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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5661, 21 October 1889, Page 2

In Australia there is at least one gentleman

loyal to New Zealand, but unfortunately he

is paid for his services. We rofer to the sporting writer who sends tips for the Australian races to the Press Association. If there be a New Zealand horse engaged in an event that animal is tipped to win. Tipping horse races has grown faster than the growth cf sport. The public must have tips, and they never seem to consider that forecasting such events is next to impossible. It is true tho prophets do succeed now and again, in the face of much difficulty, but that they should be often correct is not to bo expected. The best of all the sporting writers in these colonies, men

like "Augur" or " Asmodeus," seldom or never bet; they know tho folly of such a game; they know well that in the long run the bookmakers must win. These prophets at times make great mistakes. Iv 1871, for the V.R.C. Derby,

" Augur " wrote up Hamlet us a horso has seldom been euloprited, yet in the ra;-e tho horse was nearly di&tanjed—he was a bad

last—aud " Augur" severed his connection for a short tinio with the Australasian. That was a specimen of the bad luck, but

" Augur," writing for a contemporary at a V.X.C. meeting a little latei on, gave the first and second horse in each event, and his reputation was once more established. By tho way, it is not generally known that, like many pressmen of distinction, "Augur" wae originally a compositor. Streaks of luck follow the prophets at time 3. Some years ago a sporting •writer gave tho winners of the Newmarket Handicap and Australian Cup, though tho animals were such outsiders that about the double five hundred pounds to half-a-sovereign was laid him, which ho won. That prophet's career wan short. Notwithstanding the

nustakesmade by tipsters, the public demand them. A well-known sporting writer who used only to select ono horso for a race— the best of all systems—did not give satisfaction, though he was fairly successful, and to meet the public views he had to take to placing them. Now, from what we have written, it is not to be supposed that sporting writsrs are of no use to tiiepublic because they do notalways foretell winners; they save the public much money very often, not by saying what animal will win, but by naming horses that cannot, win. For that they seldom receive much gratitude, though it is, perhaps, the best part of their duties.