THE DUNEDIN WEIGHTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2401, 8 March 1900, Page 39

THE DUNEDIN WEIGHTS.

Mr Dowso's handicaps were published on Friday. In the Hurdle Race there is a very mixed lot engaged, grid the weights have a range of 5Hb, which ought to be regarded as giving the ioagh 'tins a show if they can have a show at all. To my mind it is very queer tofses Ilex and Dundee at level weights. Dundee has improved a great deal of late, I know, wliile on the other hand Ilex has not dona much, and to be going down hill; but as recently as November last two stone .was not deemed enough difference lip give Dundee a chance with Ilex, and the latter must, have gone off very badly if he is now really only a match for Dundee at even weights. I pick Ilex and Cl'iiker as the best treated horses in the handicap. As to the Hack Handicap, A berci'orflbie has hardly been u» long enough to bo dangerous with the top wei ,J of 9.4-, and I,xlon\ know that at his best hu uould be a good in vehement at that weight, though certainly the company is not very good, as may be imagined when Gobo, who got beaten in the Maiden Plate at Wellington, has to come ne:ct. [Abercrombie has been scratched. | I cr.ii h'irdly bring myself to like Black Pool very much with 8.11, seeing that he has got into this position through his running at 'xapanui, where the fields were bmal 1 . Witchcraft is in a handy place in the list with 8.0, and must, l>a watched, while lower down I like the Jook of La Reine, who up to the prisont lias hern racing in better company. Cannonball and Felina, at the bottom of fie handicap, have both won recently up-country ; but on the form ti.en shown Vipionary is at leist thair equal at fie present weights, and I don't regard her a- a parfcularlj- good thing, though she !>a- a show. ]\ Jay-bo it will prove to be a good handicap. Even vow it has that appe.iriince. and in naming Witc'i craft and La Rpinc, 1 may be very wide of the mai^c. A rather delicate bit of handicapping was 'jailed

for in order to bring Whirlwind, Lady Killer, and Melita together in the Autumn Handicap, and Mr Dowse has so fixed them up that I cannot say which of the three has the best chance. Whirlwind is perhaps to be slightly preferred as a matter of weight, but it would be no surprise to me if Melita were to win. This filly has previously run well at Wingatui. The Dunedin Cup commences with Boreas at 9.11— a stiff weight for &ny horse, and particularly for one that has not quite proved himself a stayer ; but I would caution my readers not to hurriedly exclude this member if he cornea to the post. Everybody says that he ought to have won the Wellington Cup with 9.7. As a matter of fact he did win with 9.13 on the second day,- and Djin Djin with 8.8 finished an indifferent third. The critics aver that this was the true-run race, and the Wellington Cup not so. If that be the real state of affairs, Boreas holds Djin Djin safe; Advance also haj but a very poor look in with the top-weight ; and as Djin Djin is plainly as well treated as several of the others, Boreas cannot very well complain. Tortulla is placed higher in the list than some may have expected to find her; but those who are surprised at her weight of 8.12 should look at the mare's recent performances. She won a nine furlongs race at Wellington with 8.10, being quite out •by herself at the finish, in lmin 56 2-ssec— a fast race. Then at Egmont she carried 8.11 in the Cup, a mile and a-half, and was beaten a neck by Coronet 9.6 in 2min 39sec — a record for that track. All the way up the straight the issue- was in doubt as between her and the winner. The next day, in the Atkinson Memorial Stakes, a mile and aquarter, Tortulla carried 9.5. and finished close up third to Will o' the Wisp 8.3 and St. Jack 7.9 ; the time, 2min 12 2-ssec. After this Tortulla won the Woodville Cup, a mile* and a-quarter, with 9.4- an her_ back. We see, then, that this handsome mare is"in form, and that she is used to big weights, and if her present position is a surprise it is only because those who are surprised have not read up the records diligentty. At the same time,. I would not back her yet awhile. She may not come. If she does come, she may have a penalty. Winning the Wanganui Cup means 101b extra in the Dunedin Cup. All I say is that Toitulla has earned the "weight Mr Dowse has given her. Malatua hardly reads very well at 8.10 after being beaten out of a place with 8.13 in the Midsummer Handicap, while Jupiter is no throw-in at 8.8, and, as just remarked, Djin Djin seems to have none the best of it as compared with Boreac. Then, looking further on, it wants a bold man to pick Sant Ilario, who is still a maiden: Dundas is apparently unable' to stay; Strathnairn can scarcely hold his own, on Midsummer Handicap form, with Skobe— loff, seeing that only 61b is now allowed for tlife Riccarton result ; Fulmen's defeat at Gore is none too promising for his chance ; . and Advance, the next on the list, is not so good as Boreas at the weights, if the Wellington running is reliable. This brings us to Skobeloff, and, really, this is the first name that strikes my fancy of those below the two top-weights. Mr Stead's colt was beaten only half a Jenath in the Midsummer Handicap, in a fast run race, and now is risen 41b. I think he will win, or, at any rate, take a terrible lot of doing. Boreas and Tortulla are the only ones of the higher weights that I give a show of beating him. How these three will shape as against each other if they meet is more than I can guess, but I rather fancy Skobeloff. Huku and Paladin are a fairish pair amongst the light weights, and of these I should prefer, the litter, if sure of his being quite fit. Without professing to have any idea as to owner's intentions, and writing simply of the weights, I take Skobeloff and Boreas as the two best in this Dunedin Cup, and I would add Advance as one that may improve. The Publicans' Handicap is the same distance as the Craven Plate, seven furlongs. This fact helps us to estimate Blazer's chance. He is raised 21b on his Craven Plate weight, but Suzannah is down 41b. I think Blazer will beat her again. But there are others in the list that may make the crack sprinter gallop. Benzoin is one of these; and both Pa'adin and Brisa are to be reckoned with. It is, indeed, a very open race, and in mentioning Benzoin, Blazer, and Brisa as a likely trio I don't feel at all pure of having named the winner. Arline was scrafcßed on Tuesday. I like The Spinner as well as anyfhinsj in the Welter. The acceptances are due on March 10.