SPORT OF KINGS OVERSEAS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 August 1939, Page 11

SPORT OF KINGS OVERSEAS

PERSONAL AND OTHERWISE. W. Bullock, who won the Derby and Oaks on Signorinetta 31 years ago. is still riding winners in England. He recently won on a two-year-old at a Manchester meeting. The Turf Register shows that the late Robert Derrett had a particularly lengthy career in the saddle. He won the Canterbury Cup on Lurline in 1872, and again on the same mare in 1873. No doubt Derrett had already displayed ability in the saddle long before that date in order to obtain such an important mount. One of the last important wins scored by Derrett was on Lady Landon when she won the Dunedin Champagne Stakes in 1906. Derrett was still riding two or three years after his win on Lady Landon, so that his career in the saddle extended to about 37 years.

“You don’t need much money to win money at racing,” said the old gentleman in the race train recently going to Caulfield. “Why, a penny on the first winner, all up the next winner, and so on. would return hundreds of pounds.” That started the argument. One guessed £5O as the return from such wagers, and others guessed amounts ranging up to £l,OOO. The last-named was scoffed at, but actually he was nearest the mark, as a penny invested thus would have returned exactly £8,590. One would, however, require to be very penny-wise to snowball a penny into a financial iceberg.

Many strange doubles will be laid on the two cups. Caulfield and Melbourne, during the next few’ months, says an Australian writer. Here is an example: A well-known Melbourne tailor and the bookmaker were discussing the possibility of war, and the upshot of a friendly argument was the fielder laying his tailor this double of £2OO to £2—Ajax in the Melbourne Cup, and “no war” by the first week in November.

A Cockney sportsman once started out from London to see the Derby. He would have reached Epsom had it not been for the hotels in between the start and finish of the journey. Obstacles of various kinds may call serious halts in a journey and some good winners on the flat find it difficult to get across the hurdles and fences in the way to the winning post, but when they become proficient they also become formidable members of a field. ,

Rattrap, winner of a race in South Australia last month, has started 173 times, at two, years in 18; at three years, 12; at four years, 29; at five years. 37; at six years 37; and at seven years in 40 races for 30 wins, mostly on country courses.

A remarkable sequence by which the winner of every first-class sprint staged at Albion. Park, Brisbane, this season has been a four-year-old, was maintained when Silver Gift was successful in the First Division Handicap last month. In all, 18 such events have been contested during the season, which has terminated so far as meetings at that course are concerned, and a four-year-old has been successful on every occasion.

Totalisator investments at Ascot (England) last month were £499,752. against £548,380 last year. Machine betting in England showed a considerable advance last year, as compared with 1937. The turnover was &9,093.482 against £7,093,721 “off-the-course” investments last year totalling £2,861.375. However, under the new method, of deduction which came into force in March, 1938. the Racecourse Betting Control Board retains less than formerly. Despite the marked increase, the board’s share was only £757.156 as compared with £722,517 in 1937. Of the surplus, after various payments were made, £175,000 was set aside for grants. Since the totalisator was installed in England the board has allocated £569.877 in grants, of which £515.827 was for improvements to racing. £39 - 785 for breeding, and £14,265 for veterinary science and education.