THE AUSTRALIAN HANDICAPS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2416, 28 June 1900, Page 40

THE AUSTRALIAN HANDICAPS.

By cablegrams received on Monday night we saw the handicaps for Australia's big spring races. Of these, one naturally looks first at the Melbourne Cup, and it is at once seen that this is, by comparison with previous years, a light handicap, thus bearing out the remarks made by others as well as myself that there are few really good horses engaged. In an ordinary year La Carabine would probably have had at least half a dozen ahead of her instead of being at the top of the list. Merriwee, last season's winner, has got off with the comparatively lenient impost of 9.5. but even at that he does not read too well treated in view of his defeats in the autumn. Advance, on the same mark, seems to us New Zealanders quite as likely as Merriwee — that is. he would be if he was on the spot, — though 9.5 is not what may be called an eiiticing y/eight for a colt that has to go 1000 miles to carry it. Seahorse is put in at 9.0, and I think he is better treated than Advance. Taking both at their best— that is, Seahorse in the spring and Advance in the autumn, — it seems to me that they ought to be something like a match. Going on looks, Spahorse would be reckoned the better, and I cannot overlook the fact that Major George's colt won over longer distances than Advance did. Still, T would not under-rate Advance's sterling performances at the back end. TJp to the date of his one failure he did all that was r.f&ed of him, and Seahorse could have" done no more, if as much. Reckoning ux? their ebpness, I should, all things considered, prefer Seahorse at a concession of 51b. However there's not much in it. Ido not think either is likely to win. lam heretic enough to think that if all three went across. Malatua at 3.8 would be a better line than either of ths younger one? to back for this big Cup. Malptua is coming to his real form, and he is a racehorse, and ho has a nice weight, and if Mr O'Brien sends him across he must not be despised. Tortulla, the next New Zsalander on the list, is not a great fancy of mine. The otrers nominated from this colony aie abou 1 ". in their proper places. I cannot protend to pick out a likely loi from the whole lumch, and prefer to wait till the Australians' own opinions come to hand.