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ENGLISH TURFMEN GRUMBLE AT STARTING. Over in England they are still debating the "starting problem" at a furious rate. We had enough of it here following the introduction of the Australian starting device, but in the main followers of the turf in this country have lost sight of the matter. In the home of the thoroughbred it is different, as witness the following from a recent edition of London Sporting Life: "In the last issue of the Racing Calendar I noticed the simple announcement that A meeting of the Jockey Club will be held at Newmarket in the Houghton Week. I wonder whether any member of the club will have the courage to initiate a discussion on the question of the starting gate, with :i view to bringing about some alteration of the present unsatisfactory system. That owners are dis satisfied anyone who goes racing continually ia aware, but somehow or other owners seem chary of making any move in the matter, and until the subject Is brought before the stewards of the Jockey Club there seems little chance af any amelioration of a system which has ruined more horses for racing purposes in the last few years than bard ground, while the number that get kicked, left at the post, or whip round Increases daily. Surely a trial could be given to some other method of starting. Again and again I have suggested a trial of a walk-up start, and owners have also expressed a wish for such a trial. Frequently ws see a walk-up start, but then it is only allowed to one or perhaps two in a field of horses, and as a rule it Is the unruly horses who get the benefit of this as, for instance, in the case of St. Luke at the last meeting at Newmarket. Occasionally we even see a horse canter up, as in the case of Troutbeck in the start for the St. Lcger at Doncaster.
