SPORTING NOTES.

Lake County Press, Issue 2188, 26 September 1907, Page 4

SPORTING NOTES.

[By Pebmxo Tom.] Of all the officials connected with a race meeting, the haudicapper may be said to easily take a leading position. Let the secretary and commitee of a racing club work as hard as they may, have the course and appointments in first-class order, get good entries for the various events, and even be in the good graces of the weather clerk on race days, yet it rests with the weight adjuster to make or mar the racing from the sporting point of view. One oversight or wrong estimate of a horse's capabilities on the part of a handicapper and the race or races for which the leniently treated one is a competitor becomes of no interest to the public, speculation is cramped, and the club's finances suffer thereby. At our goldlields' meetings it. is especially important that the work of the' handicapper be of the ; highest possible standard. Owners from a distance do nob care to incur the expense of coining to our local meetings, if their horses have not beon giren a reasonable chance of winning a raceJudging by the average large fields of horses that have competed at our goldfields meetings during recent years, and the very excellent finishes we have frequently seen in many events, I should say that the work of Air Geo. Logan, who handicaps for Lake County, Cromwell, Alexandra, Wanaka and Naseby meetings, is of a very high standard. During 32 years experience of racing on the goldfields, I have nob witnessed finer finishes than those seen at Lake County during the past two years, and at Cromwell for several years past. Indeed, the two lastmentioned Clubs owe a considerable amount of their present financial prosperity to the excellent work done by their handicapper, and this brings us face to face with the fact that Mr Logan has not in the past been overpaid for his work. When we come to consider that a handicapper has to keep himself well posted up in ull racing during the year, travel to and fro, and probably stay at a hotel for the best part of a week while the race-meeting is, being held, it is very evident that he cannot have anything left to apeak about out of a ten pound note. In the event of another successful racing season on the goldfields, which we have every reason to anticipate, ib is to be hoped that those clubs for which Mr Logan does the handicapping, will not be slow to recognise his good work and grant him a bonus in addition to the sum annually agreed upon. Sporting men on the look out for a decent horse for the goldfields may hear of something to their advantage by communicating with our old friend Mr J. J. Cotter. Some time .ago Jack had Abusive, Heirloom and several others in his hands for private sale. A couple of months ago Heirloom could have been bought for £6O, and he was a cheap horse at the money, as he was guaranteed sound when Mr Cotter wrote to me. Heirloom should have a chance in district races, if a Lake County sport bought him. The annual meeting of the Wanaka Jockey Club will be held in Pembroke on Saturday evening. No doubt the Club will have a good meeting, and arrange an attractive programme.