TURF TATTLE.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume I, Issue 12, 18 October 1890, Page 3

TURF TATTLE.

[By

NORDENFELDT.]

Mr. Evitt has issued the weights for the Prince of Wales’ Handicap and Hurdle Race, to be ran at the A.R.C. Spring Meeting nextmonth. In the former event, Hilda, 9 st. 81b , heads the list. On some of her past performances she is well treated on paper, but in my opinion she is a mare that requires some racing to get her into form, and I don’t think she will be seen at her best so early in the season. On paper she ought to hold Leorina, Patchwork, Cynical, and Cartridge perfectly safe. Antelope, Bst. i2lbs., has about i2lbs. more than she should Although a good performer over sprint courses, she has never shown her ability to get to the end of a fast-run mile and a half. Cissy, Bst. 11 lb., is another that is unfairly treated, and I think she might safely have been let off, together with Antelope, with Bst. Tamora, Bst. slbs., is another that suffers in comparison with the top-weight. Last season she only placed one victory to her credit, the Avondale Cup Handicap. On that occasion she just beat Pinfire by a neck at level weights, and as she now has to concede the colt islbs. she has none the best of it, more especially as he is likely to have improved considerably more than she has. Patchwork, Bst. zlbs., on paper is held perfectly safe by the top-weight, but paper-form is not always reliable. Patchwork has been striding along very well in his work lately, and has probably improved on his last season’s form. I think he was a bit overdone towards the close of last season, and he may perhaps turn the tables on Hilda. He should at any rate run prominently under such a handy impost. He, however, suffers alongside of Leorina, 7st. nibs., who only won one of her engagements last year, but occupied a place on nine other occasions. She acted as runner up in the Easter Handicap to Hilda, beating Patchwork and others. She now meets Hilda on zlbs. better terms, and Patchwork at an advantage of 71bs. in her favour. So as she beat him then, how much more ought she to beat him now ? This is one of the many little inconsistences of the handicap. I* iesolc yst. 1 zlbs., has proved herself a fairly good performer over short courses, but at present she has not been asked to go further than a mile. In the Ladies’ Bracelet at the A.R.C. Winter Meeting, Leorina, giving her ißlbs., ran her to half a length in a mile, and as I take Leorina to be the better stayer of the pair, I think she will beat Major George’s filly at a difference of only 1 lb. Reprisal, 7st. iolb., is a good colt I am" convinced, and although his performances have been only moderate so far, I think he will prove one of the hardest horses to beat should his owner elect to start him. At the weight-for-age scale, as compared with Hilda, he has 61bs. the best of it. Leolantis, yst. 9 lbs. is, in myopinion, another Fabulous. He is credited with having done some good gallops in private, but I very much doubt his being anything more than a “moderate,” and I quite expect The Dreamer to beat him at any distance over a mile every time they meet. I consider The Dreamer is game and honest, but I don’t believe Leolantis is. For this reason I pass him by. As stated above, Cynical, 7SL 71b., is held quite safe by Hilda on paper form. In the Napier Park .Cup last Autumn, Cynical received no less than 3 stone from Hilda, and could only get a moderate third to her. Now, with an additional i3lbs. in the mare’s favour, she must hold him safe again. The Dreamer, 7st. 61b., is one of the picks of the handicap. He won his races last season like a thorough tradesman, and ran like a stayer. He is one of the colts that I expect to see play a very prominent part in handicaps this season, and it will not surprise me in the least should he annex the double of Auckland Guineas and Prince of Wales’ Handicap. Last time he met Leolantis, the latter was giving him nibs., and acted as runner up, and Mr. Evitt has now placed them at a difference of 31bs. Pinfire, 7St. 41bs., is a four-year-old colt in the same stable as Leorina. Last year he showed some very fair form, and he has been given a chance of annexing this event, if he has improved as he should have done. Belmont, 7st. 31bs., won the Hunt Club Cup Handicap at Otahuhu last Spring from Cartridge and Raglan. On that occasion Cartridge was giving him slbs. and was only beaten a neck. She now meets him on i4lbs. better terms, and as she has probably improved

more than he, I expect she holds him quite safe. Cambria, yst. 21bs., was not within a stone of The Dreamer as a two-year-old, and 1 don’t think he is likely to be any closer to him as a three, therefore I pass him by. Glaucus, yst., on his last season’s form, hasn’t a donkey s chance. Cartridge, 6st. 81bs., is not a bad little mare, but, unless she has improved considerably, she will find some of this company a trifle too select. 1 Torment, 6st. jibs., is another from which a capital view of the race should be obtained. Country Boy, 6st., I do not know, but he is, I hear, in the same stable as Belmont. To sum up, I consider the best treated in the race are Hilda, Leorina, Reprisal, The Dreamer, and Pinfire, and to pick two against the field, I should select Reprisal and The Dreamer, but as both of these will probably start in the Guineas, which is the race but one before the Handicap, perhaps Hilda will get home with all her weight.

The Handicap Hurdle Race is headed by Silvio, list. 121 b. I fear he is a light of other days, and has lost his pace. Hopeful Kate, lost, iolb., has been given what she is entitled to, and the same remark applies to Orlando, lost. 71b., Hune, gst. i2lb., and Parnell, gst. iolb., all of which are equitably treated on last season’s running. Of these four I prefer Hune, as she will probably have improved more than the older horses. Satyr, a non-performer over sticks has been given i ost. He might have been let off with a little less. Fishmonger, gst. 71b., has some pace, and may have an outside show. Torment, gst. 51b., and Te Kooti, gst. 41b., are, like Satyr, maidens over hurdles. Why they should receive so much weight from him is one of those things “ a fellah cannot understand.” I take Te Kooti to be a better performer on the flat than Torment, and Torment a better performer than Satyr. But evidently Mr. Evitt is of exactly the opposite opinion. If Te Kooti has received a careful jumping education through the winter at the hands of Gent, he should just about win. Fragrance, gst. 31b., will be a performer to-day at the Hunt Club Races, when her merits or demerits will be exposed. Begorra, Sentinel, Hailstone, Yum Yum, and Carronade are each let off with the mininum, gst. I do not know Sentinel, but the others are not likely to be dangerous. If I ihad to pick two against the field I should select Te Kooti and Hune, and perhaps Parnell is the next best.

In the Sporting Review of August 30th I wrote an article on the Caulfield Cup, and, after wading through the list of the 102 horses then engaged, I essayed to name the winner in nine picks. My selections were: —Dunkeld, Leopold, Churchill, Bothwell, The Promised Land, Sultan, Tarcoola, The Serf, and Midas. Of this lot, Dunkeld, The Promised Land, Sultan and Midas have dropped out, and I am left with five to do battle on my behalf. Leopold has been striding along, so the cable tells us, in excellent form, and promised to be a worthy representative of Auckland. Besides the Newmarket Handicap winner, Churchill, Redfearn has a six-year-old mare named Ivy engaged. Bothwell has occupied a prominent position in the betting all through, and I hear from a reliable source is very well. Tarcoola was backed for a lot of money on Friday night, and is sure to run prominently, while The Serf, a beautiful colt in Mr. J. Wilson’s dangerous stable, although not backed at the time of writing, may be expected to come with a rush at the finish. Other horses from which I anticipate danger are the mysterious Marvel and the well-backed Little Bernie and Pygmallion, but I shall stick to my original selections, and risk a place selection thus : — The Serf, or Leopold .. 1 Bothwell... 2 Tarcoola or Churchill 3

At a pigeon shooting match in connection with the Ballarat Gun Club some extraordinary good shooting took place. There were 93 competitors and. the birds were particularly good and strong. Ten of the competitors killed no less than 19 consecutive birds. Mr. T. G. Greenfield —who was handicapped at 27 yaids and had two charges —killed 38 birds without a miss, only using his second barrel three times. .