THE TURF.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume I, Issue 20, 13 December 1890, Page 3

THE TURF.

[by

OLD TURFITE.]

The handicaps that Mr. Evitt issued for the Auckland Cup and Steeplechase have been declared by many persons to be dreadfully bad. At the first glance they appeared to be so, but on carefully looking them through I cannot coincide in that opinion, though he has certainly dealt very leniently with some. He has had a difficult task before him, insomuch that he has had to bring racehorses and scrubbers together. When a handicapper has to. bring these two classes together he should ignore the latter, and put them together in a bunch and let them take their chance. It is really wonderful to see owners year after year entering their “crocks” for a race like the Auckland Cup, when they can have no possible chance of winning at any weight, thus throwing their money away. .1.1. ■ I.

I will now to the best of my ability go through the handicaps, taking the different horses seriatim. Tirailleur, gst nib, has the top weight, and is certainly out of it, but I expect that Mr. Evitt has been told that he will not come to Auckland, and has therefore put him up so as to make a starting point—this is often done by handicappers. Dudu, Bst 1 jib, is the next we come to. She is a 6-year-old mare, and ran second in the New Zealand Cup, with Bst gib." She now meets Wolverine, the winner, on 171 b. and Strephon, who was third, on ulb better terms, while with regard to Crackshot and Jet d’Eau, two of the unplaced division, she has respectively nib and gib the best of the weights. Taking a line this way she is far from out of it. Hilda, Bst xolb, at the first glance at the handicap appeared to be thrown

in, but on careful consideration I have come to the conclusion that though leniently treated it .is no moral for her. . Besides she has never shown her ability to get two miles in good company. Cissy, Bst 61b, in the same stable, is another that the public have made a rush on. This mare showed fair form at the Spring meeting, but her successes were mainly due to the perfect condition she was in, while most of the others were not half fit. I have also great doubts of her staying, as her style of going points more to speed, and I think her best distance will be found to be a mile. Wolverine, Bst 4-lb, on paper is held safe by some of the others, especially Dudu, though as he has apparently come back to his three-year-old form there is no telling how good he may be. Crackshot, Bst 31b, is very fairly treated, and is a good colt, but he is unfortunately “ a speedy cutter,” and that class is never safe to stand however good they may be. Medallion, Bst, 'is the mysterious colt of the season. Should he come to Auckland and be all right one need not' lodk much further for the winner, but taking all things into consideration he had better be left alone—for the present at all events. Strephon, yst lolb, is a colt that I have a great fancy fbr.« He got third in the New Zealand Cup with 6st gib, afterwards winning the Metropolitan with jst 21b. Though not a regular stayer, it must be borne in mind the Auckland Cup is an easy two miles, while the Christchurch course is just the reverse. Whisper, yst gib; Cynisca, ?st 71b; and St. Andrew, 7St 61b, may be passed over, as the distance is a good deal further than they like. Jet d’Eau I look upon as a regular imposter. Leolantis and Antelope, yst 41b, will neither of them like the distance. Patchwork, 7st 31b, is not badly in, and he is a horse that I cannot make out his true form, but I am afraid, for his owners’ sake, that he is a rogue. Thackeray, 7st 21b ; St. Malo, yst Ilb ; and Reprisal, 6st 11 lb, I have no fancy for. With regard to Leorina, 6st lolb, Mr. Evitt has taken most unwarrantable liberties with her, letting her off at that weight. No animal runs more in-and-out than she does, but taking her in her best form she should be about the mark at the finish. Of the others the only ones to take notice of—unless a great number of the top weights drop out —are Queen of Trumps, 6st gib ; Palliser, 6st 71b ; and The Dreamer, 6st 71b. Until the acceptances appear, and one knows what are coming up, it is absurd to try and select the winner, even in three times, but I look upon the following as being best in :— Dudu, Hilda, Crackshot, Medallion, Strephon . and Leorina, and if I was compelled to take a long shot about one and stand it out it would be Dudu. [Since the above was written Wolverine has been scratched.]

When Mr. Evitt made the handicap for the "Auckland Steeplechase he must have put the most of . the names in a bag, and taken them as they came out, as it can hardly be called a handicap. However, I will go through them when the acceptances are declared. At present, in my opinion, Orlando, i2St 41b ; Sir Garnet, 11st gib ; and Sentinel, gst 81b; read the best.

Great has been the talk of the wonderful performance of Carbine in the late Melbourne Cup. No one will dispute that it was a fast time, but let lovers of racing and the time test look at the performance of Sheen in the Csesarewich run at Newmarket (England) on the gth of October. For the benefit of my readers I will describe the course. The Csesarewich is run over the distance of two miles and a quarter and thirty-seven yards, straight. The greater part is almost flat, there being but a little give and take. The last quarter of a mile is first down hill, and the last two hundred yards up a . very steep incline. The weather on Newmarket Heath in October is generally cold and damp —about equal to a winter day in Auckland. Now for a description of the race. Twentytwo numbers were hoisted on the telegraph board. The race resulted in an easy win for Sheen, by Hampton—Radiancy, 5 yrs, gst 21b ; Alicante, 3 yrs., 7St 51b, second: Judith, 4 yrs, 7st, third. ' Won cleverly by two lengths. Now comes the most wonderful part of the performance. The time recorded is three minutes, , fifty-five seconds. Now taking into consideration that in England the time isalways taken from the fall of the flag, when

the horses are some distance behind the post ; the difference in climate, also the going, it must be confessed that Sheen’s performance beats Carbine’s.

On the last day of the Houghton Meeting Sheen again came out for the Thousand Pound Plate, w.f.a., two miles, and with nothing to make the running for him defeated Amphion (who had been up to this time looked upon as the Champion) and four others in a common canter by three lengths. This running, I think, proves him to be the Champion of 18go.

When such an authority as “ Augur ” writes the following, it is not to be wondered at that when a New Zealander goes over to Australia the weight is put on him. If he had seen the race it would have altered his opinion. “It is a feather in the cap of Robinson Crusoe that his son, The Workman, should have proved victorious in the principal Two-year-old Race run at the Auckland Meeting. The victory is all the more creditable because he was opposed by sons and daughters of Nordenfeldt, St. Leger, Brigadier, and other sires located in New Zealand, etc.” Poor old Augur, when I first knew him he would not have penned such trash. Can he deny that both he and I have seen the very best bred horses not able to beat a butchers hack. Nothing ran in the race in question that Was worth £5OO.

The Old Father Plate at the Newmarket Houghton Meeting is still a popular race at home. What would Colonials say to a race of this description, Cesarewitch course, two miles and a quarter and thirty-seven yards (it used to be the last three miles of the Beacon course), w.f.a., with selling allowances. It was at one time competed for by two-year-olds only, but this year two three-year-olds and ten two-year-olds’ started. The winner turned up in a three-year-old called Maley, the next four being two-year-olds.