RACING INTELLIGENCE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3955, 24 March 1884, Page 3

RACING INTELLIGENCE.

(Notes by "Hirro"). The stakes paid away at our Autumn meeting aro as follows: —Mr E. Outts, £432 ss; P. Martin, £289 15s; Captain Russell, £2GI os ; > Bates, £251 15s ; W. Douglas, £118 15a; Peacock, £118 15s ! A. McLean, £95 ; Major George, £33 5s ; J. Stevens, £23 15s ;■ Mason, £19; M. H. Smith, £19 ; making a total of £IGG2 10s. It will bo Been that "the stakes have been well divided, there having been eleven races, and the stakes have been divided between eleven different horse owners. Derritt was tho most fortunate jockey at this meeting, as ho had four winning mounts. Wattio came next with two winning mounts, and Clifford, Barlow, Gilpin, Brown, and Warren one each. This meeting has been financially a very successful one. Tho fees for nominations, acceptances, and entrances amount to £858 ; the privileges fetched £210, and the totalisators brought in £643, and from theso three sources tho club received £1711, or £48 10s more than they paid away in stakes, and they have all the gate and stand money to the good, which should come to between £800 or £1000. A great deal of this success is due to the totalisators, which at every meeting bring a considerable sum into the coffers of the club ; and, although it enables tho public to invest their pound or two on tho races without having recourse to the bookmakers, it is not a machine at all beneficial to the interest of owners of racehorses who indulge in backing their horses, because through its influences bookmakers arc not able to lay tho long odds they used to do before the totulisators came into vogue, therefore it behoves the club to make the charges to owners of horses as light as possible, by reducing the nomination and other fees. To show what it costs owners I will quote two instances at this meeting. Major George, for his two horses, paid £63, and P. Butler, for Emir Bey, Tim Whiffler, and Hippodamia, paid £74 to the club. The success of race meetings chiefly depends upon the number of horses engaged, therefore every encouragement should bo given to owners of horses by reducing their expenses, and by treating thorn fairly by good handicapping and starting. Wo were particularly unfortunate in both these essential points at our last meeting. The starting was the worst that h.-is over been seen oii the course (which is saying a great deal), and.the : handicapping has caused n. deal of dissatisfaction. I criticised the handicaps for the first day's racing, and my remarks proved correct. Now, Tofc me make a few remarks about the handicaps for the second day. Tho Grand Stand Handicap was only a quarter of a mile farther than tho Napier Handicap, which was ran on tho first day, and there should have been a very good line for tho handicapper to go by. But what wusdone? Why, tho weights of all tho horses word raised, Sou-westers Weight was put up 20lbs, Nelson lOlbs, Maori Gibs, Emir Boy ylbs, The Poet 51bs, Radaines 41bs, Leonora 2lbs. Now, although Sou'wester won tho day before, ho did not bent tho rest of tho horses by anything like the weight ho was made to give them. Then thoro was Nelson and The Poet, who ran a dead heat for second place. Nolson is called upon to carry 51b™wre oxtng weight than The Poet, why or wherefore it is hard to Bay. I should have thought that The Poet, being an older horse, nnd in much better condition, would have been able to get the extra qnarter of a mile better than Nelson, who is only thrco years old. Then there is Maori, who was beaten by tho The Poet, is asked to meet him upon worse terms for being beaten, aud Radames, who ran last but one, is only, meeting The Poet. on lib bettor terms. Leonoro '.vaa the only one that had a ghost of a show with The Poet (and that only a poor one); in fact, any one looking at the handicap, and comparing it with the previous day's performance, would at once say it was made for The Poet, and tho result of the race proved it. Almost the same criticism will stand good for the Tradesman's Handicap. Leonora started a fresh, mare for this race, and won it. The Poet, who' had run a two mile race just beforo, still ran a good horse for this. The handicapping has been so thoroughly without sense and so devoid of reason, and tho starting was so bad, that horse owners from both North and South say that they will not nominate for these meetings again under present circumstances, and it is hardly to be wondered at af tar tho treatment they received this time. Tho only man who did not complain was Mr Bates, but ho acknowledged to seeing many faults, errors, and defects. In looking over the report ef last year I find the club received £579 from gates and stands, fio perhaps I have,rather overestimated the amount I at first put down, but the amount received at this year's meeting must havo been over £700. Tho oxpenses last year (including band and handicapper) were £163 2s 9d, and as thoro was no b.ahd this year the expenses_ should not' bo more, so the club should be gainers at this meeting of'.fully.£6oo.