CAP AND JACKET

Observer, Volume 1, Issue 24, 26 February 1881, Page 247

CAP AND JACKET

MY NOTE BOOK By "Old Turfite."

—The attendance at the Waikato Turf Club meeting was not as numerous as in previous years It is to be accounted for by the fact that the times are hard, and that there is too much jealousy in the Waikato Two clubs and a number of petty local meetings absorb all the spare money. The races were the best I have ever seen there. The horses were of a superior class, and the events were well contested. This opinion is borne out by those who have attended the meeting for several years. The proceedings opened with the Hurdle Race. Harry Mount, who was in much better form than at Cambridge, won cleverly at the finish, after a good race with Te Whetu and Sportsman. The latter, through the handicaper being misinformed, had 71b. too much oa him, The Maiden turned out a moral for Kenilworth, who was in much better form than in Auckland ; still he was much too light. Rosarina was all to pieces. Mr. Walters would do well to °ive her a good spell before running her again. Rose of Sherwell ricked her back soou after starting, and had to be destroyed. This is another misfortune to add to Mr Bobett s already long list. She was a fine imported mare by General Peel, the winner of the Two Thousand Mr Bobbett had been offered £500 for her as a brood mare' The Turf Club Handicap resulted in a regular boil over! The talent first made Hippocampus first favourite then King Quail. The night before the race Lonehand fetched the most money in the Calcutta Sweep. Yatapa who was hardly mentioned in the betting, won a length from Kenilworth, after a good race, Hippocampus belng the absolute last ; and it will be found out that he is a greatly overrated horse, and will never be able to «ettwo miles. The result would have been different if the boy had not made so much use of Kenilworth. It was most injudicious, considering he had a race in him Yatapa wore him down at the finish, King Quail, who was made a great favourite, running a moderate third. The time was exceedingly bad, being 3mius. SOsecs. The President's Stakes was only a canter for Maori, and, if he had not been scratched in favour of Yatapa, he could have won the principal handicap. On the second day the attendance was worse than the first day. The races commenced with the Hurdle Race Lonehand was made a great favourite, Harry Mount being second iv demand. The former, however, ran out at the 6th hurdle, the moment the pace became fast. Harry Mount, Te Whetu, and Sportsman raced in a cluster to the last hurdle, where Harry Mount's jockey made a great mistake by rushing him at them, the horse striking it hard, came down a buster, giving his jockey a bad shaking; the other two then raced home Te Whetu winning all out by a length. The Derby to which ISOsovs. was added, only brought two to the front and resulted m any easy win for Kenilworth. Moonhis only opponent, was not to run for a shillingand it was a pity he started— in fact I never saw a horse brought to the front in such a state. The Publicans' Purse resulted in another good race, King Quail and Kenilworth being made favourites j and the former winning by a neck, after a severe race with Yatapa. Maori, who was top weight, and tho arrant rogue he is known to be, and refused to try a yard. If he had run up to his form of the previous day, he could have won easily. The meeting wound up with a Consolation, which resulted m a match between Ratcatcher and Lonehand at the difference of three pounds the latter being made a great favourite, but Ratcatcher won easily. There were curious rumours about this race, people declaring that Thorpe sold the race, and that the stakes, eta, were divided. This Ido not for one moment believe. I am of opinion that in a match Ratcatcher will always beat Lonehand, as he does not like to make his own running. Ratcatcher therefore can wait on him and beat him for speed at the finish ; though in leng races it would be different, as Ratcatcher is speedy for a mile but does not lik% to run that distance over. ' —The irrepressible "Phaeton," in his article of February 12th, ran down the Ohaupo Handicap, and said that Maori was crushed out of it and Hippocampus thrown in. " Phaeton " has been in the habit of finding faidt with handicappers for overweighting Mr. Walters^ horses. Now when according to his showing Hippocampus has a chance, he turns round and abuses the handicapper. When he wrote his notes on the Dargaville Handicap, he said " Maori is well in, but I think Yatapa will be returned the winner. "On looking through, the two handicaps I find that there was only a difference of two pounds between them in the two handicaps. He moreover picked King Quail and Golden Crown as the two next best in the Waikato Handicap. The former finished a bad third, the other beino- nowhere the race resulting m a terrible boil over for the talent' Still this presumptuous little fellow, in his article of last Saturday, has the impudence to write : " Yatapa secured the big event of .the meeting, beating a large field. Hippocampus, the throw in, having been only a short time m training, of course ran nowhere, therefore saving the reputation of the handicapper." I feel sure the handicapper will feel highly flattered at these remarks • but there is no use wasting time and paper on "Phieton " He has made himself the laughing stock of all the Southern papers, and it is now fully well known that he is an Aucklander bred and born, and never saw a good race in his life, nor a racehorse of any note, except Musket The sooner, therefore, he returns to his profession of typo setting the better. . __

— The acceptance for the Darga\ille Races are small, and most likely the fields will be still further reucedd, as now Vampire is out of it through having gone amiss, Yatapa, on his Waikato running, appears to have the Cup at his mercy, unless Maori takes it into his head to run honest, when he mi^ht succeed in upsetting the pot. Kenilworth Ido not think can reverse the Waikato running at the weights. The Hurdle Race is a gift to Harry Mount, as at the present time he is a better horse than ever he was. The Publicans' Purse should also fall to Yatapa, though as he seldom runs two days alike. Ratcatcher may win.

—Mick Gallagher has sold Harry Moilnt to a Kaipara gentleman, for £90. — NeAvmarket Handicap ancl Australian Cup — 1000 to 4 the double. — Eighty-nine entries for the Sydney Gold Cup. The largest ever made yet. —Grand Flaneur, Progress, ancl SaA r anaka axe not fancied for the Australian Cup. — Nelson has of late had a regular Sahara in respect to racing Matters ; but tho Colonist says that it has been resolved to hold a meeting early in March. Some £40 are in haud, and good prizes will be offered. — Tavo Oamaru gentlemen, Messrs. Edwards and Markham, drew Natator in the £4000 sweep got up by the levanting North, and they thus became entitled te the prize of £900. As the local Mail remarks, all they have to do is get their money. — "Plueton" doesn't love "Old Turfite" and of course slated the handicaps at Hamilton "like one o'clock." Unfortunately for "Phaeton's" judgement the finishes were particularly close, in fact better racing hasn't been seen this season. " Blue Gown," writing in the Waikato Times, observes : It will be very humiliating to "Phfeton" to learn the result of the racing here, and I hope for the future that he will be a little more careful in his cutting sarcastic remarks about the handicapper, for it was the general opinion expressed by the public that a better handicap had seldom, if ever, been made. .Captain Handley's connection with the turf is of very long standing, and he is quite competent to judge the merits of the horses entered for a race. It would be as well if "Phaeton"— and the remark applies to every correspondent of the " Old Woman in Wyndham-street" — studied a little more, and when he is in doubt about anything, just to give the mere facts of the case ; for his notes not only mislead the public, but make the " Old Woman," on sporting topics, look, as she does in many other matters, ridiculous in the eyes of turfites. —On the handicapping question " Mazeppa" ias the following :—" A few "months ago our sporting folk were very much interested in the handicapping question. Now, one never hears it spaken of. I mention this because it is necessary, if anything is to be done at the meeting of delegates to be held at Christchurch next April, that representatives shall come prepared with some instructions, or with a definite scheme for the solution of the question. If everyone comes simply to listen, and not to speak, the conference will again end in smoke. Perhaps it is best that such should be the case after all. Canterbury folk seem quite satisfied with Mr. Griffith ; Wanganui men stick hard aud fast by Mr. Hatley; Dunedin sportsmen have unlimited confidence in Messrs Dowse, Taggart, and Jobberns. Probably none of these would suit the people of Auckland, Wellington, or Napier, who would in all likelihood be better pleased to get some local men to do thoir work. All things considered, it is hardly likely that the project will ripen ; at least, that is my judgment, if a really good man could be found to suit all parties— not for a week or two, but for years— l still think the idea a good one."