CLASS RACES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2690, 4 October 1905, Page 55

CLASS RACES.

I It is a misnomer to call the Rawson Stakes (run in Sydney a few days ago) a W.f.a. race. It was a tJass raoe designed I chiefly to enhance the takings of the< gate. ! and waa not put on for the purpose of j encouraging owners to keep first-class horses lin training. Ib served its purpose, however, I as far as regards those that did start, for I ifc gave them an excellent opportunity of a gallop in public and a chance of picking up a crumb of comfort before the big meeting. But (says "Milroy"), as before remarked, the conditions were ill considered. In drafting- class races or special weight races frsmcrs never consider a big handicap winner, but all their penalties »re based on w.f.a. races. Class raoes invariably supply

more interesting sport -than scrambling handicaps, and for that reason they should figure more frequently ou first-class programmes. Handicappers are only human, and often weak at that, and times out of number we have seen horses handicapped out ot reason ; but their owners have no remedy whatever against the weight-maker, who is a law unto hims.elf, and is loyallysupported by his employers, who, as a rule, pay no more attention to his work than they do to the daily life of a olub waiter. Class races such as the Trial Stakes at Randwick afford a badly-used owner the chance of paying expenses and exposing the fallacy of the handioapper's work. There should be one raoe of fixed weights, with penalties and allowances, for all classes run every day of a big autumn or spring meeting, but winners of great handicaps should not come in on fche level with a suburban weilLer jrinner. I never could see any good reason in letting a Sydney or Melbourne Cup winner off scot free in a race of fixed: weights because it had never had the luck to win a w.f.a. race. In, trotting- the Americans long since recognised handicapping to be a failure, and', with the institution of class racing, trotting progressed in America and improved rapidly to its present high standard. JFrotfeers are classed by their public performances. Why .cannot racehorses be classed on the same principle? Say .Fitz-Grafton, Emir, Dividend, Gladsome, and Sylvanitc be considered 1 first-class by their classic race and w.f.a. winnings, while such performers as Lord Fitzroy, Tartan, Aorasia, Marvel Loch, Lord Ullin's Daughter, and Playaway be in the second class until, they win their way out of it; and so on.