RANDOM RACING REMARKS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume II, Issue 73, 17 December 1891, Page 3

RANDOM RACING REMARKS.

[by

PEGASUS.|

The Auckland Cup of ’9l will offer a strange display of funny sights. Hilda will be seen holding the Queen of Trumps very safe, and waiting to “ Bobbett ” down ; a Brigand will be observed, kicked behind by a Fraternite. There will be a male creature as “ Le belle of ze ball,” and a Dreamer buried by the Patchwork (quilt). Leorina will be seen running with her Pinfire but never a Cartridge is there on hand ; but the most wonderful sight of all will be the British Lion going as hard as he can with a Coalscuttle on his tail. The above was perpetrated by one who was returning from the Whau— no, I mean Avondale — races on Saturday last. At least I understood he was from the races. I thought, however, that he belonged to a large brick or stone residence out there, and ought to be going home to it—the reverse way to which he was travelling. I.am afraid if racegoers who visit the Whau —ah, there again, Avondale —races come home in such a mental state as that, it will be necessary, in the public interest, for the A.R.C. to discontinue the license of the above club. But perhaps there may have been some “method in his madness” of which we are ignorant.

ON STARTING. Next to the handicapper is the important office of starter. Like handicapping, nearly everyone thinks he would make a good starter. But this is just as great a fallacy as the fancy of many peonle that they can make a handicap. It is a difficult matter to get a starter free from ! some reason or other for letting horses get 1 away with an uneven start. The starting at , Takapuna and Otahuhu was worth going a long way not to see. Still I do not for a moment think the starter made these uneven starts for any personal gain or from any unworthy motive. Quite the reverse. Men in business, especially those who have to keep late hours can not (although they think so them- ■ selves) be as strong in the nerves as they otherwise would. And we know that a starter, to be successful, must be possessed of wonderful j nerve and tact; the latter quality being in great part dependent upon the former. Seeing j how the public grumble at bad starting, more care will have to be exercised by dubs in ; future when appointing this officer. How . often has a race been won by half a length where the second horse got fully a length the worst of the start. What a huge difference depends then upon the start, whether it be good or * bad. The more we think of this the more do we feel called upon to draw the attention of racing clubs to the importance of this appointment. I would suggest that several persons should be chosen, and each one’s starting judged. Then, when one has been selected, that person should be appointed by all the clubs, both Metropolitan and Suburban, to 1 start for every race meeting The public could then depend ongW starting at all the meetings. More anon. How does Ma Boughal look for the Maiden Plate and Welter at the South Auckland races to-morrow ? x Barshot reads a “moral” for the Maiden Hurdles. Who said Dolosa couldn’t win the South Auckland Cup ? Wei), look out, then 1 The following read well for the Thames racesßulrush in the Maiden Plate; Try Fluke in the Hurdles; Ma Boughal in the Cup; and Platch in the Steeples. < Justice is pretty well a “ dead bird ” (on the score of weights) for the South Auckland Steeplechase. Perhaps he may wait for the Ellerslie event. The S.A. Hurdle Race should be rather interesting. I can’t pick it. Can you ? Capella should not be quite out of it at the finish if she doesn’t fall. Priscilla ought to go “very near” winning the Flying Stakes; and Antic’ should get first in the County Plate next Friday at Claudelands. I trust the patrons of racing will not forget to subscribe liberally to the fund being raised for the jockey Tommy Hodson. He has the rare reputation of a thoroughly straight going rider, and it is to be hoped that the public will remember the fact when giving their “ mites ” to such a worthy object. Auckland Cup, The acceptances for this event are to hand, and I find that the list, in a manner, bears out what I “ remarked ” last week, yiz„ that “ the handicap was not such a grand one when closely inspected as it appeared at first sight.” It does seem a pity that we can only get eleven acceptors for a six hundred pound prize, and only a very few of the “ classics ” at that. Hilda, Bst 1 ilbs, now heads the list, and it ; seems like tautology to say a great deal about her—we hear it so often. All my confreres fancy her “ muchly.” I am not quite so sanguine, but must give her a place. British Lion, Bst 51b, comes next, and although he .won the N-Z-Cup with 6st 11 lb, still it must be borne ip mind that be now carries jzzlb more weight, and furthermore, being an old horse, it is quite likely he will find the -track much drier and harder than then, which may not be the •“ best thing out ” for an .olfl horse’s legs, He may perhaps squeeze into a place., Fraternite, ?st i jlb, although he won tfie Wanganui Derby, etc., will find the company rather “ fast.” He should, however, beat Brigand at yst gib. Lebel, 7 st ylb, is a great fancy of mine for the event, and I opine that whatever beats him should win. Hjs se.cond to Freedom jp the .Canterbury Cup proves his ability to ‘‘ get ” the distanceQueen of Trumps, jst, would, ,1 fancy, prefer

a shorter journey, and I incline to tfie belief that although she is the Queen the right and left bower and ace are ip, the pack to beat her. The Dreamer, yst, wi)l find himself outclassed. fn any case I should say a mile and a half would be more about his “ heigh,t.” Leorina, yst, is well treated in weight, but I doubt her ability to “ stay ” and finish in the company. A heavier weight would not have troubled her any the more. Patchwork, 6st iolb,, is “ thrown in,” but is such a “scamp” that one is afraid to speak about his chances almost. Should he “ take a fright at himself” and run away,, it WPUId n Pt surprise me to see his light weight helping him home into first place. Meanwhile we w iH reserve him as a “surprise party.” Coalscuttle, 6st gib, I cannot recommend at any price. Next week I shall deal with the Steeplechase, and I find I shall then be in time to mnke a final Cup selection, which readers can expect to see in next issue. On New Year’s Day, the great sprint race, the Oarrington Stakes, over a six-furlong track, is run at Randwick. Herein Marvel has been allotted lOst 121 b to try and anchor him ; and even then I cannot find a thing in the six stone division that could stretch his neck. If he accept he will make the pace a cracker. If called on to select a half dozen to furnish the winner. I would select The Gift, Bst 61b; Prelude, Bst 101 b; St. Blaize, Bst 21b; Markee, 7st 81b; Trieste, 7st6lb; and Marvel, 1 Ost 121 b. Other good ’uns are Tridentine, Hero, Elymas, Dan O’Connell, Mitre, Empire, and the Rebel. On the following day is run Tattersalls’ Club Cup, two miles. The handicap is a good one, and if any have a slight advantage they are as follow :—Correze, Bst 91b; Yowi, 6st 91b ; Sunshine, 7st; and Magnus, 7st. Others that ought to be “init ” are Tirailleur, 9st; Scots Grey, Bst 21b ; St. Blaize, 7st 91b; Royer, 7st 41b ; Theodore, 7st 21bs; Sir Anthony, 7st ? ; Wandsworth, 6st 61b; and Empire, 6st 41b. Of course there are heavy penalties attached to a win, and it is next to impossible for one horse to win the double; should the acceptance lists be to hand in time I shall try my hand pt a final selection before the dates of issue. The V.R.C. Champion Stakes should be an interesting race this time. What a surprise if Carbine should win it. The ever-grumbling public thought, there was more than one Antic going bn in the Av,ondale Pony Race last Saturday. Perhaps it was a disappointed backer who made the sally on the Auckland Cup referred to .above. I may say I selected Romeo in my last week’s tips solely on the score of weight. Let Antic be ever so good he must be a “ howler” to give a good pony like Romeo three stone and two pounds and expect to beat him. I’ll take him against Antic if the £lOO challenge is taken up. “ A straw will turn a bullet,” they say, and a gorse’s nose destroyed my tip for the 1 Avondale Cup. Close shaving. Npxt week I shall have a heavy “contract” to pick the AR.C., as well as the Trotting Club eyepts. lam hoping to get a 75 per cent, dividend by selecting three-fourths of the winners. Many persons, including myself, would be glad to know the “ ins and outs ” of the circumstances which cause so many omissions in the acceptance lists that appear before the public. Last year we had quite a surfeit of paragraphs in tfie papers, sppm after the acceptances, saving that “ so-and-so had been omitted from such-and-such a race.” Already this season Several cases of the disease have made their appearance, and naturally we are anxious to know “ why this is thus.” Surely if the secretaries of clubs attend thoroughly to their duties and keep their books properly, such .errors or omissions could possibly occur. I hope I shall npt have occasjop to again refer to this matter, and that secretaries will place th.emsejves outside tfie “hounds of .suspicion by carefully avoiding’sucj? m^t a^es h? W9 Tfie racing public, sharemarket, is a vgry sensitive party, and wfien such omissions appear, they are ever ready to say unkind things, which things must tend greatly to the .disparagement ,pf racing .affairs generally.

Most all scribes but “ Pegasus” have been “ doing ” the stables round about. Perhaps he may .receive ,a n invitation some day later op. I must cpngmtulatb W.E. P- Halstead on

the finishes generally at Avondale. The acceptance list for the A.T.C. events must also be highly gratifying to that gentleman. Although of opinion that some of his compilations are “ thrown ” together rather hurriedly at times and little errors creep in, still no person can accuse him of weight-juggling, which I have before “ remarked ” upon, and which is so common amongst so" called handicappers. I hear that the Pukekohe, Mauku', and neighbouring clubs have agreed to amalgamate and form one good club. This is as it should be. I expect to see their advertisement shortly in the Sporting Review.