GORE RACING CLUB

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 47, 25 February 1939, Page 11

GORE RACING CLUB

SUMMER MEETING OPENS WIN FOR WILD CAREER [ Per Press Association.] GORE, Feb. 24. There was a large crowd in fine but windy weather for the first day of the Gore Racing Club's jubilee meeting. The track was in excelelnt order. The totalisator handled £10,578, compared with £8385 at the summer meeting last year. A. Holmes was fined £1 for dangling a leg from a sulky iron when driving Gay Lady in the Jubilee Trot. Results:— Highweight Handicap.—2/1 Master Dingle (Boyle) 1, 3/4 Counterflight (Shand) 2, 5/5 Our Pal (Langford) 3. Nose; two lengths. Time, 1.52. Longford Hack Handicap.—4/4 On Call (Spratt) 1, 1/1 Spendthrift (Didham) 2, 2/2 Spanish Lad (Mackie) 3. Length; half a length. Time, 1.14 1-5. Electric Trot.—4/11 Flash Guy (Scott)l, 3/2 Sungauge (Townley) 2. 1/1 Viscosa (Cosgrove) 3. Length each way. Time, 3.34 3-5. Bell Memorial. —2/1 Wild Career (Jennings) 1, 5/6 Amelita (Ward) 2. 4/2 Queen Dorothy (Caddy) 3. Also: 1/4 Galleon, 3/3 Petersham. 7/7 McHeath, 7/6 Ashaway, 8/8 Ocean Singer. Novice Handicap.—l/1 Sunny Jean (Mackie) 1, 2/2 Gold Robe (Baker) 2, 3/4 Green Locket (Spratt) 3. Length each way. Time, 1.15. Croydon Handicap. 5/5 Viking (Spratt) 1. 2/2 Peony Rose (Barclay) 2, 1/1 Toro Koura (Caddy) 3. Also: 7/6 Rodeur, 4/4 Mona's Song, 3/3 Norseman. 6/7 Sailing Lady, 8/8 Moneyless. Neck; two lengths. Time, 1.13 2-5. Jubilee Trot—B/7 Central Lad 1, 3/3 Iron Duke 2, 10/11 Happy King 3. Neck; three lengths. Time, 3.30 3-5.

Summer Hack Handicap.—6/5 Atua Rere (Jennings) 1, 1/1 Disband (R. J. Mackie) 2, 8/8 Master Dingle (E. Mackie) 3. Neck; head. Time 1.43 2-5.

THE GOLDEN RING

DEATH OF MR. B. ALLEN COLOURFUL TURF CAREER MELBOURNE, Feb. 16. Few men in Australian racing had a more colourful career than Mr Barney Allen, the leading bookmaker in Melbourne for many years, who died this week at the age of 76 years after a long illness. In his betting heyday he was known as “The Golden King,” and, when cash betting became the vogue in Melbourne, his personal regalia on important race days included sovereigns used as buttons. Although best known as a fielder, Mr. Allen was at other times a dashing plunger, who wagered for thousands, and later he raced and bred horses with moderate success. He made huge books on important races, and his settlings on races, such as the Melbourne and Caulfield Cups often amounted to £50,000. Mr. Allen was also a bookmaker in Africa, India, England, France and America. He once a took a team of good-class horses to India and one ot them, Cretonne, whom he supported for many thousands, was beaten by a head in the Viceroy’s Cup. In Africa, soon after the Boer War, Mr. Allen won numerous races with a team of horses.

Some years ago Mr. Allen decided to become a studmaster and he purchased Dartmouth, a property near Muswellbrook, New South Wales. He invested heavily on the stud and stock and imported from England the stallions Caiman, Bridgenorth and Powhatan. They were almost complete failures, however, and the property was sold. It was estimated that the venture cost Mr. Allen about £BO,OOO. He was also a newspaper proprietor, theatrical entrepeneur, boxing promoter and mining investor. The best horses he owned were Belove. who ran second to Posinatus in the Melbourne Cup of 1913; the Idler, second to Sweet Nell in the Caulfield Cup of 1903; and Gambler's Gold, a winner of the Maribyrnong Plate.