CORRESPONDENCE ATHLETIC SPORTS HANDICAPS

Evening Star, Issue 20089, 1 February 1929, Page 11

CORRESPONDENCE

ATHLETIC SPORTS HANDICAPS

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—Being a staunch supporter of athletic sport, I am puzzled at tho handicaps' which are declared for the running events. 1. ■ have not the pleasure of knowing the Imndicappcr, but 1 would like to know how he conics to put some runners on such mysterious marks. T have been comparing the handicaps for some time past, and the more I look at and compare them the more puzzled I become. P am sure the bandicapper will be good enough to explain the following handicapping mystery. On December 5, 1928, a runner called Lethaby is on 6yds in the 100yds, and AV. J. Duff is tm syds and giving Lethaby lycl. AV, J Duff, being scratch in tho B grade, makes Lethaby a B grade sprinter. Lethaby won this race by 2yds, and conies back 6yds for his win, but the surprise is that the next time wc see this B grade sprinter in action ho is scratch in the A grade. Either the handicapper was very kind to Lethaby to place liim as a B grade sprinter, or he was very harsh to put him scratch in the* A grade for his next start. Macassey and AGilk are on tho same mark as Lethaby in the 100yds A grade at the Cycle Club sports, B. Drumm on syds, and Fraser 3yds. The placing of the race is:—B. Drumm (Gyds) 1, Lethaby (scr) 2, and Fraser (3yds) 3. Drumm won by a yard, Fraser half a yard back third. Also on the same day in the 100yds B grade sprint C. Thompson, scratch, and Farr, 2yds, dead heated for first place. Thompson is an A grade sprinter, handicapped on 4yds, and Farr a B grade sprinter. Now for the final lap of tho puzzle. Thompson had to gain 2yds on Furr to dead heat with him, but the For-; bury meeting shows that Farr has come back lycl for his win, and C. Thompson has been let out 2yds for deadbeating with Fan', so that lie meets Farr on 3yds better terms at Forbury, which seems hardly fair. Then B. Drumm, who won the 100yds A grade off syds, is still on syds, and Fraser, who was third of 3yds, has gone out to Gyds, or 3yds better for gaining third place, and off the same scratch men, with the exception of A’alk, who has gone out to 4yds from scratch, and Macassey, who has gone out to stvds5 t vds Irom .scratch Truly, the handicapping is anything but consistent. Then C. H. Duff, the ’Varsity sprint champion of last year, is out on 4yds from scratch men who have never been in championship class. This looks as bad as Lethaby off 6yds in tbc 100yds A grade on December 5.

1 have been hoping that some of the runners would take this matter up before, but they arc evidently used to such handicapping, and just smile quietly to themselves and trust to luck. Perhaps some of the runners can tell mo where the handieapper is right in his handicaps.—l am, etc., Tnno Scout. February 1. >