New Zealand's Racing Historian Pat Finnegan (pictured) continues his recollection of the facts and entertaining racing stories of bygone years. Check out the third review in a monthly series.

"Who needs schooling?"

In July 1948 at Avondale G. Walker, the trainer of Peria Chief, suffered a fall from Prince Dolomite in the first race and was taken to hospital.

The job of taking the legitimate hurdler Gold Man from his quarters to the course for the third race was delegated to a young stablehand, who did not know the horse.

Going into the stable where Gold Man was based, the lad instead took another chestnut, Peria Chief.

The horse's owner, Mr R. Vincent, did not notice the wrong horse in the race, but Gold Man, who had never even been schooled let alone started in a hurdle race, cleared all the fences and finished unplaced.

When told of the mixup and the fact Gold Man had never been over fences before, rider  Pat Ryan said: "I never would have known."

Avondale was known as the  "dry" racecourse for a period of history because it was part of Auckland in a "no licence" for liquor area.

The bars returned to Avondale on April 29, 1962 with a crowd of 27,000 people turning up - me included.

What? A Race With No Winner!

In 1889 there was no winner of the Tally Ho Steeplechase at Riccarton.

There were only two starters and neither completed the course and there were no rules in those days to declare the race "null and void."

The Stewards gave both owners 25 sovereigns of the 125 sovereign stakemoney and ordered the bookmakers (the totes didn't start until 1890) to refund all bets.

There have been many instances of all the starters falling in jumping races since that day, but at least one runner has been remounted and finished the race.

English Bookies Going For 217 years!

The first bookmakers appeared on British racecourses in 1790.

First Photo-Finish Deadheat.

In 1946  the first deadheat was registered by the photo-finish.

It occurred at Ellerslie between Regal Praise and Saffron Walden.

Referendum Provides Interesting Results.

A referendum by the principal sporting paper of the time, the NZ Referee, makes interesting reading in its 1932 edition.

Remember in that period there wasn't a doubles' tote, no quinella or trifecta betting, no licenced bookmakeers since 1911, and no facility for off-course betting because the telegraphing of bets to the racecourse had been illegal since 1907.

The referendum showed:

          Licensing of bookmakers        For 6846, against 2318.

          Doubles Tote                           For 7312, against 1112.

          Telegraphing Bets                    For 6427, against 2007.

It would be interesting to see what the racing public now think of licensing bookers if the clubs put a questionnaire in their racebooks, although there is now the opportunity to have a choice with Paul Lally's men laying the odds on many of our races.

Bet While They Race.                   

The Queen's Plate, the opening event at the 1937 Auckland Cup meeting at Ellerslie, was won by The Crooner.

The unusual thing about the race was that the tote was still open when the horses passed the winning post!

Apparently there was a breakdown in communication between the starters and the tote, something which can happen today.

The Crooner was favourite and was third in the NZ Derby at his previous start.

He was well-named, being by Nigger Minstrel.