1959-01-21 — Page 4

Even

THE CHINA MAIL,' WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1959.

Governors Rode In The Races Then

THE SPORT OF KINGS

MENTION has already been made of Happy Valley. In 1843, it was nothing but an unhealthy swamp where the river was dammed to make paddy fields. Never theless, its pleasing aspect attracted the European population, who, in spite of warnings from the Chinese, tried to turn the valley into a residential area.

But a former article has told us that the deadly Anopheles mosquito was ready to torment them, and the European population was practical. ly wiped out.

Although it was to be half a century before malaria and the mosquito were found to be health associated by medical research, the authorities, after much prodding by citizens of And once Victoria, decided to drain the valley. it was drained, its very formation must have suggested a race course-and so it became.

There are some lifter com- fentary rapetto rt who plain that Happy Valley has not get

נייי!!

cord of it meeting vary 1845, but up to the year. Brution, the European: wern for And for their rarit, and h ports dive ifongkong resident:

10 la ar inoying ove

that i merely interested in playing the horses,

by

sffairs.

JOHN LUFF

J

"I was tempted to stay and watch the sport (I wonder how much tempting he needed-but reads nicely when sent to the Editor.)

I can only assume that by As an aside, it is not necessary present with lis almost mechani- races of those days, I can tell reat "us" he means business for me to mention that the name rat insistence upon uniformity. you there wero nine races on

"The Chinese actually cense "Tommy" Hough always rode the third day of the 1803

buying and selling during their of Chater is perpetuated in the rond and buildings that bear his in bunting attire. Scarlet coat, meeting.

John and top hat. He must have They were the Ladies, Purse; New Year; and Colonel name,

Another sportsman Was a looked fine going round,

the Foochow Cup; the Valley Bull merkes from behind his I think if · this causes the Stakes: the Patta Cup; the counter to enjoy the races, and former Governor of this Colony, Sir Henry May. He was an Jockey Club to look up its. Slanghae Cup (Shanghae is not to rest from his toils,

spelling mistake; no doubt owner-rider, and I for the would records, they might do something

the memory of some classical scholar rendered certainly go down to Happy to perpetuate Valley to watch a Governor ride this old timer,

that Northern City in such The old race meelings were phonetical terms), in a winner.

cial evenly.

The Then there Apart from owning and riding great

was the Force horsts, Sir Henry was also an nospilailty

and Handicap (two divisions) the owner-trainer, and as it is sald people used to come from as far Consolation Stakes, elsewhere that one man in his way as Peking to attend them, Native Scrninble.

parts, he There seems to me to have many

been more fun then. Every race was keenly attended, and as if to answer a former ques tion of mine, I find an earlier the correspondent saying that winner was "thundered in."

The ponies left the enclosure ndorned with rosettes, and friends of owners also

time plays activities with the duties of Starter, Steward, rombined these Honorary Steward, and Patron of the Club,

*

was lavish,

Almost a one man rate-course, he was joy all the to slip in the way-with a carefree spirit we offices of Judge, Timekeeper, never, or rarely, and now.

if he managed

and Clerk of the Course.

As racing was not his only sports activity, I am led to the conclusion that now and again he took a litle time of to run the Colony.

He must have been an exceed-

A hundred years ago, there was a Ladies Purse, and custom had it that the lady who pr rented the purse to the winning ockey was given a satin bound

programme.

andi tho

"Accordingly I started on the morning of February 18, and a more mainlacent day it is not Fossible to conceive: not a cloud the sky above us, a gentle breeze moderating the ardour of e mid-day sun, made the at- mosphere delicious.

"At 11 .. we arrived at

Forester, owned by Captain King, won the Foochow Cup. Me Perecy, owner of Pons Asinorum

the value of classical (nottee education in those days) won the Patna Cup, and his North Pole the Happy Valley,....a lovely Earried of the Shanghae Cup.

tpot, indeed, situated about n Mr St Ledger, (a wonderful mile and a half from Victoria, racing nome) owned Reindeer and the last resting ples of the already mentioned as the winner men who reside there" (Happy of the Ladies Purse.

no

The

second

division

The entrance was

thought on a race day);

reason

I qmit the rest, for I can only

guess at, lonowing correspondent forgets races for two paragraph

longtkotig, the

and discusses graveyards.

continues; He

the

Notice the interesting condi- tons governing entries for the Entries were open to all Arabs, Foresd Handicap, first division

Colonials, not. stud bred, and

Entrance $10 each with $100 I know that at one ting, the

previous winners at the meeting. from the Fund.

RACING CROWDS ON THE LAWN At last two drained, and that a few doesny Club and a set of records

horse from opposing stables, or fact. Ilerses 0 be tradites still run round it at roing brick to 1849, but whether

The races of them kept well together, and time crowded with vehicles and Arvived the occupation,

handicapped by the Stewards began

afternoon the various The meetings.

and a lucky fellow came in, in gal- horsemen and pedestrians, anti in on many other valuablingly popular figure amongst the

February 25, 1803, seems to

afforded great pleasure, The lant style, and great applause sometimes the pate is rapid, and keenness and versatility must Certainty rein: cantat, data, were looted or lost, I don't sporting community, and his

others were somelites one of the party was Chinese are as much excited as but some of the have been quite a day at Happy after the fourth race. The revois for any say- very quickly, and in 1846, 1.

of the blows a horn, mony Another sporting figure was a Valley. A horse called Reindeer opened to all hacky started at the English, and bet with much nowhere and Then that is 7 had to rely on my have endeared him to all. And it in full swing.

ardour.

without "The Wong-nel-chong Stakes the Meeting.

quadrupeds come w tuding: for mentioning the

ceriala Mr Tommy Hough. I won the Ladies Purse, and

Miss Pollard presented

riders, seemingly enjoying the are of a foreign sound, but so to shon credit should be

Six "The rond presented rather a fun es inuch as anybody else." aisu is the Cesarewitch. heard of him in Shanghai trom certain

Fund. for firmi etablishing the very old timers, and to them the purse to the winning un- cact with $100 from the

"A good race finished the Arabs ctene forth to dispute the and although

Three horses from opposing contrast to the Derby, but if the Carving here,

he was merely a legend, so let numed jockey.

Ass Pollard was apparently

no numerous, sport, and Hongkong west to Canton Cup, but the most im- to be entered or arrlages were wander through Un to fu

us get him in here.

Entrance the chairs were: the Chinese fulr dinner, and was merry."

portant of the six roces of the one of these wormen who realised Stables, had given that Hm, it better

no race, there was that opportunity was knocking in to be declared to the Clerk on came out full force,

Arst day.

If the pace is not way, then trying to establish

Never, In scaling

very feet, the contest is severe chrpolytical sequeite».

at her door.

of the Course by 2 pan. The dressed with great teatness and taste. The crowd differed from

and run honet(!) the social ladder, would such a second horse to save his stake;

n race in England in a great

You might be interested in

"Enthusiasts from Shanghhe opportunity present itself again, and the race was once round

many respects, but first and so in maklug the presentation,

what the Times correspondent tometimes come down to dis- fort most in the total absence of end of the same race: "When pute the honours with the Vic- she also made a speech of such the course and in.

intoxications and in its quiet length, that the races were held

we first see the rice-course in joria slabics The Capulets and conduct.

the Happy Valley we are half Montagus of China meet in up.

emulation, and Sir The We take

grandstand, tempted to declare it the most friendly filled with swells and crinolines; picturesque spot in the world, Michael, and Snowdon are im- but the Chinese ones afforded the scenery, however, tnust not portant champions.

distract our attention

know if he means Snowdrop, the most scope....

"The races lasted three days: Snowdrop is making the run- previously mentioned),

"Three days of crisp sunshine. but the last day deserves men- ning.

nad the the only three days of glorious tion, as the Chinese had the race he grandstand

2841 and 1845 for their e martings

The fed hon were import from Manila, brotts of these

"Toty." maİL

for

himet

te

and

Pasters haute

iras divides,

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hem.

20

with

One

*

He is described by some "un- cunscious humerist as having a hard scat. Modern very journalists get over that one by describing the jockey as firm

in the saddle..

He seems to have been a sort Steve Donoghus. me that stands out is of Hongkong

His for records show him as a trim that of Sir Paul Chater,

is perpetuated in the and resolute finisher. As fa af ca trupe tomad",

Meeting when it that even those dignified race- our forbears, race fur the Hongkong Roers who were the annual meetings were he present Autunn

lost all control, and shouted him Mitrair-the 15 February,

home with a "Cone on Tommy." meeting wat usually the order, cumplonship is run.

His At least, I like to think so. I am indebted to Mr A. E. Arnold, Secretary of the Jockey long list of successes are too Club: for that information.

manerous to mention, but he A very successful stable, d

of Ar John Peel. that

What a wonderful name for a horse owner!) He also rode for Jardines, who seem to have been prominent in racing circles at one time.

The Crat China ponies werg imported in 1856, and a sameind ace was inaugurated Top ther w competitors. It was called, The Celestial Stages, and the distance ya half a mile.

*

At first, the race was for "The Chater top and was nu over 1' mites. Sir Paul was a The much attached to "pl:man, racing, and usually had a fins

string ut animals.

His pontes were invariably up cares for in front, and at some time or Tire were nice mixed ponie, ant red the other he won every classic race indian Weders and Ab lonel

Thes; ha beaste

rung

Tengkor

His colours were famous in the memory of cent quite a lot of money, and every old-time race-er-Siraw indder had to be imported, yellow, and white cup.

His career finished dramatical- ly in 1994. "Tommy" Hough Apart from being il very was riding on appropriately Hc Bucer stut cwner, he was a named horse, "Vagrant." Steward,

2 extremely was thrown, and broke a leg. English devoted worker in the interests After this, they made him

certainly wa the Sport of Kings in a puniary row.

1004. In

thoroughbreds-w.te raced.

and

of the Hongkong Jrekey Club Clerk of the Course, and as far The conclus'en the frem He is said to have attended at us I can discover, he left the Derby Colony only just before the first this is, that racing must have least ity consecutive been more interesting then thay Hates run at Happy Valley. For World War. now, that is from a brse lover's once 1 will be dogmatic; that point of view of opposed to ous record will never be broken.

Just Arrived

I often say these old days were much more colourful than the

GILES

ANNUAL

See what they say about Giles.

"His superb draughtsmanship coupled with a flair for social satire make him a present-day Hogarth:" --Vicky.

"He always manages to hit the nail on the head - but in such a funny way. He is my favourite cartoonist by far?".

-Pat Smythe. "In every one of his cartoons he says 'This Is Your

Life', and goes right to the core of it."!

--Eammon Andrews.

"I can't say he just makes me laugh. And any- one that makes me laugh can have my money." —Stanley Holloway,

$4.50

Obtainable from SOUTH HONGKONG

CHINA MORNING POST, LTD. KOWLOON

found

polite punters their sense of chivalry strained to unbeuruble limits, and the sp- plause that greeted Miss Pollard's Concluding sentence was fronteal in the extreme.

The unknown China Mait re- porter who covered this event, has left on record that as Miss Pollard was the daughter of one of Hongkong's leading barrisínre, undoubtedly she inherited her father's eloquenee.

like a little about the

For those who

Information more

*

*

To get a good description of the races, funnily enough, you have to turn to the ancient pages of the illustrated London News. They had a correspondent out here in 1658, and writing from Hongkong on February 28, 1858, he describes the meeting of that

year.

He says in parrt: "Tare days out of every year the creat 'jos1' to whom British and Chinese alike bend the knee, is neglected."

"There พกร

while

(I do not

to themselves on Chinese ponies, booths, and the stables, and all weather I have seen in Hong- "Thirteen started, but four or the properties of the turf, by kong, crown the spectacle. Jove ve fell of the first go; the 1:0

means forgetting the looks down merriment of the spectators luncheons and the champagne, battles all description; however, cre all of Arst rate order. the dismounted cavaliers showed "The une mile and a half from great pluck and got up grinning, the city of Victoria to the by if nothing had happened; four "Happy Valley" is at the proper

JUST A LITTLE MAN IN A BAGGY BROWN SUIT, BUT...

propitiously upon the holiday of the exile, and Emiles to sce him at his best with come semblance of home." Buch then was Happy Valley, a hundred years ago.

Thousands Fought To See His Body

THE

HE whole of Moscow was agog on that bitterly cold January day just 35 years ago. By word of mouth the news flashed through the startled city like wildfire.

It was January 21, 1924. Lenin- mighty, in- vincible, Lenin was dead. The unkempt little man with the baggy brown suit who had over- thrown a Tear and dominated a nation had breathed his last.

The Russian people found it Lenin led the Bolshies and impossible to believe that the bullied them ceaselessly and Man of Iron as his name remorselessly. "Give THE AN means could have suffered organisation of true revolution- the fate of an ordinary mortal, prics" he would say, "and I

Such had been the impact of will turn Russia upside-down.” his tremendous personality that he had achieved the stature of

a god in their minds. They had

to see for themselves.

RULED BY FEAR

He anlated among the pes- sants, organised terrorial raids

First in their hundreds, then and warred Incessantly against

in their thousands they locked everything that signified "law to see the dead body of their and order." one-time master.

Emlic and * shrug of his Then the plans were drama- tically cancelled-just two days It was not an easy life. He shoulders. They queued, they pushed, mede enemies within and with- The famine raged on, wiping before the funeral ceremony. they heaved, sometimen fighting out his Bolshevik group of out whole sections of the Lenin was to be buried after bitterly among themselves, t anarchists. Even then he ruled population. Still the Man of all and not put on public dis- their eagerness to calch a ör'ef by fear.

Iron refused to lift a finger, play. glimpse of the man who had When the party fell on hard "You don't stroke the heads of

Moscow

sclzed WRE

with ruled them.

times he organised armed raids the people you feed," he said,

panie. Thousands rushed to see CRUEL AND RUTHLESS on banks and post offices to "You shash them,"

their dead hero. From out of That was his altitude. Amaz- the city, walking sometimes for Was the astounding swell the funds. In that dubl- power of the man called Lenin. ous way the Bolsheviks grew ing, then, that less than three hundreds of miles, they came Cruch, ruthless, revolutionary and spread.

years later the people he was he was all of those. But his At the outbreak of World determined 10 smash ahouid 100,

The sedato queue of people people worshipped him!.

War I they were a dangerous show such an ardent love for became an ugly, fighting masy In his short life of only 54 power. By 1017 they wero lim vears, Lenin -- born Vladimir ready for their greatest coup- Yet it was genuine enough, which the Red guards around

That

mitter,

hammer

.and

brute

force

order was

BUTTON

Only one of the pall-bearers, grim-faced and unyielding. willed himself on and on. Ho refused to accept a replace- ment and stuck steadfastly through his duty to the bliter

lila name was Josef Stalin.

SUFFERED AGONY

end.

Four

'He was ultimately-after a .battle of wits with Trolsky, the ther contender to become Lenin's equally ruthless-duc- -- Dostor. until his the mausoleum did lillo to

Ho January 21

Was a man Ilyich Ullanov in 1070 had the

of whom overthrow, and ultimate From done littla

Lenin had said: "He is no good to deserve

this murder of the Royal family. It funeral seven days later is provent.

for the Communist Party." mighty adulation.

was a dramatic, though gory, body lay-in-state-in the Krem-

ICY WEATHER Right from his earliest years success.

lins in a red wooden coffin on

Yet on that January day he People fought, screamed and his declared poties was to bend Lenin had arrived. In Novem- a bler of brilliant red velvet. people to his will through sheer ter, 1917, he took up residence Lenin was still dressed in his trumpios one another underfoot. must have suffered agony In the sub-zero temperature to Pinned For a time there was chaos. But how his devotion. terror.

in the Kremlin the ancient inevitable brown sult. It was an aim that seemed citadel of autocracy.

to his chest were the decoration by

Lenin was entombed, accord- to run In the family. In 1887,

REFUSED TO HELP of the Red Banner and the restored.

The funeral morning dawnet Ing to schedule, but the au- his elder brother was executed for trying to kill Tear Alexon- From that time no one dared membership badge of the Bol-

their attitude.

years to dely him. Those who did shevik Central Executive Com- fine and citar but bitterly cold thorities must have relented of

-tho temperature

13 Will der III.

later, in 1928, thin tomb was Significantly, it was after disappeared. A short, sturdy Around the gaunt mausoleum degrees below zero.

thrown open for the world to word As the day that date that Lenin's real man with keen, bright, deep-

on the

sce, struggie for political power tel eyes, he did not look the hung red and black drapes. A

dropped

สมน creat

Bickle themometer

Few people braved Even today, with began. His fanatical beliefs and part of a dictator.

Hip baggy brown suits never emblem was suspended from further.

this icy weather to watch the stature Increased, by time and revolutionary ideas quickly ran

Atted him, his lio was always the roof above the cofen, him into trouble.

His body was to be embalmed sedate procession through the propaganda,, there are hundreds the crooked, his general appearance

tha last of thousands of pilgrims every He was expelled from

and not buried-to serve as a Rusalan capital

year. University of Kazan for un nondescript,

to oli Com- respects were paid to Lertin. It was that simple or permanent shrine

which The procession

had But tho sound political views. In 1608

pall-bearers had he was sent to Siberia for lead- dinariness that endeared him to munists.

started zorlovets soon become a cause to regret their weakness small-scalo revolution, the people ho so ruthlessly ing a

fiasco in those appalling weather at the funeral. Four of tho nam- Exiled and discredited, he still suppressed. Under the

Two Ruslan zeleniiats were conditions. The five men who five, Kamenev, Tomsky, Zino- boyant Tear they had suffered. fought an.

and Bukharin — were detailed to experiment with had been selected as pall- viev It was a turbulent beginning. They suffered still under Lenin

the methods of the ancient bearers quickly found their job, executed a short while later. ton atcrmy creer. He was but the blow was softened,

Beyptians. They used four too mucli for them,

The survivor, of course, dedicated revolutionary, a pro- They felt he was one of them."

Yet when famine came to corpora and spent £1,600 be. Their numbed Gingers could was Josef Stalin. fessional conspirator,

fore they were mallsfied they Ho oyen conspired against his Russia in 1921 Len'n refused

hand to help the could do the work. own party, and split it from to lift a

By night they prepared the within The romit was that peasants" who were dying of

body for posterlty.” By day the two factions, the Bolshevike, starvation in their thousands.

well-ordered "I'm trifle if' 20 millions of crowdu palend in (Majority) and⋅ Manshevike (Minority) cang into existence, so die" he said with a grin stream past the coma.

PLANS CANCELLED

AB

not hold the coffin for more than a few minutes at a time.

They called for replacements. After a fow minutes; even the replacements had to be replaced. And so it went on.

Graham Wilson

Lenin's