SPECTATOR'S NOTE BOOK

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9290, 16 December 1895, Page 2

SPECTATOR'S NOTE BOOK

Some of our best handicap races, though undoubtedly popular, in that a great many people either bet largely upon them, talk of them, or travel a long way to see them run, iavo unsavoury memories all the same, but in recent years, since post betting, through ihe aid of the totalisator, has reduced book transactions almost to insignificance—that is .n the way of straight-out odds—there has been a much clearer atmosphere. The name of " Auckland Cup" and "Dunedin Cup" >yen now causes some of those wild plungers of former days to have recollections of traps into which "thoy occasionolly fell through backing horses over which they had no control—but over whose "management" other people had—too freely, on tho supposition that a nomination or acceptance meant a sure start, and a genuine run for their money. It has long been held—and Admiral Rous' contention is the one that I have always supported—that a horse is not public property until it goes on to a racecourse. Unless the owner thereof has led people to suppose that it would be a sure starter or in some way connived at deceiving thern,backers have no right to blame him. At one time in New /.ealand there would have been a great outcry about the eleventh rtour scratching of a horse for such an important race as the Auckland Cup, but low-a-days backers take these matters complacently, and bear their losses with resignation. There is, as a matter of fact, now so little speculation before hand in other events than the New Zealand Cup, that few people take* much harm even should a favourite unexpectedly drop out, though there will always b? a class lvady to rush in and take a'.vsv.rd odds about their fancies—as was 'ion? in the case of Euroclydon soon after t'n. weights appeared for the Auckland Cup. Must b:ick_r.*« do thair betvicg with their eyes open to possibilities. There is no insinuation that Euroclydon was left in the Cm for bettinv: considerations. Goodman, his trainer and part owner, invariably takes his horses out of their engagements when anything goes amiss with them, or when he does not fancy their chances, and it is probab'.*? that ha has come to the conclusion that the Auckland contract set his colt might prove beyond his capabilities. I myself

think that he was none to:> favourably treited by comp_risoa with other horse's, and I certainly do not agree with those who leaned towards the idea that he was in a few pound-** too light, but who somewhat inconsistent!v do no. give him a ehanee in their Wellington Cup selections, iv which r.iea lr* is really muchh-.'-.t.'.* trea'od. HA*vcver, there is no need, in uiy mind, to apologise for Ivjro.lydou's uniii-j not appeai-in-.; amongst tho Auckland Cuu accentors, but the circumstance in ay be taken, I think, to indicate that his owner did not too favourably regard his chance. 11 is ominous, however, tint he should not be left in to fulil his Great Northern Derby and other "tigagements at the Auckland .T.C Meeting. More* tho pity, lor il robs the gathering of one of its anticipated altra.-iions. When a good hor.s; is not. p.iid up for in important it is th*? custom— aud in a majority of oases a right one—to conclude tint, there is a s.rcw loose somewhere. I could account for Kuroelydon's owner letting his Dune-din .T.C Spring engagements slip. Bad ground for one thing could be mentioned, and ths* conditions under which he would have ha.l to meet his opponents as regards weight, were not favourable on the second day of that meeting. It, however, must not be deemed conclusive proof that-anythingis wrong with Mr Craig's good colt because he is not to be taken north for the big Boxing Day and New Year gathering. He lias no other important engagements in New Zealand outside the Wellington Cup, n-it having been entered for the Challenge Stakes of 1395. It is possible he may fulfil the Wellington Cup engagement, but it is reported that his owners contemplate trying their luck with the colt in Australia in the autumn, and in the Newmarket Handicap, Australian Cup and some of the weight-for-age races wemay see his name figuring later on. A short respite from hard work should do the son "of Gorton and Lady Gertrude good. He has been in strong work a long time and was, as hor3e3 trained by Goodman usually are, well keyed up for .he Canterbury Jockey Club Meeting. After finishing up thereat he certainly showed no symptoms of the racing having in any way impaired him, and his legs looked like standing for all time as far as human sight could tell. It will counterbalance for the disappointment felt in some quarters for the colt not going to Auckland should he make the Australian trip and measure strides with some of the cracks. It would be more interesting indeed were the big chestnut engaged in the Champion Stakes and St. Leger, in which there would be a prospect of seeing how he would shape with Wallace, Auraria, and Co. We might have then known whether he is just as good as some people believe him to be. i The report in circulation for some days that all was not well with Lady Zetland, I ' am in a position to say is not correct. She is one of the strong fancies in Christchurch for the Wellington Cup, and has been backed for small amounts, at odds ranging from 12 to 15 to 1 by small punters. I am pleased to find that Mr Hobbs will not be deprived of the services of the good little mare. I am afraid, however, that second of hers to Euroclydon has been too highly assessed, not only by some handicappers, but by backers, who now think more highly of her than ever. Perhaps the best race she ever ran in her life was in the last New Zealand Cup, and on her running in that event and in other races she ha 3 lately been weighted quite up to her very best form. Chaos is in retirement, and it may be a long time before he faces the flag, if, indeed, he should ever be able to run again. Hobbs has been having a turn of bad luck with his team this season in their important engagements. It takes a good number of small races to keep a team going like that presided over by the Ashburton trainer. Last season the stable netted a big share of the good things offered by the various clubs. The most disappointing horse of the team has been Saracen, who is, I am quite satisfied, much overrated. Seventeen entries for the Palmerston Cup is not a good nomination for a 300sov stake, but-in the matter of quality there is no fault to find, some of the best horses in the North Island and four southern-owned ones, being engaged. The Cup is run, too, at a popular distance. There are twentytwo in the President's Handicap, run over a mile and a-quarier. The minor events have filled fairly well. The handicaps for the meeting are framed upon a basis that should attract a fair field. In the Palmerston Cup, in his treatment of The Artist, Rangipuhi, Spindrift, Marino and Blarney through those below them, I think Mr Eenry has gone nearer the mark than Mr Evett did in his Wellington Cup adjustment, but I do not agree with him in his estimate as between North Atlantic and some of his opponents. That gelding lias only to be well to win in my opinion, but the chances are that we may never see either him or Prime Warden as good as they once were. The latter should, however, possess a chance on his Otago Cup form, which he may not unlikely improve tipoii. If Mr Sherwin elects to send Barmby, the horse is in such rare form just now that I feel .mre he will render a good account of himself ; and lie is my fancy of those engaged. Mauser, who has been withdrawn and who is off to Auckland, was nicely placed through most of the horses, but I fancy most people who saw them run at Riccarton would on form take Barmby in ? reference. Barmby, North Atlantic and rime Warden are the three mo3t to my fancy, and next to them I take Marino's chance, but I should prefer him in both the shorter events. R&ngipai may win the Handicap Hurdle Race, in which, by-the-way, Glenelg, who retired, broken down, with a good reputation about two years ago, is nicely treated. It is a mistaken notion that only owners of the chief studs have a "monopoly" in the bigger stakes. The small breeders can breed flyers as well as the large ones. As a matter of fact a goodly number of the fastest horses racing in New Zealand were bred outside the leading studs. At the annual American Turf Congress, which was representative of the country, an important alteration in the rules relating to selling races was made. The claiming clause in selling races was changed so that outsiders cannot claim a horse. The new rule allows only those who have an entry and start in the race to put in a claim, the owner of ths horse having first claim, while the owners of unplaced horses must cast lots, or, in other words, draw for the order of their claim. The owner of the second horse can make no claim, thus preventing collusion between him and the owner of the winner. When a horse is claimed his engagement doss not follow, unless transferred by the old to the new owner in writing. There can be no doubt that this rule will do away with a lot of unpleasantness that has occurred in connection with selling races, but there is another point w-orthy of consideration : Will it be the means of keeping out horses that are put in mainly for gambling purposes. Tiie Congress has also adopted a rule which reads : "In no case shall the starter delay the start on account of a bad actor." There is much to be said pro and con. A bad horse at the post sets others going wrong, while delays are vexatious. But the starter should have more power than is given under such a rule. In some parts of this coknry it is no uncommon thin*, for the starter to be asked to take plenty of time, so that all the money may lie got on at the totalisators. It sometimes does the horses good to parade them up and down on the courses, but to take them to the post and keep them there is trying indeed to thensensitive, hi.hly-struni. nature. The starter who kept his horses at the post in the American Derby for nearly three-quarters of anhour must have had some bad " actors " to deal with indeed. The American starters do not appear to have mastered their business. A prominent jockey who had been fined heavily is thus reported :—" Let mc tell you the starters are radically wrong, all of them, in their methods of startine. Owners hire good jockeys for their ability to get off well and ride good races. And just think of it, starters tine capable jockeys for doing just what the owners hire them to do. The trouble is that the starter, yes, and a section of the public, expect good jockeys to watt for the bunglers and bad ones. And it is these green boys who cause nearly all the trouble, while the good jockeys come in for the fines. Novv an experienced jockey should not be handicapped b}* being made to wait for the bad ones. Yea, a reform is badly needed in connection with the starting business." Some correspondence has been going on between the American owner, Mr E. J. Baldwin, and the executive of the Morris Parle Racing Association in New York, the executive of -which refused further entries from his stable for one of their meetings in consequence of inconsistent running of some of his horses. Baldwin offered to let the stewards take the horses and subject

them io any trial*? they might think proper, and pointed out ia.o__is?encies in other people's ho:*se3. no:, however, to suggest anything unsportsmanlike on ths part of their owner., but to show* how in and out horses will run at time*;. Mr Baldwin is a most unpopular owner, a:id ni.vts witli lillle sympathy from the Am_viimii press gaii-raily, who cannot undersiai'l .why he hris kept in his employ so ma;iy servants who have at one time or other come under the displeasure of racing clubs, and had to undergo more or less lengthy terms of disqualification. Mr Baldwin says tiiat his stable has won seventy-live races, been second on seventy und third on twenty, and that no two stables in America can show such a eredilabU*. record as his despite all the hard things that are said about it. Recently oue of his horses entered iv <i selling mcc. to besold for £140, w__ run up to £590 by a member of ilic club, who immediately sent the owner word that he had bid up for the horse so that owners should discontinue to enter good horses for these minor stakes. Evidently some of the clubs think they would not lose much should they not receive patronage from the millionaire owner. A Featherston correspondent ascribes the «->!*_* nomination of thirty-one in the Hack Welter Handicap for the Wairarapa Racing Club's Summer Meetiug to the fact thatowners appreciate a race in which they will have a chance of getting riders who can go to scale at handicap allotments. There are also other advantages which may be cited. Riders calculated to do full justice to their mounts can be got, and the wasting process has not to bs so severely resorted to. A suggestion that the Racing Conference should raise the minimum weight in all races has a good deal to recommend it. Riders at 6st 71b are hard to get for country meetings, but the difficulty is not always so great as far as the more important meetings are concerned, and it is well that the same minimum should remain in each of the colonies for important handicaps. We should aim at uniformity as much as possible. There is, of course, nothing to prevent any club from increasing the minimum in all events should they so desire.

Quiltiri received 81b more in the Wellington Cup than in the Auckland Cup, while no other horse engaged in both races was raised more than 31b, indeed The Possible, Casket, and Dreamland are the only ones whose weights show such an increase as that. Winning a minor event at the Dunedin Meetin-. on the last day no doubt is the explanation ; but it is noticeable that while Mr Evett has been consistent in the relative treatment of most of the horses engaged in both races, he has ignored the principle embodied in the weight-for-age scale by neglecting to allow the three-year-olds to be better over the shorter distance a month later on, as compared with the older horses. At Auckland Cup time the difference between a three-year-old and an aged horse at two miles is 251b ; at Wellington Cup time at a mile and a half 181b. Thus if it is the correct thing for St. Hippo to give Euroclydon 16lb in the Auckland Cup he should only have to give the latter 91b3 in the Wellington Cup, taking the weight-*for-age principle as a line, and I suppose there are no two horses to which it could be better applied for the purpose of argument, for it cannot be said that one has shown better form at any particular distance than the other. It is clear on this showing that Mr Evett has not considered the matter from this standpoint. He has really raised Quiltiri plainly because of his win at Dunedin, otherwise Euroclydon, Rip Van Winkle, and Solitaire would have gone up in weight also in the same ratio. The death is reported of the great Tasmanian bred race-horse. The Assyrian, who, in the year 1882 "swept down like a wolf on the fold" and won the Melbourne Cup and Hobart Cup, besides other race 3in Tasmania, South Australia, and New South Wales, in the latter colony achieving an unexpected victory in the Autumn Stakp3, weight-for-age, in which he was an outsider, and defeating Plunger, D.ivebin (who next day won the Sj'dney Cap) Commotion, Sweet William, Lady Lisgar, Cunnamulla, and Mistake. The Assyrian was got by Countryman from Tinftnder, by Tarragon, from Deception, by Yelverton from Blossom by The S wetle ; and he has left behind him a number of good horses, including Chaldean and Macquarrie, who each won the Tasmanian Derby, Hobart and Lavinceaton Cups. Retreat, Jersey Boy, Bonnie Bairn, Jersey Maid, Promised Land, Bisehoff, Silver Cord, Stonehenge, Waratah, Babylon, Rustic, Semiramis and Rapidfire are other winners he left. Moonraker, now running in the North Island, and who won at the Wellington and Peilding meetings last month, is one of his gets. Altogether The Assyrian was a fairly successful sire, considering the chances he got at the stud. A correspondent seeks information as to the time accomplished at Newmarket by the historically-famed Eclipse, who has long been talked of as the horse that could gallop a mile in a minute. It has been stated time and again that no such performance was ever accomplished, and there is no authenticated records of fast performances dating back to the time of Eclipse, who ran mo3t of his races under big weights, and over long distances, and who is believed to have shown his best exhibition of speed on the York course. He was never beaten, and his winnings, chiefly £50 races, were fairly large for his time. He was not raced until five years old, and his total earitings for his owner, Captain O'Kelly, in bets, stakes, and at the stud were put down at quite £250,000. Thousands of our racehorses trace back to the wonder of his time, whose measurements are often given as what a perfect horse should be ; still, from the description supplied by authorities when ha was racing, he was an angular animal, and nothing like as handsome a type of thoroughbred as we meet with in these days. Indeed, early writers were unanimous that in the matter of looks he could not compare for quality with most of those he so easily defeated. Eclipse died at Canons, Surrey, on February 25th, 1789, at the age of twenty-five years. The death is announced from Greymouth of Mr James Jones, who owned the NewZealand Cup winner British Lion during the greater part of that horse's career, and raced him in Auckland, on the West Coast and in Canterbury prior to disposing of his interest to Mr Hungerford. Mr Jones owned and raced several other horses and was well known and generally respected. Of late years his sight had failed him greatly. He had made himself most popular with visitors to the West Coast.

Race-goers who are loud in condemnation of the actions of their neighbours, have sometimes the reputation of being good " on the cross" themselves, and some of those who have been talking disapprovingly and expressing virtuous indignation at very wrong things they believe to have been done of late by racing officials, are so frequently in evidence, attributing bad motives to everyone with whom they do not agree, that their utterances should have but little weight. The fact is, there are a lot of know-alls about, who, when summed np, are nothing short of noisy windbags, and it does not take long to find out their "pneumatic" qualities. Those who are entrusted with the management of racing are not all such bad lots as they are sometimes painted, and in nine cases out of ten their decisions, though unfavourably received by a certain clas3, may be relied upon as right and proper, and even when wrong are given under the belief that they are just and in accordance with racing law. There are more sins committed by stewards through ignorance of their duties than designedly, but it is impossible to convince many of those who make a business of backing horses, and of racing generally, that stewards of meetings do not act to suit their individual interests. There are some clubs whose officials are largely composed of speculators, and as a consequence their decisions are viewed with distrust. There are other clubs whose officials make it a rule not to have money on events which are under their immediate jurisdiction, and who enjoy the fullest confidence of racegoers, at least, all but those who cannot believe in anyone connected with the turf acting from purely disinterested motives. There will always be followers of racing however, who will put their neighbours down as rogues and fools rather than admit how little they really know themselves, and we cannot hope to make such people look at racing from a higher standpoint. Good judges of pace have informed mc that few of the races run at the recent meeting at Forbury were solidly contested from end to end. The state of tiie course on the first day was not favourable for forcing tactics. My contention that Marino is more partial just now to a short than to a long course, though his training has been for long

distances, is ganarally endorsed by most of thase who saw him run at the Forbury. Nelson's son is by many regarded as unreliable, but, while I think he was a bit overdone lor the New Zealand Cup, ami was not seen at his best at the y.J.C. meeting, it must be admitted thai every one of the ia.2s he ran las. month ware better than anything he showed previously in public. The term *• rogue" is too often misapplied to horses that do ths best they can every time they are asked, when physically incapable or incapacitated from accomplishing all that is expected of them. Trainers may think they can gaug. their horse's form from trial gallops, but trials against the watch arc too often delusive will-o'-the-wisps. Pullers and freegoers, like Marino, are apt to show iv private even better gallops than they can do in public. They sometimes overdo themselves in their races. A lazy horse that shows a decent trial will invariably run a good race.

It is not always good policy for an owner who is dissatisfied with the weight his horse receives to withdraw him ax once. Marino's owner thought his horse somewhat harshly treated in the Auckland Cup, and scratched him straight away. The same weight adjuster had to handicap the horse for the Wellington Cup and in this event treated him no that is to say relatively with other horses. He will probably be allowed to drop out of that race in the ordinary way. Though not at all pleased with the -weight apportioned to Artilleur in the Inangahua Handicap, at Reefton, the owner-of that horse refrained from scratching him. and it is quite likely will accept for him, for the reason that several of those horses that appear to hold the top -weight safe on paper, are either not going to run, or are more or less out of form or sore. 1 doubt whether there will be anything like a-decent field for that race after all.

Barmby is an instance of a horse that has done well, remembering that he ran some hard races and was pulled out oftener than any three-year-old last season. It must not be forgotten, however, that he did not have his soul case galloped out of him as a two-year-old. He is, as far as appearance goes, quite as smartly made up for a sprint job as St. Clements and, if I mistake not, girths better than St. Leger's son, though he is not so well rounded up at the loin. Barmby I should take to be the better of the pair, making reasonable allowance for age. Barmby, though well matured, may still improve. St. Clements, has reached the time of life when further improvement is not looked for. They are a pair of fair sprinters, we have had few better, but to do a real good thing neither would want to be burdened heavily. Reserved for it, a Newmarket Handicap would have been vyell within the capability of either of the pair.