The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-27
RACING IN AUSTRALIA.
The Sport Of the People, as in Amer
lea, Not Of the No
bility.
Two Race Courses That Are Said
to be the Finest in the
World.
All Horses Get q Standing Start-They Toe
the Line Like Cavalry-Com-
parison Of Riders

II have been twenty years connected with
the turf, and have seen all the great race
courses Of the world. In Australia raciug
is sport for the people. as it is in America.
In England the sport is for the nobility.
The charges in England for attending race
meetings are simply prohibitive, writes
Bookmaker Joseph in the San Francisco
Chronicle. I will tell you, for example,
what it cost me to attend the meeting at
Newmarket, not figuring in my railroad
fare Of IS. A cab to the course costs $3.50.
and g.. SO more for admission. To enter
tho paddock to see the horses saddled was
taxed $3.50. To enter the Tattersalls ring
to bet was s more, and to see the race-or
rather, not to see it. for in England races
are out of sight. That was $22.5O to enjoy
the privileges that can be had in America
for 81.
I'm the colony of Victoria, where reside.
and of which Melbourne is the capital, all
racing il under control Of the Victoria Rae
ing club. Every racing club in the colony
has to submit to the Victoria club the days
that it proposes to hold race meetings, and
tho Victoria club appoints the different days
to the different clubs to prevent olashing
Of fixtures. If any club attempts to race
on days not appointed to it by the ruling
organization the offending club is at once
struck of tho official calendar. and any
horse, owner Or jockey taking part in the
unregistered meeting 10 debarred from the
meetings held by the Victoria club.
"The Victoria club is enabled to exercise
this great power, inasmuch as 1t controls
the Pennington course at Melbourne, where
tina oroat Cur rQcAa are RIM. and h0Ri0pa IL
works in harmony with the Randwick
Jockey club of New South Wales, and the
offender disqualified in one colony is dis
qualified in both.
II have no hesitation in saying that the
Pennington and Randwick race courses are
the finest in the world. The Pennington
course, Of which have been speaking more
particularly. has elegantly appointed grand
stands, beautiful lawns, level asphalt foot
paths, shrubs and trees and fountains, to-
Rether with magnificent promenades and
comfortable refreshrnent and dining rooms.
when the horses are saddled they 60
out of the paddock through q passage to the
course and have all to do preliminary
canter past the grand stand before going to
the post. Every horse carries light, num-
bered saddle-cloth corresponding to the
number on the race card, so that every one
can identify it at glance. The clerk of
the course follows the racers to the post to
see that every horse 10 there on time and to
point out the place Of starting.
'.All our horses get standing start. They
are made to toe the line like cavalry. At
the post from which they start man
stands, and the instant the flag falls he
presses an electric button, which sounds
huge gong in the paddock to announce the
start and sets in motion a great clock that
records the time of the race.
when the horses finish the clerk Of the
scales is told the winner by the judge and
he Immediately gallops after the horse and
takes charge of the animal to see that no
one interferes or touches it. The winner is
brought back past the judge and is escorted
to the weighing yard and is the first weighed
in, then the second is weighed in, then the
third. After the third is weighed in a red
flag is hoisted if there be protest. All the
numbers are hoisted simultaneously There
is only one man in the judges stand and
he, like the starter, receives nominal paw.
The present judge in Victoria is Mr.. Wax
ley. of Sandhurst, one of tho most upright
men in the world. His decisions are never
caviled at.
Melbourne Cup day is our great national
holiday. proclaimed by parliament. From
10000 to 10000 people patronize the Flem-
ington course on that day. The sight on
the ladies, is perhaps the greatest of the
kind in the world, and, to my mind, ex-
ceeds Ascot, EPSON or GoOdwood. You can
form some idea of the amount of money
put In circulation by the Melbourne cup
competition when tell You that for weeks
prior to the event every large drapery es-
Enlistment in Melbourne is kept busy
night and day, and the shops have to apply
for special permits to keep open after seven
o'clock to supply the demands. Despite the
extensive hotel accommodations in Mel
bourne the greatest difficulty is experienced
by visitors in obtaining lodgings, and many
an up-country patron of the turf has to
trudge the streets on the night preceding
the cup race. For this great racing event
the Victoria club gives $4,000 added
money.
when it comes to riding fat races
must confess that car riders are. in my
opinion. not equal to such Englishmen
as Cannon, Loates, Barrett, Chaloner,
Watts and Webb, all of whom are marvel
Gus horsemen.
"Our cross-country riders are, I think,
the best in tho world. notably such men as
Corrigan, Soobe, Burke and Ferguson, but
! did not see many Jumping races in Eng
land. saw the Nightingale brothers, and
they are great horsemen. In Paris saw
wretched hurdle riding, some Of the jockeys
Whipping their horses ON the neck and
others not able to maintain their seats."
A Reprieve For the Condemned,
Wretched men and women long con.
demned to suffer the fortunes of dyspepsia,
are filled with new hope after q few doses
nf H0REettArsa Stomach Ris &nv~ h,.l