CAPAND JACKET

Observer, Volume 1, Issue 21, 5 February 1881, Page 211

CAPAND JACKET

MY NOTE BOOK. By " Old Tubfite."

The weights for the Dargaville Handicaps -were published on Thursday, 27th. It does not take much consideration to point out the probable winner of the two handicaps. _ It appears as if they were made for Vampire, and from the price the bookmakers offer, they seem ■to be of the same opinion. It has been argued by one or two that Vampire has not run bo well this year, and that he cannot get the distance. This, to a casual observer, may appear correct, b»t it must be born in mind that he is a difficult horse to train, and one that will not come every day. This season he ran in the A.R.C. Handicap, at the Auckland meeting, giving Yatap.a 51b. He then finished a good third. At Cambridge, in the Publicans' Purse, 1£ miles, he received lOlbs. from Yatapa and 241bs. from Lone Hand, and won comfortably. In the Dargaville Cup he receives lOlbs. from Yatapa and 22lbs from Lone Hand. In the Kaipara Handicap he receives 71bs. from Yatapa and 19lbs. from Lone Hand, this being a mile and a-half, which is all in his favour. Last year, when Messrs. Mason and Valance had him, his performances were very good. His winning Taces were at Wellington. He won the Racing Club Handicap, 6st. 41bs., 1J miles in 2min. 42^secs. At Wanganui Autumn he won the Wanganui Stakes, 2 miles, 6st. lllbs., in 3min. 44£secs. Won Flying Handicap, 7st. lOlbs., 1 mile and a distance in 2min. 2secs. At Hawkes' Bay Racing Club lie won Hawkes' Bay Cup, 6st. 51bs., 2 miles, and was second in the Napier Handicap, 6st. 71bs., won by Soucar, •6st. 41bs. These performances show that if fit and well- he cannot lose both the big handicaps at Dargaville. Maori (late Auckland) a new importation from Axistralia is handicapped at 9st. No line can be formed of his capabilities as he was one of the most uncertain and shifty horses in training on the other side, and I do not think he will run any better here, Kenilworth, even if he was fit, can have no chance at the Aveights. Lone Hand and Yatapa are held safe by Vampire, and the others in the Cup are not of much account. As there is no penalty (a great oversight) for the Kaipara Handicap this race also seems at Vampires mercy. • The Handicap Hurdle is also a curious production, and the weights absurdly low, but still in a race of this kind accidents may happen and upset any certainty. The acceptances will, I expect, be small, and the meeting not the success it should be.

Having heard a go6d deal about the colt foal by Musket out of Silvia, the property of the Auckland Stud Co., I availed myself the other day of an opportunity to see him. The reports about him have not been at all exaggerated seldom haA r e I seen a better foal at his age ,(two months), he looks at least six months' older. He has plenty of size and substance, shoAving also a great deal of quality. If a fault is to be found Avitli him, he is too perfect for his age, and may not fulfill his early promise.

Following these notes will be found an interesting article by Mr. Corlett, the editor of the London Sporting Times, with reference to the Hon. W. Robinson's turf career in England. Tke writer has fallen into a great many mistakes. At the time he writes about Gratitude and her memorable Cesarewitch, I was the.oVner of many race horses, and an intimate friend of Mr. Robinson's. I, therefore, well remember all the circumstances. In the first place, he says, "there are many instances of horses which were ' readied' for Admiral lious, but never a moi-e pronounced one than that of Mr. Robinson's Gratitude, who was the best good thing that did not come off we ever knew." Now Gratitude never was, as the writer says, " readied" for Admiral lious. The fact was it was only towards the end of the season it was discovered that the mare could stay, and hence she got turned loose. With regard to Mr. Corlett's remarks about Mr. Robinson throwing an unlimited commission into the market, that was very unlikely, as Mr. Robinson was much too clever a man to do such a thing. If I remember right, the first commission was for a thousand pounds, which averaged about 50 to 1, and the next commission for a thousand, which did not average more than about 15 to 1, the remainder were private bets. In this I think Mr. Robinson will bear me out. With regard to Mr. Corlett's remarks about horses being "readied" for Admiral Rous and the good things that did not come off, he might have mentioned those that did, and never were there two more palpable "readied ones" than Lioness for the Cesarewitch, and Croagh Patrick for the Stewards' and Chesterfield Cups at Goodwood. WithregardtowhatMr. Robinsondid in the subscription room at Newmarket the night before the race, I must confess I do not remember, though I was with him at the time. Mr. Corlett is also in error when he says that Kangaroo and Eltham who ran in Selling Races as two-year-olds, turned out two of the best thiee-year-olds of their season. Kangaroo was never worth a tenth, part of the money that the unfortunate Marquis of Hasling gave for him, and how he managed to win the Biennial at Newmarket, is a puzzle to the oldest race goers. Eltham was never within 141 b. of a first-class horse. The latter portion of ' Mr. Corlett's article, needs very little contradiction, as all my readers know the Hon. W. Robinson's position in New Zealand, and from what I know of him I think I may most emphatically deny that he ever lost money on the English Turf. The late Mr. Merry, Col. Higgins and others, always looked upon him as one of the shrewdest men upon the Turf, and if he did miss the €esarewitch lie made amends for it in other races. The only mistake I remember his making was when he returned ■Achievement to Col. Pearson, and this is a sore point with him even to the present day.