 racing season Carbine and Trafalgar were the only two horses who had won over £20,000. While Carbine's total stood for 32 years, it is doubtful if Eurythmic will be able to (maintain his stake winning supremacy for more than a few seasons.