view raw text
NOVELTIES IN AUSTRALIAN RACING. Andrew Robertson, a prominent horseman from Australia, arrived here yesterday on route for New York, where he will lake a steamer on July 15 for England to export a number of thoroughbred horses. For the past fourteen years Robertson has been making from one to two trips annually to this country and England for the purpose of securing horses for Australia. Only last January he passed through San Francisco. Robertson declares that racing in his native land was never more prosperous and arousing greater interest than at the present time. During the banner Easter meeting at Sydney there was an average attendance of 40,000 for each of the four days. The war has not seemingly affected the sport in "the least. The race tracks are doing their share toward assisting Great Britain. A tax of oik; cent is placed on every ticket issued on a wager, and in this way thousands of dollars are realized. The visitor is interested in the Allendale Stock Farm, near Melbourne, and has spent years in breeding, both with the trotters as well as the runners. He has also followed the sport closely in America and England, and gives some interesting information on the innovations that have added to the popularity and improvement of racing in Australia. Starting and timing races, two things that have caused no end of controversy and trouble in this country, have been worked out successfully in the antipodes, says Robertson, until the public has no complaint to register. Australia tracks have the starting gate, the same as in this country, but the barrier is stretched right across the starting ,point instead of twelve to fifteen yards back, as is our practice. Horses are schooled to standing starts. No assistants with bull whips to frighten and abuse the horses are permitted. The biggest improvement, however, is the timing. A large clock, with a dial three feet across and six feet high, is on the judges stand, in full view of the spectators. On the same motion that the starter releases the barrier, the clock is automatically started. When the horses finish there is a man stationed to stop the clock. In this manner there is no chance of missing the time. The horses start from the barrier and the spectators can see the hands moving. In this country the race-goers rely on the times with a stop watch, catching the horses in their flying start as they dash from the barrier past the starting point, and there is a possible chance of the eye making a mistake. Furthermore, there have lHen "charges of juggling with times, and form followers have been placed at sea. The system is used for the runners and trotters. San Francisco Chronicle of July 7.
