SPORTING.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7249, 25 October 1890, Page 2

SPORTING.

THS SPRING- HANDICAPS.

(By "Pakeha.") The weights for the Wanganui Spring Meeting made their appearance on Wednesday, and I am sorry to say I cannot congratulate the handieapper (Mr Hately) on his adjustments, as I doubt very much if ever there was a handicap framed with so many glaring errors. A simple way of pointing out a few of these errors is to compare Jthe present handicaps with the weights these horaes carried at the last Wintor Meeting in the appended table :— Winter, Spring, Difference. ljmls. lj-mls. Boulangor(2nd) 711 9 5 221bs mora Montroso 8 9 8 8 lib less Lady Ledger 611 712 151bsmore Vendor (Ist) 6 9 8 6 251bs moro Mirabelle 6 0 6 9 91bsmore f-mile J-mile Boulanger 8 0 9 5 191bsmore Montrose 712 810 121bsmore Rufns 7 6 8 0 81bsmore Eilleen 7 0 7 6 61b3more Mirabelle 6 5 610 51bsmore Josephine 6 0 710 241bsmor« The only "horses that have performed since are Boulanger and Josephine. The latter started in two hack flat races at the Rangitikei Hunt Club meeting last month ; with 7st 121 b she won the Flying, beating a very poor field. In tha mile and a-half with 7st 71b she finished third to Ros, 7st 71b, and Oaklands, Bst 91b. "If Josephine is fairly weighted, what weight would Oaklands have been asked to carry in the Wanganui Stakes to give Josephine a show? Despised, Bst 101 b, beat this mare, with 7st, in the Flying Hack race at the last March meeting; this was by far her best performance last season. »Boulanger, at 9st 51b in the Wanganui Stakes, is simply slaughtered, and I was not the least surprised to hear of the pen going through bis name. Boulanger has neither proved himself a stayer nor yet a weight-carrier.' Only on two occasions has he succeeded in carryingn g over Bst to victory. This was in the Winter Oats (1 mile) at Feilding, and in tho Grandstand Handicap (7 furlongs) at Napier Park, and in both races, with the exception of Montrose (who suffered half a length defeat at Feilding), the horses opposed to him were a very poor lot. The only li-mile race that Boulanger has won is the Feilding Handicap last Easter, when he beat Cheque by a bare head. Cheque carried Bst 61b and Boulanger 7st7lb. This was the last meeting Cheque sported silk at, and now Mr Hately asks Uoulanger to meet him on 261bs worse terms for a head beating, Boulangor is also asked to meet Montrose on 231 b worse terms than when they lait met at the Steeplechase Meeting. No wonder Mr Paul scratched his horse. In the Spring Handicap at Napier Boiilanger carried 7st 51b, and failed to gain a place $ the winner Crackshot, was conceding him a year and 21b, and best him badly. I wonder what weight Mr Hately would have allotted Crackshot had he been nominated for this race ? Judging by Boulanger's weight I should say not less than lOst. Next on the list comes Eetina at 9sfc. She is also shamefully treated. On the running at Napier Boulanger proved himself to bo fully a Btone better than the mare. In the Fljing.atthe last Feilding Meeting, Cheque gave her 61bs and a good be-iting, so her chance is remote (since scratched), Montrose, Bst 81b, to my mmd is the pick of the Handicap ; the table above will convince my readers of that. Last season he proved himself to be the best horse on the coast by winning the Wanganui Maidon, Railway Handicap (Rangitikei), Manawatu Racine; Club Handicap, Autumn Handicap (Wanganui), and also defeated Boulanger at his/ favourite distance in the Flying at the Winter Meeting. Among the horses he defeated were such noted performers as Antelope, Patchwork, Forester, Foxton, Kotuku, and Lenore. Cyclone, Bat 71b (since scratched) hasn't the ghost of a show over the distance. The table above will give an idea what a chance Vendor has with Bst 61b. For winning the Winter Oats by a head he is asked to put up 251 b. Cheque, Bst 61b, is very leniently treated, and if well on the day will prove Montroae's moit dangerous opponent. He met Vendor once and that was in the Turakina Handicap at a difference of lib, and romped home an easy winner ; Vendor finished a poor third. Cruiser, Bst Sib, and Woka, Bst 41b, cannot possibly have any Bhow with Montrose or Cheque. Josephine Bst and Lonely (since scratched) Bst, are both disgracefully treatod ; their show would not have been a rosy one even with 6st up. Why they should give weight to performers like Lethe, Comet, Lady Leger, and Seraph, I cannot understand. Lady Leger, 7st 121 b, has a nice chance with Cheque. When they met in the Feilding Handicap Cheque carried Bst 61b and finished second ; Lady Leger carried Gst 41b and finished third. She is now asked to meet him on 221ba wone terms. Lethe, 7st 101 b, has about his fair weight, but he is no fancy of mine over a distance. Seraph, 7at 51b, is my fancy of the light weights. Her lost appearance in publio was in the two-year-eld races at the Napier Park Meeting last Maroh. The first day with 6st 7.1 bon her back she ran a dead heat with'Aronoel, 7st 101 b; St Andrew, 9st, the oraok 3-year-old finished behind them then. The second day with 7st, she ran second to Aronoel, Bst lib. Comet, 7st 31b, placed a number of wins to bis credit last season in the Wairarapa and Porirun meetinge, and put down Sincerity, Angler, and Wanderer in the big event. Mirabelle has a nice handy weight, but I am afraid she will find Montrose, Cheque, Seraph, and Comet cany too many-guns for >~ her. With -a start I shall expect to see' these four fight out the finish in the order named. I have criticised the horses so much in the Stakes that it is hardly necessary -for me to go through the Flying. The errors are just as glaring, but take it all through it is a much better handicap than the mile and a-half. Seraph has 91bs less to carry in the short race. How does Mr Hately estimate her chances so muoh better over a long course, when she has never started in anything over six furlongs ? He also considers Josephine 41b better over the longer distance. I consider she is a stone better in the shorter distance— her performances have proved her so, at any rate. The best treated in the Flying I take to be Seraph, Lethe, Jenny, Eilleen and Montrose. In the Hurdle Race, Gladius, lOafc, on performances, holds them all safe. Why Asper, who has never won a hurdle race, is placed on the same mark is a mystery to me. My readers will remember how easily The Colonel, with list 101 b, defeated him in the Hack Hurdle Race last March, when Asper only carried 9at 91b. Jenny, lint 10lb, and Puzaro, lOst 101 b, should both - have had about Bib less. The next best to Gladius, I consider, is Tauraokaitai, list, , and Jacob, 9st. I am afraid the , response the Wanganui Club will receive from owners next Tuesday will be a very poor one. After such a production as Mr Hately has made of his first weights, I have no doubt the member* of the Wanganui Jookoy Club ore regretting now that they did not appoint Mr Henry as their handieapper. His handicaps always meet with success.