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HORSE RACING IN DENMARK Only Sunday Entertainment Offered Followers of the Sport. Thirty Fer Cent of Totalizator Turnover Taken by Government Entertainment Tax on Entry Stake Money Small. Challenger writes in Horse and Hound of racing as it is conducted in Denmark. One does not hear much about racing in that country, and some of their customs are not only interesting, but amusing when compared with conditions here at home. He says the principal venue is at Klampen-borg, a few miles outside Copenhagen in fact, almost a suburb of it. The course there is a pretty one, situated in a slight valley, and about one and a half miles round, the grandstand accommodation being good. Most of the training is done on a sand track inside the course, with the use of parts of the course one or two days a week. The inside of the track has no rails, but Is flagged off and the part of the course to be used or rested can thus be staked out. One might think that a horse would swerve the wrong side of the flags or be forced over, but this does not seem to happen. Racing takes place every Sunday, and a very good-sized crowd turns up. The entry charges are very much less than In this country, entrance to the paddock and chief stands being about .50. The stake money Is, of course, small, many of the races being worth 00 or 50, but I hardly know how the executives manage even this, considering the cheapness of the entrance and the number of people on the chief stands who, I am told, get free entry. . NO BOOKMAKERS. There are no bookmakers, everyone being forced to bet on the totalizator, and as the government takes thirty per cent of the turnover, one can Imagine this making things pretty difficult for everyone connected with racing in Denmark. With this enormous amount taken off, the dividends arc very small, and with no bookmakers there is a lack of life and excitement about the proceedings. The heavy tax takes the money and pleasure from those of small means, who patronize the cheaper rings, and they arc in the majority, for not only is the thirty per cent of their stake money taken from them on the totalizator, but there is about a twenty-five per cent entertainment tax on entry as well. With these conditions existing, the "tote" turnover is very small. There are various nationalities among the trainers, jockeys and stablemen, the latter bringing various lanuguages to their aid in conversing with one another. Donald Butchers of Lewes is the successful jockey In Denmark this year, winning many races on the flat and over hurdles. I saw Cliff Parker just as he was going to mount and had other meetings with him; he has been out in Denmark six years now and had a very successful time, last year winning a good many races both in Denmark and Sweden. He has a very nice flat overlooking the Baltic Sea and is married to a charming Danish girl. Sherry is also riding there this year, and Gordon, who was for some time in France, is both training and riding. Quite a few of the jockeys are German. Most of the horses carry an appearance of well being and are turned out looking fit and well. In the two-year-old races, jockeys are only allowed to use very short whips, about a foot long, with a leather thong. There are several English trainers, some of whom emigrated from Germany. The big handicap on one Sunday I was there was won by Gulnare, by Baton Rouge, from Little Vic, perhaps one of the best mares bred in Denmark. She is a good-looking and well-balanced mare of medium height. LARGEST OWNER. I had the pleasure of seeing over Mr. Coals stud, where he happened to have several of his race horses as well. He Is one of the biggest owners in Denmark, and last year his San Francisco won both the Danish and Swedish Derbys. I saw this horse at the stud, where he wa3 resting, and he is a good-looking and strongly made brown by Lystrup Danish-bred, from Franconia, by Grosvenor. He won all the five races he started for last year. Mr. Coal has some very nice yearlings and foals by Poltava. One of the latter Is from Babbling Brook, by Cicero, and another from Love Bird, by Knockando. I think the yearling I liked best was from Rosa Bonheur II., by Bay-ardo, a very nice looking gray filly. Besides flat racing, there is trotting, which Is very popular sport, as it is in many other Continental countries, and draws almost bigger crowds. The Sunday I was there happened to bo the big trot, as it was their Derby. They have a very fine track, with big stands and everything up to date, and both the trainers and drivers have to be thoroughly qualified men, as they have stiff examinations to pass. The driving appeared to be very good, the drivers only just touching their horses now and then with their whips.
