TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3312, 5 September 1917, Page 45

TALK OF THE DAY.

By Sentinel. THE DUNEDIN SPRING MEETING. Tho appearance of the Dunedin Jockey Club's spring programme will bo welcomed by owners and trainers after their spell of inactivity during tho winter months, and it also indicates that the racing season of 1917-1918 will soon be in full swing. The principal features of the D.J.C. spring programme are the two claissics, the M'Lean Stakes (of 300sovs) and Dunedin Guineas (of 4Cosovs); and £he list of handicaps is headed by the Mosgiel Handicap (of 250sovs, one mile and a-quarter), Electrio Handicap (of 150sovs, six furlongs), Ranfurly Handicap (of 20Qsovs, one mile), and Shorts Han-

dicap (of ISOsovs, six furlongs). Next In point of value. comes the Otago Welter (of 130sovs, one mile), Telcgrapn Welter (of 130sovs, one mile), and Dominion Handicap (for two-year-olds, of 130sovs, four fuxiongs). The Spring Hurdles (of 130sovs), and the Waikari Hurdles (of 12050v6) also find a place on the bill of fare; and the minor events consist of the Maungatui Handicap (of lOOsovs, seven furlongs), iaioma Handicap (of lOOsovs, six furlongs), Trial Plato (of lOOsovs, six furlongs), Kaikorai Handicap (of lOOsovs, seven furlongs), and Clarendon Handicap (of lOOsovs, six furlongs).' Altogether the list makes on attractive programme, for which nominations fall duo on September 21. AN IMPORTANT POSITION. It may bo taken for granted that thero will bo several applications for the position of handicapper to the Auckland Racing Olub, which carries a salary of £4OO per annum. Under ordinary circumstances the salary would work out at over £36 pee day’s racing, and such a remuneration reads rather tempting. It should not, however, be overlooked that a great deal of th® salary must, if the successful candidate attends to duty, be absorbed in travelling expenses incurred in attending race meetings with which he may not bo officially connected, but which supply very necessary information for the compilation of handicaps to bo decided at Ellerslio. We have a great deal of racing in New Zealand, and very few handicappers; in fact, at the present time all the important handicapping in this country is in the hands of two men in the persons of Mr J. E. Hcnrys and Mr H. Coyle; and there should be a good opening for at least two more weight adjusters. Under existing circumstances the northern handicappers never see any racing south of Wingatui, and tho southern handicappera see no racing—or practically no racingnorth of Wingatui. Under such circumstances it seems obvious that some of our South Island owners may not always feel particularly pleased , with tho weights , allotted their horses. What we want is that our handicappers should see more of the racing on which they have to base their work. Perhaps it does not matter very much, hut it is clear that our handicappers have to weight horses which they have never seen run, and also at times never see them race under tho handicaps which they have compiled. This state of affairs is not at all satisfactory to horse-owners; and a complaint existing for some time past is that our handicapping is in all too few hands. It is in point of fact practically a monopoly, and if an exalted view is held about a horse it can only win with all th® advantage in the hands of the opposition. Hence, it will wo interesting to note if the Auckland Racing Olub elect to bring soma “now blood’’ into the field. Whilst on the subject of handicapping, attention may bo drawn to the fact that some of the southern clubs occasionally invite -applications for tho position of handicapper, but the salaries obtainable are apparently not sufficiently tempting, as the northerners leave that part of tho world severely alone. If the Auckland Racing Club do not appoint a new man, it is to bo honed that the Racing Conference will supply a bodyguard for our two leading handicappers as the anti-racing folk may take it into tneir heads to stop racing by kidnapping our weight adjusters. Imagine the good ship “Racing” floundering in a heavy sea with no officers on tho bridge to navigate her, and, worse still, no able mate of proved ability in sight to take the captain’s place. THE TEST OF HANDICAPPING. As one of the most important positions —handicapper to the Auckland Racing Club —in our raging world is at present vacant, the time seems opportune to draw attention to tho arrant humbug ideas and shallow opinions which invariably accept a close finish as evidence of good handicapping, and foisted upon the public as such. Close finishes are no doubt sometimea achieved by good handicapping, but in very many cases the luck of tho race in tho way of a start, a good or bad run, the condition and riding of the contestants, and a thousand and one other things, may help to do far more towards bringing a few horse® in fairly close line as they flash past the post than any allocation of tho avoirdupois made by the weight adjusters. Good horsemanship, when it reaches the fine art which cleverly wins without exposing how much is in hand, makes many a close finish; but it is, alais 1 almost amongst the lost arts, and seemed in danger of becoming absolutely so when everyone went crazy on the bad imitations of Tod Sloan, which hunted Worses all the way from start to finish. A handicap should not be judged or accepted as good and expert work because two os three horses in a field of about 20 starters flash past the winning post with narrow margins between them. It should rather b® judged as to how tho handicapper has read the form on which he bases his work. In much tho same way a good percentage of acceptances is accepted as good handicapping, but not infrequently some bad or harshly handicapped horses figure as acceptors. as it is generally believed that the only way to get in better is to run off tha weight. The reason for expressing tho above opinions is supplied by the fact that, when appointing a' handicapper, the Auckland Racing Club retain the right of dismissal seven days after any race meeting-. This seems to indicate that the club is m search of new blood, as it can b® taken fop granted that neither Messrs Henrys nor Coyle would bo dismissed in such an abrupt; manner if they elected to apply for tho position. Hence, there seems a chance for a new man, who would have to bo very incompetent indeed if ho could not secure good acceptances and fluke a few good finishes from the large nominations and ► fields which have become the invariable rule at Auckland. The average .racegoer loves the thrill of tho close finish, which is frequently erroneously accepted as good handicapping; but when it comes to an official consideration of a handicapper’a work, a much deeper and more searching 1 test has to be applied. A DELICATE HINT. The fact that a few riders and trainers* licenses have been held up or withdrawn may be accepted in some quarters as proof that tho authorities are exercising every possible means of purifying the turf. It la undoubtedly a strong effort towards that very desirable end; but it is not so thorough and complete as some _ would like to see at work. Those whose licenses were in jeopardy, or have been lost, are not by any means the only transgressors against the Rules of Racing and good sportsmanship. Some have been carpeted for comparatively minor offences, and escaped oyer more serious matters; and others, again,

who havo transgressed rather seriously appear to havo completely escaped the official eye.- Hence the reason for stating that the supervision of racing is not so perfect as its best friends desire. Those who havo been carpeted before receiving their licences have no doubt to explain, or re-explain, the "satisfactory explanations" they may have successfully tendered during the past season, and so, in a sense, may be undergoing two trials for the one offence. Such reshifting and re-examination of evidence may savour of persecution, but it at least holds the merit of making everyone possess an apparently clean record before obtaining a renewal of license. But whilst acknowledging, and very gratefully acknowledging in the interest of the sport and its patrons, that a certain amount of good work : s being carried out towards elevating the turf to the highest possiblo plane, it must also be said that tho supervision of racing at some of our South Island meetings has been, to put it mildly, somewhat unsatisfactory. During the past season tho writer witnessed certain occurrences which certainly should not have been allowed to pass without official challenge. Comment was withheld at the time because the enemies of racing were abroad in strong force, and would, to servo their own ends, have very readily seized upon an opportunity to judge, the sport by some few outstanding faults rather than by its many virtues. No more need be said concerning tho matter, as even now there is no desire to place a stick in tho hands of the enemy; but the past season could not to completely vanish without expressing, as a duty, a very strong desire for a stronger and closer supervision of tho sport during the season which lies before us. There arc spots on the sun, and there is no desire expressed here to ship a supply of polish to that lifegiving orb; but that is no reason why some easily-eradicated spots should be allowed to exist on the turf. THE KUROW MEETING The fact that the Kurow meeting is to be held on the Oamaru Racecourse will at least enhance the interest in the meeting as far as owners and trainers are concerned, owing to its being more accessible than when held on the usual rendezvous. Hence it will notbe surprising to find that an excellent nomination has been received when the list is made up after the closing of the entries. The attractive feature of the programme is tho Kurow Handicap, of 200sovs, seven furlongs; and the balance of the card for the day is made up by the Waitangi Hurdles, of 120sovs; the Hakataramoa Handicap, of lOOsovs, six furlongs; Waitaki Trot, of llOsovs; Trial Plate, of lOOsovs (for two-year-olds and upwards), four furlongs; Welter Hack Handicap, of lOOsovs, one mile and a-quarter; Dash Trot, of lOOsovs, one mile; and Belfield Handicap, of llOsovs, five furlongs. Nominations are due on Monday, September 10. SIRES OF THE SEASON. Tho shapely and stoutly-bred stallion Buff Gauntlet is to be placed at the service of breeders in the Lumsden, Balfour, and Mossburn districts during the coming season, and should command plenty of patronage. When on the turf Buff Gauntlet showed good winning form, but unfortunately a mishap ended his racing career when leading a Winter Cup field into the straight, so that his real merit as a racehorso was never fully demonstrated. He was got by Red Gauntlet, who was undoubtedly a really good horse, and so much is evidenced by his win in the best of company at Riccarton, where he won the Templeton Handicap, Jockey Club Handicap, as well as dead-heating with Savoury in the same race on another occasion. Other important wins were scored in the D.J.C. Handicap and Otago Cup, in addition to showing good winning form in several other events. Buff Gauntlet is a grandson of Lochiel, one of the most successful racehorses and sires that has ever been identified with the Australasian turf. Ho won the New Zealand Cup, Auckland Oup, Australian Cup, Newmarket Handicap, and other events, which proved him to be a horse of both exceptional speed and stamina. St. Ouida, the dam of Buff Gauntlet, was sot by St. Clair, a son of Musket and Pulchra. that was a good winner on the turf and the sire of Blazer. St Denis, Beadonwcll, and other brilliant performers. To Pulchra is due- tho credit of being one of the best taproots in the New Zealand Stud Book, as she is the ancestress of Multiform, Cruciform, and other highly successful stock. On the dam's side Buff Gauntlet traces back to the famous Blink Bonny, a winner of the Derbv and Oaks that became subsequently one of tho gems of the English Stud Book. Hence, both on tho score of breeding and individuality, Buff Gauntlet is worthy of patronage by owners of first-class brood mares. It should also be borne in mind that _he is furthermore a grandson of Lochiel, whose stock, in addition to being high-claes performers on the flat, were also very successful over fences.