Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-26
QUEER HAPPY VALLEY DERBY
Making Of the Most Curious Race
Meet in the World.
AMATEUR SPORT AT HONGKoNG
PIenty OF Fun for Very Little Outlay
GLASSES OF Animals Raced and
Strange Methods OF Handi-
Gaping.

Gaping.
Almost every country in the world where
the sport Of horse racing has taken root
has a race named after the big English
classic. America, France. Austria, Russia,
Australia, New Zealand and India have
their Derbies, but the most curious of all
is that held yearly at Hongkong, on what
is known as the Happy Valley course.
This Happy Valley IL situated about a
mile or so from Victoria, the port OF
Hongkong, and the patch occupied by the
course is the only level bit Of sward In the
whole island.
The course proper is a mile circuit Of
grass and as smooth as a billiard table.
On the inside Of this is a specially pre-
pared track OF sand and cinders used only
for training purposes. The infield is used
as a sort OF general playground for the
sporty people of Hongkong, for there are
tennis courts, foot ball and field hockey
grounds. and so on. Until within a decade
or so ago this patch, which measures con-
s%iderably less than two miles In circuin-
ference, was a stretch Of marsh absolutely
useless. A few Of the English residents
of Hongkong who have loved the sport
OF racing conceived the idea of turning
lne OIL OF desert INTO q race Coutset aUu
the evidence today tina the plan was sue
cessful is the course and surroundings, un-
doubtedly the ~prettiest thing Of its kin In
the world.
Ponies for Races.
After the course had been constructed
the next difficulty that presented itself to
the English colonists was to procure the
horseflesh. II was decided that the start
should be on a small and inexpensive scale,
so with this end In view a number OF
Waller ponies we're imported. II was thought
tina 1.-THE Waller would be even cheaper
than the China pony, but in this the pro-
meters were mistaken. 1t was in 1902 that
the Walers were brought to Hongkong, and
the year following the Waller champion
stakes was instituted.
The sparse field Of four ponies went to
the post for the event and as three of
them belonged to the same owner the
outcome aroused no great amount of ex-
element and the death knell of Waller
racing was sounded then and there. The
initial cost Of the animal was too much
and people did not show any inclination
to support the innovation. In 1904 there
were a few races for Welers, after which
the TURTLES turned their attention TO the
Chinese pony, as he was found to be much
cheaper than the Waller.
Though there are no ponies bred in
Hongkong, it was found to be easy enough
to get a supply from Korea and Mongolia,
where they breed in a wild state and re-
main until they are about z years or
age. Then they are rounded up and
brought in droves to Shanghai and Tien-
tsin and disposed Of by the dealers. The
general run of Chinese ponies rate about
thirteen hands and very rarely has there
been found one to measure fourteen hands.
They are the handiest class of horses alive,
as they can be raced, driven to any sort
of trap, and some of them make first rate
ponies. Like all other classes of horses
they have their faults and ~failings, but
above all they are game and will hold
out while they are able to stay on their
pins.
Racers not Numerous.
To take the ponies devoted to racing,
they are divided into three classes accord
ing TO the ruling Of the Hongkong Jockey
club. First there are what are termed
"griffins," and this is the class eligible
for the Hongkong derby. They are
ponies which have not appeared in pub
lie and for which any price might have
been paid. Some times very fancy figures
are paid for Derby ~griffi1s. If a man
wants to try for the derby he sends an
agent up north to buy a lot of youngsters
with the speculation that there may be
one crack in the bunch. More frequently
does the prospective owner draw a blank,
and 1t is on record that a man spent as
much as $4,000 on a consignment which
did not yield him a single racer.
The second class are called 'subscrip-
ton griffins' and they too are novices, but
have had to show speed equal to one min
ute forty seconds for three-quarters of a
mile in a private trial. The method by
which owners get hold OF a subscription
griffin is unique. In the fall of the year,
say about the end of August, an officia!
Of the Hongkong Jockey club announces
through the public press that he Is ready
to dispose of a lot of subscription griffins
and asks for subscribers. Then should a
man take one of the horses he must guar
antee the sum of $125 for the pony. AS
soon as the list is full, or perhaps when
between fifty and sixty names have been
handed in, the date OF the drawing OF
lots is made public.
In the meantime a batch Of tried grtffins
has been forwarded from the north and
when the owners arrive the drawing takes
place at the Shanghai Horse bazaar The
plan of drawing is simple The names OF
all the subscribers are put in a box, while
in another box are the numbers OF the
ponies. When the mans name is drawn II
lis called out loud and at the same time
a pony is drawn for him. there being no
alternative but to take the pony belonging
to the number. Quite frequently good
ponies are found in this way, but the bad
ones drawn more than counterba,ance the
cases of good luck. No doubt the system
suffers from a disadvantage of the ponies
having TO pass through Shanghai, where
the sharps and cappeFs collar the most
likely looking Of the lots bound for Hong
kong. Yet in spite Of the eagle eyes of the
northern dealers some really good ponies
reach Hongkong. but they are the ones
which are slow to mature and give little
or no promise when passing through Shang-
hal.
The third class are those that have done
Some racing elsewhere than in Hongkong,
maybe at Picking. Tientsin or Shanghai.