HANDICAPPER POLLOCK'S EXPALNATION.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XX, Issue 1125, 2 November 1911, Page 5

HANDICAPPER POLLOCK'S EXPALNATION.

(To the Editor.) Sir, — A par in your issue of the 19th suggest© that there is an insufficiency of competent handicappers, and that men hplding positions in the Civil Service have had to be called upon by some clubs; thi©, Sir, is scarcely correct in the case of the Marton Racing Club. In July last the Secretary of the latter dub waited upon me, and asked if my services were available for his Club’s New Year Meeting. I replied that I was aigengaged on that date, and wouia reel honoured to act as handicapper for the Marton Club’s Summer Meeting. Later on during th© Ciup’g Spring Meeting I was approached by several stewards, who expressed their pleasure that I was free to act for their club. The Secretary (Mr. Way)

informed me that the matter had been mentioned, and would be finally dealt with after the Spring Meeting. A couple of weeks later a steward of the club, in a somewhat apologetic manner, informed me that their permanent handicapper (Mr, Morse) (appeared very reluctant to lose any of his h©Xj on th© Glub, and had urged the club’s e x ©cutiVi© fo allow him to frame the first day’s handicap© ,and permit him to’ XwM a friend to fix up tn© w©ig;nts fpr second day; the result was that my brother-handicapper got his Kay, and the Marton Club and nor©© p>n©rs were prevented from haying my services, ‘ whilst a small addition ,to my apt over large income is denied me.

SATISFACTORY CREDENTIALS. rpur readers are well aware (and if they are in doubt they can refer to the New X*e M alan,d Racing Calender, that during the past seven years I have followed handicapping as a profession) my efforts have been well received by owners, as witness the fact that acceptances received by clubs for whom I act are the most numerous of any clubs in the Dominion. Leading racing men have admitted thac my productions warrant my claim for a fair share of the handicapping fees dispensed by executives of racing clubs, especially as the sum paid me for handicapping is onty one-third of

that paid other leading weight adjusters. I disavow any pretehc© of enlisting sympathy, but facts should be made public; I desire nothjng more tJla n -that candidates for public positions such as I fill sliould be judged on their own merit©; then i should prooaoiy be in a position to mak© provision for -that inevitable day wnen old age will render me unfit for service. in conclusion I might P©mt out; that so long as my time is only partially it is net quite correct to say that there is a ©earth/ of competent Handicappers.—l am, etel j. H/FPLLygR, Hangjqapppj, PctoDej 28,

“A MOST BQANJDAJLOUS STATE.”

Sir— Your Weliißgtpn correapojident deserves the thanks of racehorse? owners for hi© ekppgur© of a most scandalous state of affairs that obtains in connection with th© d#tfe© Of hapidicapping up the West Coast of the North island. On apparently purely personal grounds on© man has D©ep entrusted with the Whole of the Updieapping from Martqn to N©w Fly?

mouth, and also that of all Auckland ctubs; this is certainly not in the best interests of owners as one man’s estimate only is (obtained of their norses’ weignt-carrying abilities. When the Marton Racing Club decided to race -on the same date a© the Auckland Racing Club, i, with other owners, hoped- that h,orseow.ners would be treated to a new weight adjuster for the above club, but our hopes were blighted, for instead of obtaining a fresh estimate w.e Me to have Mr. Morse’s estimate for the first day, and as second ©ay’s handicapper a man, who, although he has ha 4 chances, has now lost the tew club© he formerly acted for. This was not surprising, -when it is chronicled that this individual allotted that good m,MO Marguerite fist. 121 b. fpr the Kangitikei Cup, and she won and curried 7©t » id, and established a time record, viz., 2min. fi. 3.-ss©c. fox 1% miles; later he allotted Merrjvonla 7st. 31b. for the same event, and she won ip a canter carrying Bst It is np wonder that his services are not in much request, yet, thanks to Mr - Morse, owners understand that this; individual will act both at Marton and Taranaki during Mr. Morse’s absence at the A.R.C Meeting, this notwithstanding that competent handicappers were, it is understood, available.—l am, etc., “AN OWNER,’-’ Pa'merstcn North, October 27, 1911-