TURF NEWS AND NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 July 1939, Page 11

TURF NEWS AND NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE AND COURSE Melbourne Cup Prospects DEFAULTER WILL HAVE SEVERE TASK BEAUPARTIR APPEARS TO BE WELL TREATED (By “CARBINE.”) “Serious discussion of Melbourne Cup possibilities immediately after the appearance of the weights always seems to me labour in .vain, writes “Pilot” in the “Sydney Referee.” So much can happen in four months. “Some of those which appear well treated may not train on, and there is always the possibility of the winner being something that, on form, could not enter into backers’ calculations at present. “Two of the last three winners had very little to recommend them as two milers. Wotan’s longest win was at a mile and a distance, and that of Catalogue a mile and a quarter. He had rarely attempted a distance as far a mile and a half. “It was certain Ajax would head the list, but, applying the weight-for-age scale, he is rated a pound inferior to Defaulter. Their respective scale weights are 9.5 and 9.0.

“No fault can be found with the adjustment. Ajax has yet to prove himself a two-miler; Defaulter has done so. u n “Ajax runs his best races when allowed to bowl along at the head of affairs. Other horses have won Melbourne Cups with more than Ajax s weight, but not by adopting those tactics. At a mile and a half Ajax may succeed in a handicap, but he does not appeal at two miles. “On w.f.a. figures, Defaulter is meeting Spear Chief 31b worse than when he defeated him in the A.J.C. Plate. “The New Zealander won by more than that, but since then Spear Chief has taken a Brisbane Cup in Australasian record time for two miles. “Nevertheless, assuming that Defaulter makes the improvement allowed by the w.f.a. scale, I think he will again defeat Spear Chief, who, however, is bound to run well. He has recently returned to work looking well after a short holiday. “Round Up is a stayer. He ran second in the last Auckland Cup with 8.8, but an additional 61b in a Melbourne Cup is different. “Neither do I think there is anything to be feared this time from Catalogue with 9.0. “Mosaic won the Sydney Cup with weight-for-age. and must be regarded as fairly treated when similarly weighted here. In the Sydney Cup, when in receipt of 101 b he defeated Defaulter a long way, but had no chance against him on level terms in the A.J.C. Plate. Now 51b separates them. “Imported Caithness has his share in 9.0, and of the topweights my preference is for Defaulter though it is asking a lot of him to win with more weight than other four-year-olds in Patron (9.3). Windbag (9.2) and Nightmarch (9.2). “Still, Phar Lap won at that age with 9.12. There are some stayers included in the lot from 8.12 down to 8.0. “Well-performed New Zealander Beaupartir is nicely treated, if the opinion of those New Zealanders who regard him as a worthy rival for Defaulter is correct. He is brilliant at a mile, and has won up to a mile and threequarters. “The Trump won a Melbourne Cup with only 71b less than he has on this occasion, but it is doubteful whether he will ever repeat that form."

BETTING TICKETS FORGED ..N.S.W, BOOKMAKERS TRICKED... For the second time the new betting tickets designed by the New South Wales Government officials to guard against forgery proved ineffective. Mr J. T. Hackett, bookmaker, paid out £45 at Rosehill on June 17 on a ticket that originally had been issued for 455. The ticket was so cleverly altered that very close examination was necessary to discover its faults. Ticket 961 was issued for £45 on Morning Gift, who subsequently won

the Parramatta Mile. Ticket 964 was issued for 45s on the same horse. “Circumstances combined to put me off my guard,” said Mr Hackett afterwards, "but I do not claim that I would have discuvered the trick. 1 do not usually pay the cash bets myself, but as it was the last race I took the tickets ■ as they were presented. The first man to come up had £5O to collect. The weight flag was not up. but I paid him, asking him to stand by until the flag went up. I gained the impression that he was not going to wait, and, as a precaution, I asked him to hand back the money. He did. and I am now sure that I could have trusted him with it.

“The incident claimed so much of my attention that when the flag went up a few seconds later 1 paid him, took the next ticket that was presented, which was 961—beyond doubt as far as I was concerned —and. having had the amount checked, paid £45. Later, when 961 was again presented, it was apparent that I had paid a bogus ticket. "The holder of the real ticket is known to me as a client. Strangely enough, he is never in a hurry to collect a winning wager, so that the forger could not have picked a ' better ticket to tamper with, as there was no risk of the real owner being among the first to collect, and so, perhaps, expose the trick." Apparently it is a difficult, problem to devise a ticket reasonably safe against forgery, but it should not be insurmountable. Mr Lal Bowden, a Randwick bookmaker, brought back specimens of tickets from England that should provide a solution. Those have the last two digits of the serial number printed with perforations instead of being repeated in block lettering as they are in Sydney. The perforated numbers are so large that it would seem impossible to tamper with them. Bookmakers are obliged to use the Government tickets, but some of them send their tickets to a printer and have the serial number reprinted several times in purple ink to increase the number of alterations necessary for an attempted forgery. But with the neat workmanship now being displayed, compared with that in evidence when the trick was first introduced, there is no guarantee that a way will not be, found to make the changes. It seems remarkable that forgers have remained so long without detection. No one has yet been able to supply a description: of a man collecting on a bogus ticket, but that is understandable.

Many tickets must be altered each day on the racecourse, as the forger would be extraordinarily lucky to strike a winner in one attempt. Obviously the alterations cannot, openly be made, and this narrows down the field of search. Until a “catch” is made the supervision on the racecourses must remain open to criticism. One reason is that, since the forgers cannot work in the open, they must use some building on the course. The number of buildings that is available is small.

SENSATIONAL ALLEGATIONS

SUSPENSION OF D. MUNRO. Sensational allegations that outside attempts had been made to influence the evidence of witnesses weie made after D. Munro’s two months suspension at Rosehill recently, states the Sydney "Sunday Sun and Guardian. "During the later stages ot our inquiry, evidence totally different fiom that given by witnesses earlier was placed before us. We take a serious view of the position, declaied the chief stipendiary steward (Mr Geoige Williams) after Munro had heard the verdict. . , Munro, who rode Royal Prince in the Dundas Handicap, was found guilty of having forced Theolos over on to Tarn after the field had gone a furlong. “I had nothing to do with any attempts to influence anyone to tel] untruths at my inquiry. And I say emphatically that I was not responsible for any interference in the race. Mun ro announced dramatically as he walked from the stewards’ room. Munro said he was unlikely to appeal against the suspension. “That is not definite, however. I will give the case further consideration.” he added. Munro admitted that his mount. Royal Prince, had touched Theolos. ridden by A. Knox, who had moved on to Tarn, ridden by J. Feggans, but he declared that the trouble was purely accidental and that the giound lost by Tarn was caused as much by his own jockey. “In a six-furlong race, when horses are racing for the lead, it is impossible to prevent a certain amount of squeezing. Immediately I found that Royal Prince was inclined to veer in I pulled him off the other horses and then went to the front." said Munro. “I pointed out to the stewards that I had nothing to gain by interfering with other horses. At the most I could gain only a length, and I would not improve my chance,” he added. The Australian Jockey Club stewards however, are carrying out a campaign against jockeys who fail to keep a straight course. In recent weeks they have issued several warnings, and evidently they consider that a suspension or two is necessary to stress the need for careful riding. Munro’s misfortune did not end with his suspension, for Royal Prince, which had been backed heavily, failed to hold off Forward after appearing to have the race won in the straight.

PRESS SHOULD DEBARRED PUBLIC RECEIVES TOO MUCH INFORMATION. “It amused me to hear the other day that a fairly prominent owner was of opinion that the Press should be barred from reporting gallops at Randwick. This, on the score that the public received too much information, and that, in consequence, owners often had to take shorter prices than they should states a Sydney writer. He continued: “Evidently he is unaware that a lot of touting at Randwick for broadcasting purposes is done from houses overlooking the course, and that if pressmen were barred from the tracks that would not prevent the appearance in newspapers of the morn ■ ing gallops. It would be instructive to him "to get hold of the English daily sporting papers, and see what a big feature they make of the gallops at the various tracks. “The more interest you can get the public to take in racing? the- larger the attendances, and the greater the prizemoney. “Furthermore, no matter at what track a horse does a good gallop, the books and punters know. It has never been otherwise, and alteration is improbable.”

SPORT OF KINGS OVERSEAS PERSONAL AND OTHERWISE. Distance races are not favoured in America, and in expressing regret that there are so few of further than a mile and a quarter for three-year-olds, “The Blood-Horse" recently commented as follows: —“The race tracks of America have an obligation to the thoroughbred breed, an obligation to offer more distance races with big purses. Until we do have distance racing for top-class horses we shall never be able to breed staying horses without constant recourse to importations from countries where stamina is regarded as highly as speed, and when ten furlongs is not a distance race.” The foregoing is certainly not in keeping with the ideas of some American writers who are al ■ ways telling us how much Australia would benefit if our breeders would cut out English stallions and purchase some in America.

The death occurred recently m France of the great French horse, Massine, who, as a four-year-old, won the Ascot Gold Cup in England. He came of the St. Simon line. He was foaled in 1920. and was by Consois out of the famous race mare, La Camargo, by Childwick, so that he had St. Simon blood on both sides. Childwick was the sire of imported Kenilworth, who did so well at the stud in Australia, his best sons being Kennaquhair. Wolaroi, and Mosstrooper, the champion hurdle-steeplechaser of his day. Consols (sire of Massine) was by St. Bris Ison of St. Simon) or Doricles, a son of Florizel 11, brother, to Persimmon and Diamond Jubilee. Massine was inbred to St. Simon. His victories in France included the Prix de I’Arc de Triomphe, Prix Edgard Gillois twice. Prix des Sablons, Prix Hocquart, Prix Lupin, and Prix de Conde. He won a total of 1,228,775 francs. He distinguished himself as a sire of stayers, and for years has been prominent on the list of leading French sires. Among his stock were Strip the Willow, winner of the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby), and Grand Prix de Paris, now in Argentina. Mieuxce, winner of the Prix du Jockey Club and Grand Prix de Paris, now standing in England; Fcerie. outstanding three-year-old filly of last season, Laeken, Le Tourbillon. Lalo. Elijah Cunnington (who had trained horses for over 40 years) said Massine was not only the best horse he had trained, but the best he had ever seen. A son of Massine. Lang Bian, out of Forest Track, by Tracery, is now in New Zealand. He is said to much resemble his sire. Massine headed the winning sires’ list in France in 1932 and 1936. That sound .judge, the late Capt. ‘■Jock" Crawford, thought Massine one of the finest thoroughbreds he had ever seen. His dam, Mauri, was by Ajax, son of Flying Fox and sire of Teddy. So far as possible it will not be long before legislation lessens the opportunities for imported horses, and increases those for native trainers and

jockeys in Western India. According to those qualified to give an authoritative opinion, the change will not be lor the benefit of racing. Horse-breed-ing in India is not a success, according to the following comment, which recently appeared in an English paper:— •’Trying to breed from English thoroughbred stallions and mares in India does not appear to be of the least good. Anyway, a friend who knows told me the other day that this is what happens to the produce: 'The first crop are tied in at the elbows and stifles. I have narrow, contracted feet, straight. shoulders, are very fiat-sided, and really hopeless animals, while as to the second generation, they are absolute freaks.” A Great Horseman. Thdre have been innumerable horsemen in the Dominion’s turf history who have been capable of riding winners at all phases of the game, and several, too, who have ridden winners on the flat and over two styles of fences at the one meeting. But the performance of the late W. Young tit a Grand National meeting nearly 30 years ago has probably no counterpart for versatility at a metropolitan meeting in this part of the world. The occasion was the third day of the Canterbury Jockey Club’s Grand National meeting. August 13, 1910. Young’s first ride for the day was in the fourth event, the Sydenham Hurdles, and he brought home the topweight. Prophet, 11.9. to easy victory. The next race was the Lincoln Steeplechase. and Young rode To Arai, 12.10. to a brilliant six lengths’ win. But this was not all. The sixth event of the day was the Rcdclifi’s Handicap, and again Young was on the victor. Periza, who carried 10.10, and won decisively. Throe rides only that day, and Young was successful in them all. over hurdles. Steeples, and on the flat in immediate sequence. RACING FIXTURES July 0. 3 —Wellington. July 15 —Waimate District Hunt, July 15 —Hawke’s Bay Hunt. July 22 —Rangitikei Hunt. ' July 22—South Canterbury Hunt. July 29 —Christchurch Hunt. I July 29— Manawatu Hunt. I i August 8, 10, 12.—Grand National meeting.