Sporting Review. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1890.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume I, Issue 19, 6 December 1890, Page 3

Sporting Review. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1890.

The Racing Season is now at its height and to all true lovers of Racing has been full of interest. It will take a good deal of consideration to find out which are the best horses of their year. The running up to the present time has been of the most in and out character, with the exception of Carbine and The Admiral (winners of the Melbourne Cup and V.R.C. Derby). We cannot afford the time to wade through all the different performances we shall, therefore, only take the principal events of Australia and New Zealand. There is not much chance of “bluffing” Messrs. Barnard and Scarr, but unfortunately no one of their stamp has come forward in New Zealand. The handicaps for the principal meetings in New Zealand are made as follows: the C.J.C. appoint a Committee, and as the old adage is “ too many cooks spoil the broth ” so are the handicaps, and one of the C.J.C. Committee has foolishly rushed into print trying to exculpate himself and his confreres regarding the weight alloted to Wolverine in the New Zealand Cup. The Dunedin Jockey Club appoint Mr. Douse, though he has been in hot water lately he frames some good handicaps, but he does not travel enough through the North Island, and he may some day be caught by a clever owner. The Auckland Handicaps are made by Mr. J. O. Evitt, and he can if he likes make a good one. This state of things is unsatisfactory to owners especially, as there are numbers of petty handicappers appointed by country clubs who really have no knowledge of their business, and rely on information instead of their own judgement. The best plan would be for the Metropolitan Clubs to select two handicappers, one for the North and the other for the South Island, giving them a good salary, to devote their whole time to the, work. Men like Mr. F. F. Dakin could be obtained from Australia and then things would work satisfactorily. However, we have digressed from our original matter, so return to it. Taking first the weight-for-age horses, leaving out Carbine as his name is firmly established as the champion racehorse of Australia. Titan as a two-year-old was the best of his year, and was sold at a false price. He remained a great favourite during the winter for both the A.J.C. and V.R.C. Derbies. He came out a great favourite for the former, but went down before Gibraltar, Gatling and Whimberel, since then he has gradually descended in the scale until finally he was sold at a “Platers’” price. Gibraltar, unfortunately, went amiss, while Gatling and Whimberel after showing good form at the A. J. C. Meeting did nothing subsequently. The same remarks may be made with regard to Annesley, who after winning the Caulfield Guineas ran wretchedly. The only three-year-olds that have shown consistant form are The Admiral and Megaphone. We will now take the handicap horses. Little Bernie won the Metropolitan Stakes at the A.J.C. Meeting and done nothing afterwards, though backed for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup. The same remarks apply to The Queen, who was third to him at Rand wick. For the Caulfield Vengeance defeated a good field and was heavily backed for the Melbourne Cup, but has done nothing since. We now come to the V.R.C. Meeting. In the Derby The Admiral won, Magic Circle second and Gatling third, Correze not getting a place. Still in the Melbourne Cup, Correze, with 7 st. 31b. up, runs into third place, beating all of his age, and later on wins the V.R.C. Handicap, onej and three-quarter miles, with 7st. 121 b. up, also breaking the time record. Magic Circle does nothing, getting beaten by Litigant. The only way of looking at it is that the Derby was a false run race. The only other horse to mention is Melos, and he has certainly not run up to his previous form. It will, therefore, take a clever man not in the “ know ” to select winners for future events in Australia. We now come to the in and out running of horses in New Zealand. At the Napier Meeting Medallion, the crack two-year-old last season, got badly beat in the Hawkes’ Bay Guineas, and was afterwards scratched, for the New Zealand Cup. A month later he comes out and wins the C.J.C. Derby, beating

Crackshot and Freedom, St; Andrew (who beat him in the Hawkes’ Bay Guineas) and others. Freedom from his running at the Dunedin Spring Meeting has proved himself a good colt at a mile and a half, but cannot stay. . In the Canterbury Cup Crackshot, Medallion and Freedom started, and finished in the order named. It will, therefore, be interesting to those who understand these things to see how the next handicapper will attempt to bring thorn together, and also to so© th.© opinion of Messrs. Barnard and Scarr of their merits should they be sent to Australia.

We beg to call the attention of the Auckland Racing Club Committee to a gross injustice that has been done to the owners of jumping horses who are desirous of nominating for the Maiden Steeplechase at the forthcoming Summer Meeting. The entrance money for all jfices, either on the flat or over hurdles, where the added money is one hundred sovereigns or under is one sovereign. For the Auckland Cup, value six hundred sovereigns, the entrance money is two sovereigns. For the Auckland Racing Club Handicap of four hundred sovereigns the entrance is the same. For the Auckland Steeplechase of three hundred sovereigns the entrance is also two sovereigns. For the Maiden Steeplechase. of one hundred sovereigns the entrance fee is the same as for the big steeplechase. Now this is manifestly unfair, as there is a great deal more risk in steeplechasing than in flat races, besides the owners having to pay their jockeys an extra fee for riding. We trust that this may be an error in the programme, or an oversight on the part of the A.RC. Committee, and that it will be rectified, before next Friday—-the day of general entry. (It is not too late to do it.) If not, we learn on good authority that several owners will not enter their horses in the Maiden Steeplechase, and quietly acquiese in such an imposition.

The Takapuna race meetings have long been notorious for the great alterations in form that certain horses display in a remarkably short space of time, thus again showing the great necessity of a stipendary steward. Though one of the active Committee of the A.R C. and the secretary were on the ground they took no notice of the wonderful difference of form shown by some of 'the horses. At the A.R.C. Spring Meeting in the Flying Stakes, six furlongs, Cissy, gst 71b, was first; Antelope, gst sib, second; Reprisal, Bst 31b, third ; Capella, ;st jib, was never in the race. At Takapuna in the Spring Handicap, six furlongs, Capella, Bst 41b, wins ; Antelope, 9St lolb, second; Leorina, Bst 81b, third; Tamora, Bst; Locket, yst 21b; and Regal, 6st izlb, being behind them. We will now take Leorina’s running at the A.R.C. Spring Meeting. In the Prince • of Wales Handicap, i£ miles, she carried yst ijlb, but could never get near Cissy, Bst nib, who was first, Leolantis, yst 91b, second, and Cartridge, 6st 81b, third. In the City Handicap ij miles, Leorina, with yst 81b, was nowhere, the winner being Cissy, gst ;lb ; St. Michael, yst, second ; Leolantis, Bst, third. In the St. Andrew’s Handicap, miles, at Takapuna, she literally walks in with gst on her back, Antelope, gst 41b, being second, Cartridge, ;st 41b, third. In the Prince of Wales Handicap Leorina could not get near Cartridge, giving her 1 gib, but in the St. Andrew’s Handicap the same distance, she runs away from Cartridge, giving her 24th. How is this wonderful difference in form to be accounted for in less than three weeks ? > Now we come to Hailstone. At the A.R.C. Meeting he could not beat a couple of hacks in the Selling Race, and was tailed off in the Hurdle Race with gst sib ; but at Takapuna he wins both Hurdle Races with gst izlb and gst 41b respectively, the races coming pretty close together. The only other horse whose running is peculiar is Tamora, and she may as well be watched for future events. The riding of some of the jockeys, especially in the St. Andrew’s Handicap, was not without suspicion. In conclusion all we have to say after pointing out the peculiar form of some of the horses is that it requires a clever and experienced handicapper to, detect all this in-and-out running at outside meetings, therefore the sooner a competent stipendary steward is appointed the better, but he must be a man sans peut et sans reproche. There are gentlemen in Auckland

who are not only competent to act as such, but also as handicappers (in this we beg to differ from the Auckland correspondent of a southern paper, who says there is not), but they do not like to be dictated to by those who put themselves forward as having a practical knowledge of racing, but actually know nothing.