THE TURF

Evening Star, Issue 18851, 28 January 1925, Page 9

THE TURF

[Gossip by Old Identity.] One hundred and thirty-three acceptors for the Forbury trots on Thursday (tomorrow), and eoventy-four non-acceptors. Very good proportion. Thank you, Mr Brinkman. 1 think it safe to say that Mr Brinkman's handicapping has met with less complaining than that of any other handicapper wc have had, either for trotting or galloping. There is always, of course, a certain amount of grumbling about handicaps, and no doubt (hero are criticisms of Mr Brinkman’s work that we do not hear or read of. That sort of complaining is Inherent in some men, with or without cause. It is their only way of trying to appear wise. But secret grumbfing does not count for much. It frequently happens that a criticise!’ growls but pays up, and sometimes he wins. Of the criticising that is worth taking notice of—the debating in ’public print or the set complaint to a club —wo hear very little. Mr J. R. Mackenzie’s letter to the Forbury Club about the handicapping of Acron, Great Bingen, and Peter Swift is therefore the more prominent. It is exceptional. It is also straightforward, therefore commanding respect. It is an outspoken statement that can be weighed up and replied to if a reply is deemed necessary. In any case, it is deserving of respectful attention, being distinguishable from the stabs in the dark that may bo slanderous and vet leave the .slanderer secure from punishment. I don’t know whether Mr Brinkman will answer Mr Mackenzie. What I do know is tint if Acron had come here for the Trotting Cup he would have been backed by the public. There I leave the dispute for the present, contenting myself with the reflection that handicappers as a rule are now treated much more respectfully than in the days when we were younger. The fashion then was to fiercely assail a handicap as soon as it appeared, and move heaven and earth to make tho handicapper unhappy if at all sensitive. Good old Geordie Dowse, the veteran handicanper of tho Dunedin Jockey Chib, sometimes had cruel experiences of that sort. Ho was a good judgo of form, and very careful, and quite straight, but he had a. tender heart-, and to my way of thinking that sometimes led him to give consideration to an owner who was meeting a persistent run of ill-luck. More than once, I felt very sorry for ftenrdie when ho was being sat upon for some concession which his critics tried to make out was unwarranted. I am not saying that he was always right, hut I do say that no one dare charge him with a,(.tempting a wrong, and I can remember at least one case in which an owner got (he w>-r=t of trying to bring him into disrepute. Geordie saw a horse run and get badly beaten one day, and on the second day gave it exactly tho same weight, Tho owner rushed to the secretary as soon as Hie weights appeared, and said he wanted to scratch the horse. Mr Sydney James took no notice of tho fury the owner was in, hut politely handed him a- matching form and went on with other business. This took tho owner aback. Ho expected to get a chance to argue tho point and prove Dowse in the wrong. So he said ho would see about it in tho morning. In the meantime he accepted, and, to cut the story short, his horse won, and won decisively.

Wo do not hear much of such childish and useless outbursts nowadays. Maybe the handicapping is better than it used to be. Possibly tho growlers have died out. More likely—l prefer to take the kindly view if possible—owners have made handicapping easier by more frequently showing true form, and for that comparative trueness of form we are indebted to tho totalisator, in that it has broken tho power of the betting ring and provided stakes of greater value than the surviving bookmakers can offer.

\ From these thoughts it is comforting to turn to the quiet and acceptable position in which Mr A T . B. Lusk moves as the present handicapper to the Dunedin Jockey Club. I have not heard a complaint about his weights for the first day of our Cup Meeting, February 12. I note, firstly, that his adjustments for the Dunedin Cup bear a striking likeness to Mr Coyle’s weights for the Wellington Cup. Remembering that the Wellington race had a 5.7 minimum and the Dunedin race a 7.0 minimum, the weighting of tho six horses that were handicapped in both are much tho same. Here is the comparison ;

Of the above six, Red Wink, who did not start at Wellington, is now up 91b, and Count Cavour, who was also an absentee at Wellington, is up 101 b at Dunedin. As to the other four, who did start, and wore all unplaced, Longhrea is up 6lh, Limelight 41b, Deucalion 81h, and Mantua 91b. I should say that of these four Mantua has slightly tho best of it now, as a matter of calculation, for the reason that 91b at her place in the weights is less of a rise than Longhrea’s 61b at tho top of the list, and, further, Mantua gained third place at Wellington in a very fast race on tho second day. But there is not much in it as between the four, and it I were forced to back one of them it would be Limelight, just for tho reason that she won the C.J.C Metropolitan and obviously did not display nor true form at Wellington. I would rather, however, not bo compelled to confine my attention to those four. The two that were weighted for the Wellington Cup and did not start seem to me much better propositions. Red Wink’s performances down south proved him to bo a good horse—a very good onc--and, though 9.0 is a tidy weight, lie has shouldered it successfully. Count Cavour, too, must command respect. He is not a great fancy of mine, hut I cannot get, away from the fact that, as fhe winner of the two Derbys, ho has carried the weight and got the distance. I want those two on my side. Then there Is Baldowa. He is a racehorse, and must be regarded with tho utmost respect if really well. In addition to these three we have unlucky Longhrea with his best race not yet produced this season, hut possible at this meeting, and I am inclined to give chances of some sort to Mountain Lion and Star Ranger. The reported sale of Hungry Hill to a Wairarapa owner turns out, to be incorrect, He is in Cntts Brothers’ stable.

Listening Post broke (lie record for eleven furlongs when ho won the Wellington Racing Club’s Handicap on Thursday last. Ho ran it in 2min 18[snc, or four-fifths of a second faster than the records of Elens and Insurrection at Trentham. “ Vedette ” writes: “Suggestion also emphasised his class, for he was giving both weight and age to the winner. He dropped out in the middle stages, and there was a mention of interference, but the patrol stewards reported otherwise. There is no doubt that losing his place at least cost him the opportunity of extending the winner, if not beating him. It was surprising to see Mantua, out in front forcing tho pace all the way, and the genuine southern mare just failed to list

long enough. It was no disgrace for her to be beaten. Sunart and Gold Light were beaten by their weights at the pee set, while the paco alone proved the undoing of Landslide. Bonctter went a fair race, but Pantler and Clcasanta were outclassed.’'

For not keeping an engagement to ride Matin Bell in the Douro Cup at Wellington .Ashley Reed was fined .1.20. It transpires that Becd, although engaged to ride Matin Bell, was allowed to rule Quiescent, this being in accordance with an arrangement made by the stable. There is a prospect that the judge's box at Trontham will be shifted _to a now position before the next meeting of the Wellington Racing Club. There is a growing feeling (says ‘Lyttelton Times ’) that a grave mistake was made in building the members’ stand in its present position, which enables a large number of people to sit on the line of the winning post. The following demonstrates how far a keen jockey will go to bo on a possible winner. Quite recently the well-known Irish jockey, E. M. Quirke, was to bn married. The day was selected; in fact, everything in connection witli the ceremony was arranged in detail. But on the eve of the day of the wedding Quirke was offered a winning rido in England. He either had to miss relating his decision to his bride or miss the ship for England. He caught the boat. He returned to Dublin immediately after the race, and a reconciliation was effected, and so Miss Lilian White changed her name to that of Mrs E. M. Quirke after all. There is rejoicing in French racing circles because of the fact that Henri Semblat, who was the most successful jockey in Franco during the recentlyclosed season, was born in that country. Ho seored eighty-nine wins to the eighty-two of Garner, who was second. This is only the, second time in the history of French racing that a jockey born in that country has headed (ho list, (ho previous occasion being fifteen years ago, when M. Barat beat J. Childs.

“The ’Watcher" reports that a, punter who despaired of picldng flip winner in the lasi, race on llio second day of the Wellington Meeting decided in take out a ticket, on each chance. The outlay was £2l, and he had the pleasure after the race of collecting interest at the rata of over 100 per cent. Sonny Lock, .who was iaken np about two weeks ago and put into work by J. M‘Combs, has been turned out again. Te Anau Lad is to have a short spell.

The skin of Hie famous stallion Tracery was offered for sale by miction at (he December sales at Newmarket by Messrs Tattersall for the benefit of the Ben thick benevolent fund. It was bought by Mr R. U. Dawson, the trainer, for £4O. Tracery was sold to go to (lie Argentine for the record price of £53,000.

Loughrea [Wellington 9 2 Dunedin. 9 8 Limelight 8 8 8 12 .Red Wink 8 5 9 0 Deucalion 7 12’ 8 6 Count favour 7 9 8 5 Mantua 6 13 7 8