HAWKE'S BAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2428, 26 September 1900, Page 40

HAWKE'S BAY.

Mr Henrys is the handicapper for this club, and we this week have his weights for the first day of the meeting, the Bth of October. A1?A 1 ? uf-ual with this meeting, the Spring Handicap is run on the second day, and by present arrangements the weights for the mile and a-half race come out with the others for the second day on the night of the first day's racing. The chief event amongst the first day's handicaps is the October Handicap, one mile and a distance. It does Tiot give much, of a guide to the handicapper' s latest ideas about the New Zealand Cup horses ; still, for what it is worth I note the comparison concerning those horses engaged in both races. Ideal has 8.8 in the October Handicap and 7.5 in the New Zealand Cup ; Materoa, 8.5 and 6.12; Scottish Minstrel, 7.9 and 6.10; Paphos, 7.8 and 7.3 ; Hengist, 7.3 and 6.13. The rises for the shorter distance are : Ideal 171b, Matcroa 211b, Scottish Minstrel 131b, Paphps 51b, and Hengist 41b. If we could suppose that distance had no value in his calculations, we might be justified in fancying that Mr Henrys was beginning to think he had let Materoa off two lightly in the New Zealand Cup, and that he would like a show to give Ideal a bit more. But of course we cannot argue that way. There's nothing in it, probably. At the same time, those who are backing Materoa for the big event at Riccarton are no doubt pleased to see that by his latest weights Mr Henrys respects the Gisborne mare. That is as far as I care to go with the comparison. I may, however, add that on intrinsic merits I have some regard for Scottish Minstrel for this October Handicap.