THE TURF.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume I, Issue 44, 28 May 1891, Page 6

THE TURF.

[BY

OLD TURFITE.]

Mr. Evett has issued the handicaps for the Great Northern Steeplechase and Hurdle Race for the A.R.C. Winter Meeting, which takes place On the Ellerslie course on June 3rd. The acceptances are due to-morrow night, too late forthis issue, so I have to go into the handicaps as they are. Mt. Evitt has not been quite so successful as usual, but he has had a difficult task to p&form, as a great many of the horses are the veriest scrubbers that ever 'tfftembted either the little sticks or to cross a c'oiihtry, so the weeding out Will 'be great, Walting the Hurdle Race first. Mr. Evitt has begun too’low; he might have started at 12st 71b, and then put the scrubbers in all in a luip at the bottom, only trying to bring the known horses together. Sentinel, list 121 b, from his running on the West Coast, has •nothing to complain of with his impost. Darnley. 110 41b, is a smart horse, but why The TOer should have lOst 81b on him one is at a 'loss to know, Criminal, lOst, has won several races bn the flat, and is talked about as a good one over Sticks. Try Fluke, 9st 91b, ran well "at the Takapuna meeting, and would have won if he had not blundered at the only hurdle left landing, so as he meets Bryan O’Lynn only on a pound worse terms he should hold him safe if he can stay home. Lonely is Well in at 9st ’7st; Good Day, at the same weight, is the blot Of the handicap, but as she has met with ’ah accident she is not likely to see the post. Whe others ; are not of much account. As very few of the foreign horses have arrived, it is a hard thing to spot the winner. Taking the handicap'as it is—Sentinel, list 121 b, Kapo, 100'Mb; Criminal, lOst; and Lonely, 9st 71b, (read the best.

, .; 1, 'I ■ , The Great Northern Steeplechase has an entry of twenty-four. Many of them have never been over a steeplechase course, while others have not performed over the Ellerslie one, which looks easy; but the up and down rhill tells on a, good many of them. Sentinel, 12st, will find the weight too much for him, .the course being heavy. Ingarangi, list 71b, has

got over the country; being a big horse a few pounds will not trouble him. Jupiter, l.Ost 51b, reads well, as at Wanganui he looked like winning when he went the wrong course. Takapu, lOst, must have a great show, while Parnell, 9st 1 lib, has nothing to complain of; nor has Bit-o’-Blue, 9st 101 b, but his leg will most likely trouble him. Of the others —with the exception of Yum Yum, 9st 91b the question is what will get the course. Taking the handicap as it is, Ingarangi, Jupiter (if he comes), Takapu, and Yum Yum, read about the best. The A.R.C. committee have made two great mistakes. The first is holding their meeting on June 3rd, which falls on a Wedi nesday, and is not a holiday, and coming just . after two other meetings the attendance is not ! likely to be large. Secondly, making the acj ceptances and general entries due only four days before the meeting instead of the week previous, so as to give owners and punters a i chance of getting on with the books. Friday i is always a bad day for acceptances and. en- ! tries, and it is wonderful the A.R.C. committee did not see it.