SUCCESSIVE SECONDS.

NZ Truth, Issue 89, 2 March 1907, Page 2

SUCCESSIVE SECONDS.

The Problem of Placing Prads. During the season's racing a number of. horse? "mil always be fouM to fill, the second and third position ye£y frequently while they seldom or nfever secure a wdn. Racing •:« under; such oircumstances must -be Very heartbreaking, to their- owners,, and' trainers, more especially when the horses run a numiber of successive seconds m the-big handicap's.. One of the most ' unlucky performers this season is^the Addington gelding Apa, others b^ing Pafitutu, King Billy, Truce, Chicane, Eden and Probable.. The last named opened his account with a couple of wins, and Chicane has lately broken her long rim of seconds, so, they are not quite so unfortunate. Lately, however, Probable has developed a bad habit of filling. ''"the second position, and it ' struct me forcibly that at Tauherinikau, if not elsewhere he should have performed to better advantage* Edeh seems to have always .been beaten, by better horses, and Apa has, continually met opposition considerably above him m quality, or' a point better m condition'^ Truce's form is rather puzzling, for though the Graf ton mare runs; very consistently she does .not .appear to'improvd with decreases m weight and quality of the opposition. She is a mare, however, Jhat may improve any time withoul; surprising the public. ' King Billy should get out of his groove, shortly. but ' Paritutu is apparently suffering from b&ing a consistent trier in' difficult tasks. f Judicious placing of racehorses seems to be a lost . art . with many. Dispersed m various parts'ofthe cdlony there are a few trainers, who seem to be able <bo guage very accurately the chances of their candidates, but a great many others have a habit of flying at high: stakes with poor animals. Once m a way a) poor performer may run the race of his life m a big event, and win it, but' m the. majority of Cases horses placed above their, grade fail : alto l gether. When an ownert possesses a horse • that almost invariably fills a place the public are apt to • term him. a '*good sport, V because they know him as a hand trier*. But is it sp,orti.)to race horses m suchheattbreakiiig fashion ■■? Surely it is niore' class where he 'has a decent chance of jsaiTiing distinction. Of, course one, must admit that frequently, when 1 a ; horse is. racin-g among his oy?n- quality, bad horsemanship will result m his beiig . just beaten,, and,', so also' will poor' starting. I ain v inclined to believe, however, that the second dividend (though a popular' and consequently a righteous innovation), has a- good deal 'to do with horses running second, so frequently. Owners who are heavy' bettots are willing to try again while they have not been actual losers, whereas if they, did nothincj but incur weight for running second they would probably gjiye the question of placing serious consideration. Though, their patrons frequently hamper trainers m so much as they . Stipulate what races their horses must " ' start % m, f and though poor horsemanship is often account-: able for form, still the main irespon^ :• sibility rests witoh trainers. When they manage to run second and se* cure a dividend they cannot 'be altogether lacking m brains •';.. lor the best trained 'animal' fri-ay me^t spmethi'ttg one better iri quality on any occasionv' ; But horses' are not well handled by, their trainers when they run second ; and third 1 again and* agaih, and it would be far mqre sportsmanlike 1 - and "much fairer to, owner-sy 1 ' and'j;o. the .horses and sires,' if tra,iners would study J the matter • arid nominate the' -horses- where they have more chance of success. .'