MELBOURNE CUP.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20650, 26 June 1935, Page 12

MELBOURNE CUP.

What Weight Would Bahram Receive? A reader of the Melbourne “ Herald ” who evidently takes a keen interest in handicapping, as well as English and Australian form, recently wrote to that paper’s racing editor (“Cardigan”) asking him to write an article on the weight Bahram, the winner of the English Derby, would receive if entered for the next Melbourne Cup, and added: “I would particularly like you to compare Bahrain's impost with that likely to be awarded Sylvandale and, of course, Peter Pan.” “ Assuming,” writes “ Cardigan,” that Mr Davis gives Peter Pan 10.7 and Sylvandale 9.2, I should say that Bahram would receive a stone more than the last-mentioned horse. (Peter Pan was allotted 10.6 and Sylvandale 9.4.)

“ Of course, Bahram will not be four until January, as the breeding season is different in the Northern Hemisphere, but for the sake of argument we can reckon that, like Sylvandale, he will be a full four-year-old when the Cup is run. A Champion’s Weight. “ Bahram is unbeaten, and therefore must be considered a champion. Phar Lap, as a four-year-old, was given 9.12 in the Cup, but he was a gelding, so taking into consideration that Bahram is entire, he would, if reckoned the equal of Phar Lap, be given 10.1. the 31b extra being the gelding’s allowance. Mr Sol Green is a keen student of English form, and I asked him exactly how much better he thought it was than Australian. Of course the question only applied to good-class races. Mr Green replied: *At least 161b.’ “ This means that a weight-for-age winner in England, say, a horse of the class of Windsor Lad or Easton, could carry a penalty of 161 b and win a weight-for-age event at Flemington, provided, of course, they were at the top of their form.” LOSS SUSTAINED. New Brighton Trotting / Club’s Season. The New Brighton Trotting Club made a loss of £24 0s 6d on the season’s operations. The sum of £4610 was distributed in stakes, being an increase of £l6O on the amount given during the previous racing period. During the year, the club sustained a loss through the deaths of Messrs T. E. Danks and A. A. FI. Scrimshaw. The finances of the club are in a healthy state, thanks to the careful administration of its officers. During the season, owners contributed £1554 12s 6d in nomination and acceptance fees', subscriptions from members realised £7l Bs, and the receipts from the stands and gates yielded £BOO 18s. The sum of £685 3s 6d was received from the sale of privileges. An extra item in the way of earnings was that of £IOO received from the Marlborougt Trotting Club. The training fees amounted to £67 10s. On the expenditure side of the bal-ance-sheets are:—Stakes £4610, Government taxes £2680 14s lOd, salaries £336, wages £330 10s 4d, expenses at race meetings £6BO 10s, improvements £367 16s, repairs and maintenance £193 Is 6d and depreciation £385 4s.

The assets are shown at £13,696, and there are no liabilities. The following nominations have been received for the various offices;—President, Mr W. E. Thompson; vice-pre-sident, Mr J. McCreanor; honorary treasurer, Mr A. J. Harper; committee, Messrs F. Kibblewhite, G. Scott, jun., and J. Westerman; stewards, Messrs G. L. Berry, J. Johns, F. Kibblewhite, A. L. Moffat, B. J. McKenna, G. Pengelly, G. Scott, jun., E. S. Smart, O. von Sierakowski and J. Westerman. The annual meeting of members will be held at the club’s offices on Friday, July 5, at S p.m. OBJECTION DISMISSED. Auckland Trotting Club’s Decision. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, June 25. The objection lodged in regard to the Mangere Handicap, run at Epsom last Saturday, was dismissed by the Judicial Committee of the Auckland Trotting Club. The race was won by Bonny Azure, owned by Mr S. G. Hedley, and Nelson Luvan, owned by Dr Pezaro, was second. Both these horses were formerly trained by F. J. Smith, who was recently disqualified for three months by the New Zealand Trotting Association, and they figured in the race book as being trained by his brother-in-law, C. G. Smith. Mr A. lies, owner of the third horse, Great Chum, entered an objection against the first prize money, £95, being awarded to Bonny Azure and the second prize money, £2O, to Nelson Luvan, on the ground that F. J. Smith was not fulfilling the terms of his disqualification. Mr lies attended and made a statement. He said he was in touch with his witnesses this morning, but in the afternoon he received a message from them stating that, owing to the bad weather, they could not attend. He therefore asked for an adjournment. F. J. Smith, who was present with a number of witnesses, said he received permission from the Trotting Association to continue to reside on the property at Takanini and to work unregistered horses.

The Judicial Committee’s finding was as follows: “That, in the absence of any evidence that F. J. Smith has not fulfilled the terms of his disqualification, and in the absence of any justification for an adjournment, the objection be not upheld.”