TURF NEWS AND NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 June 1939, Page 9

TURF NEWS AND NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE AND COURSE Attempt in Sydney to Abolish Hurdle Races R.S.P.C.A. DECLARES IT IMPOSES CRUELTY ON HORSES LEADING TRAINER GIVES HEATED REPLY

(By

“CARBINE.”)

According to the latest advice from Sydney, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals advocates the abolition of hurdle races from all Sydney meetings. The R.S.P.C.A. declare that hurdling imposes cruelty on horses. . “There is no cruelty in hurdle races. The society should send inspectors around all the little suburban stables and see the conditions under which many of the old cart-horses are kept if it: so desires to discover cruelty to horses,” says a leading Sydney hurdle trainer, Mr N. McKenna, in a heated reply. ~ . +hA The view of the R.S.P.C.A., however, has not influenced the A.J.C. and racing officials continue to stage jumping events during the winter months.

‘‘The society bases its objections to hurdle races on three points," stated the R.S.P.C.A. secretary, Mr Lord. They are as follows:-— “di The proportion of accident, and consequent injury to horses is too high. “(2) A big proportion of horses which race over jumps have passed the stage of usefulness on the flat, and are put to hurdling by their owners to earn the last possible penny. They are raced until they can hardly stand up. “(3) Hurdle races serve no real purpose. “The R.S.P.C.A. feels very keenly on this question of hurdle races,” said Mr Lord. “It is pitiful to see some of these old horses crashing into jumps and sometimes getting up with one leg swinging uselessly. “What good is that? We know that flat racing tends to improve the thoroughbred standard, and consequently improves horses for defence, but hurdlers are no good for that purpose.” ‘T can safely say that a member of the R.S.P.C.A. could search the whole of Sydney and he cotfldn’t pick out a hurdle horse by looking at its legs. The brush hurdles now used here are so easy that the 'signs of any injury are never apparent,” answers McKenna. I always have five or six hurdlers in training. Yet in recent years, the only hurdler I have had injured has been Royal Promise. And he was injured a few weeks ago because he fell over on a slippery road while exercising and hurt one of his legs! I admit that some old horses are put to hurdling when they would be better off in the paddock. But they are extreme exceptions. Horses are not raced over jumps now merely because they cannot win a flat event. You wouldn’t say that Gymkhana and Moonray, just two which ran at Rosehill recently, are beyond all hope as gallopers. '"'They . can still win Flying Handicaps. Only recently, a hurdler, Masterpiece, won the Moorefield Handicap, and another hurdler. Cheery Jack, was third in the Rosehill Handicap. When it comes to the point of the usefulness of racing, isn’t it hypocritical to suggest that the sport is carried on for the improvement of horses? If there were no betting, there would be no racing, whether horses raced on the flat, over hurdles, or even were tested for their fast-walking ability.” RACING CONFERENCE DRAWS NEAR

The annual conference of representatives of New Zealand Metropolitan and District Racing Clubs will be held in Wellington at 10 a.m. on July 7. It will be presided over by the president, Mr J. S. McLeod, who will be assisted by the vice-president, Mr A. S. Elworthy. The list of delegates is as follows: —Auckland Racing Club, Dr. McGregor Grant and Mr W. Claude Motion; Auckland District Clubs, Messrs P. E. Brenan, J. E. Wells, W. H. Wackrow and A. E. Sandford; Canterbury Jockey Club, Mr A. S. Elworthy and Dr. M. G. Louisson; Canterbury District Clubs, Messrs G. Fulton, D. Grant and E. B. Newton; Dunedin Jockey Club, Messrs A. C. Hanlon and L. C. Hazlett; Dunedin District Clubs, Messrs J. M. Samson and J. Sim; Greymouth Jockey Club, Mr T. E. Coates; Greymouth District Clubs, Messrs F. 0. Hamilton and J. B. Auld; Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club, Messrs G. D. Beatson and F. Kelly; Hawke’s Bay District Clubs, Messrs F. W. Nolan, F. Tolerton, W. H. Gaisford and P. F. Wall; Manawatu Racing Club, Mr L. H. Collinson; Southland Racing Club, Mr W. T. Hazlett; Southland District Clubs, Messrs E. J. Traynor and T. Hamilton; Taranaki Jockey Club, the Hon. J. McLeod and Mi- L. A. Nolan; Taranaki District Clubs, Messrs S. C. Tonks and D. J. Malone; Wanganui Jockey Club, Messrs R. Grace and F. K. Turnbull; Wanganui District Clubs, Messrs J. H. Perrett and J. R. Stanford; Wellington Racing Club, Messrs H. R. Chalmers and C. W. Tringham; Wellington District Clubs, Messrs J. W. Card, W. H. Booth and A. C. Nathan. A proposed new clause in the Rules of Racing governing jockeys has been placed on the list of notices of motion for special resolutions. The addendum put forward is as follows:—“No change in the rider of any horse in a similar class of race during any meeting shall be made without the owner or trainer, concerned first obtaining the permission of the chairman of the Judicial Committee and the stipendiary steward. which shall be granted only on good and substantial grounds. If any breach of this sub-clause be committed the owner or the owner and trainer of the horse concerned may be fined not more than £5, and such horse may be disqualified for the race." Three remits dealing with the starting question are also tabled for consideration . The Manawatu Racing Club wishes the compulsory standing start, at present restricted to flat races, to be applied also to hurdle races and steeplechases. Such a change would make the position harder for unruly horses, but it is doubtful if they deserve any consideration. The Waikato Club has a similar suggestion. Another proposal is that a man on a hack may be provided to assist the starter in lining up the horses. Some starters might appreciate this aid. but there is no question of making it compulsory, On the subject of starting, the

Banks Peninsula Racing Club wishes the walk-up start ter be made optional. This subject has been discussed more than once, and the arguments seem strongly to favour the present uniform system. An unusual point is raised by a remit from the Wairoa Racing Club. At present no paid servant of any racing club, including the totalisator staffs, is permitted to race a horse at any meeting in the Dominion. By the deletion of the word “any” in the rule the Wairoa Club desires to confine the restriction to the club at which such person is engaged for payment. If this amendment is allowed, the secretary of . a club, for example, would be permitted to own and race horses at any meeting except his own. SOME INTERESTING FIGURES The cost of the stipendiary stewards to the racing clubs in New Zealand for the year ended May 31, 1939, was £3,695 13s 4d, as compared with £3,693 16s 6d for the corresponding season last year, and of racecourse, inspectors £4,151 3s 6d, as against I, £3,993 11s 2d. This is an average of about £32 14s a day. Salaries paid to the office staff of the conference amounted to £2,782 7s 9d, as compared with £2,754 13s Id last year. During the year ended January 31 last apprentices’ riding fees amounted to £11,215, as compared with £10,494 the previous year. Of this year’s amount their employers were credited with £5,204 and the apprentices with £6,010. With returns for meetings held in May, June and July still to come, the sum of £4,777,929 10s has been registered on the totalisator. In addition £171,989 has been registered on trotting events on racing -programmes. The sum of £371,751 was given in stakes, and in addition £ 14,068 for trotting events. The amount collected from racing clubs for the remount encouragement fund for the year ended May 31 last was £4,413, as compared with £1.913 in the corresponding period last year. The cost of compiling, printing, and binding the New Zealand Stud Book last year was £783, and sales of same amounted to '£so4. The “machinery” of racing cost £12,388 for the present season and the income fell £233 short of the expenditure. I ABO.UT HORSES. Quinopal’s career has been rather a strenuous one, and that he retains his ability on the flat as well as over country is rather remarkable. He has won the flat, over hurdles, and over the big timber, and in nine seasons of racing has contested 81 events for 16 firsts and 25 placings for £2040 in prize money. Quinopal was first produced as a four-year-old, and in his first three seasons contested 48 races for seven wins and 15 places. As an eight-year-old he also did a good amount of racing, but has only been produced on a few occasions each year since. The Quin Abbey gelding was first trained by E. J. Ellis, but later by J. Thistleton and J. H. Smith, and now by P. J. Boyle, to whom he was a gift from Mr A. C. Mills, for whom Boyle trains Black Banner.

The death occurred recently of Colene Pointer, the founder of Mr B. Grice’s Tinwald Stud. She was the dam of Kingcraft, winner of £6,292 in stakes, and four others, who between them have brought the winnings of Colene Pointer’s progeny to almost £lO,OOO. Subsidy, who has done little racing since winning the Great Northern Trotting Derby of 1934, is again in work at Addington, and is expected to race in August. Although it was reported that Foxlove would not race again till after a spell, it is now stated that he has made a complete recovery from his Wanganui lameness and is being kept in work. After breaking down in the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase early this month, Sporting Song was in such a bad way that it is feared he will have to be destroyed. Alma and Slayer, two of Mr L. C. Hazlett’s horses, have been transferred to P. T. Hogan’s stable. Alma is no stranger to Washdyke, as she was handed over to Hogan after she had proved rather headstrong as a two-year-old, and benefited considerably by her sojourn at the -racecourse. It is understood that Astral Flash made her last appearance on the track when she won the Aidworth Handicap at .the Dunedin Winter meeting and that her future activities will be confined to the stud. She is by Colonel Cygnus from Flicker, by Paper Money from Illume, a full-sister to Razzle Dazzle. A slow beginner will hold a good odds-on chance of getting lost in the crowd in some of the big fields booked to race at the Wellington meeting.

Mahala, the winner of the Bay of Plenty Steeplechase, is a chestnut mare by Psychology—Duckwill. The stallion Windsor Lad, who was operated upon recently for a tumour near the brain and for whom little hope was at first held, is now reported to have made a remarkable recovery. The son of Blandford won the Derby for the Maharaja of Rajpipla in 1934. and shortly after his success was purchased from the Indian potentate by Mr Martin Benson for £50,000. For Mr Benson Windsor Lad won the St Leger. and later was retired to his owner's Beech House Stud at Newmarket at a fee of 400gns. Windsor Lad has made good progress after his operation, which was performed by Professor O’Connor on Sunday, April 30. and four days later had a spell in the paddock behind Professor Bailey Reynolds's surgery at Newmarket. He grazed quietly and looked extremely well. At the annual conference of the Irish Veterinary Medical Association Professor O’Connor expressed the opinion that Windsor Lad had good prospects of making a complete recovery. Recently Windsor Lad was represented by his first runner, a colt named Sovereignty, who defeated a field of smart youngsters in the Grove Park Plate at Warwick. Sovereignty is owned by Mrs R. C. Evans, who purchased him for 500gns as a yearling.