MR DOWSES HANDICAPPING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2355, 13 April 1899, Page 35

MR DOWSES HANDICAPPING.

. The boys at the street corners tell the tale that certain members of the Dunedin Jockey Club's Committee have~made up their minds to dispense, with tho services of Mr George Dowse as handicapper at an early date, say the end of the current racing season. What exact amount of truth may be in this report I know not, but the subject has got into print, and it is my duty to say a word or two on the subject. The question presents itself to my mind in this way: The chief duty of everyone entitled to a say in the matter should be to study the interests of the club. This, however, must not cause iis to be unmindful of the duty of being just to Mr Dowse. I fear that ir some quarters there is a disposition to ignore this view of the position. The idea is prevailing that Mr Dowse is in some way or other made out to be standing in the club's light and that he must be sacrificed. I protest against such conclusions being arrived at without evidence. Mr Dowse has the right common to every man of a fair hearing, and in the case of a handicappor this fair hearing cannot tako a juster form than to Eorutiniso his work impartially. I propeso to submit a few figures with this object. They by no means exhauat the subject, but may help others to do so. The appended table shows the fate of tho favourite in every race (bar two walk-overs) for which Mr Dowse has handicapped for the Dunedin Jockey Club during the nine year* ending 1897-98 and the present racing year so far as it haa

Of the 561 races the public have picked the winner on 213 occasions, while in 34-8 races the favourite has finished second or third or further astern. This, to my mind, is not at all a bad record. Considering the difficulties under which Mr Dowse haa laboured 1 call it good. He has not had the best chances. In Christchurch, at the big meetings, horses attend in large numbers, and plenty of them start irrespective of the handicapping. Wellington is centrally situated, and in that respect has a. great advantage over Otago ; while as far Auckland, the home stables aesuro large fields. In Otago we have relatively few horaes, and though Canterbury owners nominate freely, the owners from districts farther afield are invariably shy, having to be pulled thither, when they come at all, by the hair of the head, so to tpeak. For these reasons I maintain that any comparison of results as between Otago and these other places would be unfair. I also protest most vigorously against tho dangerous doctrine that a handicappor must tempt the northern horses or suffer for his failure. The D.J.C. will never be well served by any handicapper on those terms. Personally, I hold the opinion that we treat our handicappers badly all round. We expect too much of them. Perfect handicapping never was and nover will be seen. It i« all a question of keeping down the percentage of mistakes arising from errors of judgment, honest falee form, and tho traps get by jhe malice or tho cupidity of owners. Tho position would be ludicrous if it were not so monstrously unjust. Owners set themselves to hoodwink handicappers, and then cry out like a lot of babies when the handicappers make a mistake. Mr Dowse has had to put up with a lot of this scurvy treatment. He has also felt, I am afraid, that he could not in all cases rely on the support of his own committee. Small wonder if ho became discouraged. But he is not. He faces his troubles manfully, never whimpers, never even says a word fti defence _of the attacks made upon him. I ppeak nof'as Mr Dowre's friend — several times I have been as outspoken as anyone could be when I have seen what looked like mistakes in his calculations — but as a lover of British fair play I must stick out against what appears to my mind to be a wrong thing. This I believe to bo the feeling of a largo number of racing folk in Otago — that if the question of a new handicapper is to be considered the subject should bo taken up without bias onn way or the other. Personally, I. am satisfied that Mr Dowße is a thoroughly competent man, as competent as ever, and that if he could get rid of the disloyalty of some of his employers and manage to travel about a little more, his handicaps would be the best in New Zealand. Others may not care to go so far as this. All, however, who give the matter thought must admit that Mr Dowse has done a lot of good work under adverse conditicnp, and not a soul in the land dare suggest that he has at any lime been approachable for favours. I pity the man who would put a bribe before George Dowse. In writing this I have no wish to influence the committee in any way further than to ask them to think out the whole question, if there is anything in it, before taking action. Favours I do not plead for, and George Doweo would not thank me to beg them for him.

Handicap!. "Won. 1889-S0 ... fIS 26 1890-91 ... 65 24 1891-92 ... m 20 1892-9S ... K2 1» ISO 3-94 ... 59 J8 ' 1894-95 ... 55 23 BS)3<M ... 57 SI 1838-97 ... 50 22 '897-98 ... 49 24 ISSB-99 ... 42 16 561 213 UnS«cond. Third, y'&ced. 10 6 24 13 7 21 16 7 23 14 5 24 15 )3 13 13 5 14 8 14 14 8 « 14 7 7 11 10 3 13 114 63 371