CURIOUS HANDICAPPING.

NZ Truth, Issue 152, 16 May 1908, Page 2

CURIOUS HANDICAPPING.

(To the Sporting Editor.) *

Sir)— You generally take a keen delight m rubbing it m when some curious .handicapping comes to light, and I don't know whether you intend remaining silent on the extraordinary adjustment of weights at the last local meeting. Anyhow, a great number of the snorting nuhlic. who. win or lose, want* a fair deal For all, are howling at it, and. m. the face of these local growls, how can "Spearmint" cock a deaf-un ? Now, whether J. 13 . Henrys is ;>. capable adjuster , of weights or not, I don't care a tinker's malediction. Good or bad, he made it hot at Hastings, much to the favor of the Kararau stable, and I want to know if there is a reason for it, 'or if the why and Uie whevefore is to be found m the fact Unit the Hawke's Bay .Club were sounded recently on ,tiie question of a new hanijieapper and the proposed 100-guinea Cup iii at a member was prepared to Rive for 1.1 peculiar quid pro quo from the Club. Now, let us look at the first day's meeting at Hastings : Kairoma carrying 7.3, ran third to Uenuku and Grand Slam m tl>o Hawke's Bay Cup, distance one mile and a quarter. Kairoma led throughout the journey till within a furlong of the winning post. Second day we find him raised 3los .for the Burke Memorial Stakes, one mile and a distance, and the result was inevitable. Kairoma simply romped m, paying jess than even money, so hot a favorite was be. Then, again, iv the concluding event of the first day, Woodhey, another Karaniu stable inmate, ran second to Chicane, being beaten by. a head. The distance was one mile and a furlong, and Woodhey carried 8.3. Mark the second day's handicapping U Over two furlongs less than the first day Woodhey is dropped 411 is and walks m, doing seven furlongs on a heavy track m lmin 30sec, and paying less than even money, so good a thing was it. Now, no doubt Mr Henrys can justify such peculiar handicapping, and I for one would like to hoar or read his justification. All the same I fancy we would find some difficulty m dome so. Hoping that I have not exceeded the limit.— l am, etc., SMALL OWNER. Hastings, May 11, '08.