Back End Of The English Racing Season.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18941, 11 December 1929, Page 14

Back End Of The English Racing Season.

CHIEF INTEREST IS AROUSED IN LONG DISTANCE HANDICAPS

(Special to the “Star.”) LONDON, October 24. We are at an advanced stage of the back-end season, with the Manchester November Handicap the one bright spot on the’ horizon. It cannot be contended that the National Hunt campaign is fraught with interest; quite the reverse, indeed, after the lean time we had last year on account of the prolonged frost. As for the Manchester race, the horse I am mostly concerned about at the time of writing is Saracen, who failed in the Cesarewitch and yet did well enough to make me believe he will be a factor at Cottonopolis on the ill-important day. Saracen won the November Handicap last year, it will be remembered, and I have rather a firm belief in his ability to do it again. With regard to his running in the Cesarewitch, there is one point worth dwelling on. That concerns the bad terms on which he had to meet Brown Jack —as compared with their earlier meeting at Nottingham. At that venue Brown Jack beat Saracen cleverly by a head; yet in the Cesarewitch the winner had a 71bs pull with the conquered. There are several reasons why Saracen must get into the November Handicap with a comparatively lenient weight, and on that account he makes all the more appeal. Those abroad who discover that the horse is being befriended may well take the hint.

I learn from Jack Anthony that Raster Hero, who made such a great light for Grand National honours last March, is again to go into winter training for the big Liverpool ’chase. His trainer will, as last year, confine his early attention to hurdle races. The great question arises: How will the handicapper think fit to deal with Easter Hero next time? For a long while we have seen good horses like Sprig, Silvo, and a few more, liter-

ally squeezed out of the National by reason of their burden.

That fine jockey F. B. Rees, who knows what it is to ride a National winner, has always contended that no animal ought to receive more than twelve stone when the weight compiler sets out his job. On this point I am inclined to agree and I am also disturbed about the right of some horses to take part in the famous race. Without exaggeration one can record that the National is gradually developing into a circus-like performance, and it is high time the National Hunt Committee considered taking steps in the matter. There should be some qualification or other—some qualification which might act as a bar to about 50 per cent of the horses which will be entered for the race next March. 1 can write more about this matter later on, and meanwhile I am prepared to see some action taken by the National Handicap Committee. The winner of the Middle Park Stakes last year was Costaki Pasha. He has not won a race since. The winner of the Middle Park Stakes this season was Press Gang. What will his future be? First of all he is not entered in the Derby, so he cannot win that. He is in the 2000 Guineas, however, and may win that. It all remains to be seen. The two-year-old situation at this moment seems definite: Press Gang, Challanger and Blenheim (who has gone into winter quarters) are the best of them. The classic winners of the present season have not been up to certain standards of the past; and the two-year-olds are certaianly not quite so promising as others we have seen in 3-ears gone by. But, of course, these laments are heard season after season. It remains for the following season to yield the fullest enlightenment. Such horses as Coronach, Colorado and Fairway—to name but. three—have proved in recent years that guessing long in advance is not very profitable.