THE "GIFT" IS NOT EASY MONEY

New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 43, 19 April 1940, Page 38

THE "GIFT" IS NOT EASY MONEY

No Sewers In Stawell, But Rich Foot Race IVE hours by train from Melbourne F there is a small Australian farming and farm industrial centre. It is called Stawell. It has a population of 5000, 1,300 homes, a good water supply, health services. It has no sewerage system, although the town hall has a clock tower with electric clocks linked through the building. But it has one of the most famous professional flat races in the world: the "Stawell Gift." The "Gift" offers prize money totalling nearly £1,000. For the winner there is £500. For his backers, a share of a huge betting pool which this year o’ered to the backers of Alex. Reid about £2,000. Remarkable Entries Alex. Reid won the final on March 25 this year after fighting his way through the gruelling heats. The money attracts remarkable entries. Because of the war, this year there were only 115. Last year there were 153. Of the 115, 98 accepted, Over a week-end this event takes precedence over all others at the Stawell meeting. Heat follows heat into quarter and semi-finals, until at last the betting ring has sorted out all the favourites, comparing yards against split seconds ready for the final. Before the race Reid was unknown. He carried no money. As he performed in the heats the bettors became more interested in him, but he was still well off being favourite. Boundary Rider’s Son Son of a boundary rider, he comes from near Fort Augusta, 500 miles north of Adelaide. Alex. found his feet first chasing rabbits. No doubt the rabbits won, but Alex. had to travel, and three years ago, when he decided he’d like to

run in real races, a well known sportsman associated with a big estate nearby deeided to take him in hand, and he was eventually handed over to Billy Hill, a trainer of athletes, who worked in the district at an electric power station. Reid developed well, and a year ago was put into training with the "Gift" in mind. Hill gave him a severe course, ironing out his country bumpkin-ness, getting him faster out of the blocks, speeding him up into evens. And he had to be fast, for this race attracts such keen competition it has never been won twice by the same man since it started in 1878. It is won, usually, by an "evens" runner who manages to get a good handicap, and half the race is to convince the handicappers that the entrant is worth a yard or two over scratch, Where money is concerned a certain amount of manceuvring becomes inevit-. able. Most notable example was the case of Jack Lindsay, New Zealander, who was | entered as "A. Peterson," while he was still Dominion champion and champion of the British Army. As Peterson, Lindsay was given five yards, but inquiries were opened and his associates decided to "stop him," so that he only came second, The deceit was later discovered, Lindsay was disqualified, and his associates warned off indefinitely. Keeping It Dark As the race approached Reid was trained in a private camp. He had run in very few public races, and his speed trials were screened from the observations of handicappers’ scouts. In the "Gift" he had 8144 yards. He made good use of it. By inches he defeated Smith, of West Australia (off

9 yards) and Ray Spargo (Melbourne, 8 yards) was only a shade behind. Smith was favourite. Hawkins (1114 yards), who also carried a lot of money, led from Northeast (104 yards) at 50 yards, but the three placed men came up from there and fought out the finish. The time for the distance, 130 yards, was 12 3-16 seconds,