THE TURF.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1963, 21 January 1914, Page 4

THE TURF.

WELLINGTON RACINC CLU3. ?IiMMKK MrCITNG. ' trt Glenloe ] Wellington bo opened' and : -t-h'c,"indications 'arc ,tliat tho t;xttirc, ; -''.\'hicli 'i.s'' to ' 1 be . coi) tinned - tomorrow,'and concluded' oil.-Saturdaywill Ijc the.-most .-successful. in the club's history. The; racing '-'track ■" is'' in capital order';'and' a, similar''remark' applies to tho"lawn ■ and"'saddling paddock.-.• Patrons : of the club, \vill iiml, too, that further iinprovemehts'have boon effected which will add to..the general comfort. Itailway; traffic'-oiu'the. line 'promises to be- ; heavy 'and those who intend travel* litig to the .course by train will be '.veil advised t0... make tin'early,'start!' . Special train arrangements have, been made,, to cope with the expected rush and the advertised time-table'. is* as" follows:— Leave To Aro station,. 10.^3,'a.m., and 10.43 a.m. Leave Lambton station 10,18 a.nh,' 10.40 a.m.. 11 a.m.,, 11.9 a.in,..and 12.6 p.m.;-!, On.tiio return.'journey trains will leave, the racecourse for the City at frequent intervals ■■ fr0m.:'4.53 p.m. onwards. , : '•••/;■'• ' One 'critic, remarked-yesterday - that tho Clip ' 'gets more ."open' J the' more you look at it..' This is so',- and the winner should. give a good ..return even if he is first choice on.tho'machine.' V- , The following are'.the, probable, starters and their riders Midnight -Sun (L.! ;,Wilsori);''i'..;;.. ,0 0 Sir Solo (J. O'Sliea)...! 8 10 Bronze (\V. Bell) ...v..;..;,......,... 8 0 Sinapis (W. Price) : :''-8 ■ B Los Angelos (W. Young)'s£. : . : . : .f.!.'.'B • 5 Kilrain (H. Gray) 8 . 3 Lord Renown (('. I'riee) 8 1 Birkline (l<\ Porter) 7 13 Thrax (F. K. Jones) v;;;. 7 33 Bleriot (J. Buchanan) iy... 7 13 Sir Knox (J. Conquest) 7 12 ltinaldo (It. Berry),.' 7 11 Martius ( ) ...7. jy Lconta (H. Yowif) . 7 7 Byron (8.. Deoloy) 7 6 Ladoga (E. Lowe) ..' 7 4 Odessa (A. -Reed) ; 613 St. Bees (R. Read) 6 -7 flio two top-weights have very fay admirers 1)0 Bronze is a great favourite with her followers, and it is claimed tor her that sho is now at the top of her form. • Will Bell -bo able to get the most out of hor? is tho question that is worrying' her hackers. Sjnapis generally ■ succumbs under weight in first-class races. Los Angelos°is Hallooing well on the tan, but tho old rcliow may find the grass a bit hard for him. If not, then he must have a royal chance, for his work has been of a high order, and, further, lift has been carrying a lot of weight. Kilrain looks and gallops well and can be depended upon to run', a good race. Uinaldo "is still a doubtful quantity, but if ho si-arts he will, be Well fancied, Peg was. not 011 the tracks yesterday and out she can be written

Pile sin- furlongs is also very open, and anything may win. if tne rare wofo run at JJllcrslie Sir .Moseley would bo one or the short-priced division, for the northerners arc very sweet on Mr •Neagto s fiorso" after his good showing helimd twltano in tlte Great Northern Uumeas. Ennoiigawle, GJaeiioio, Patronjilo, and Gipsy BellfcKn ;tii r "'bo'^iu' 1 vor.v last,' and ' if ,v 'i)iiei v of■■'iho'"f)ottom : weights were to-.sMrc, it may to the Uluvatio'ii'- colt, Vwitns. who ''inade a groat showing at Kicftirtoii lost-Novcm-■ber, when, in tho"Kpsbiii' High-AVewlit ' li" was (lefeutod by half a head only by Martel in -lmin. 13 i-asec. He'was carrying Bst. tilb. then, so with a drop of 23th. he ought to be very prominent.

In the minor events, Counsel, who has the Hororata Cup to his credit, may start'favourite in tlto Treiitham Welter, with the useful Arlington next in demand. ■ ■ '. ;. ■' '

Fabrikoff' has a great reputation at Kiccartoii, and may .be.-' tho elect of backers in' the Nursery llandican. Reputation, 7«t. llih.j runs on'.well at. the .end of liis races.

Several of the .'runners will b(j well backed in tho Anniversary \Veltei , , n.otai'ly- Glonfinnau, Stepney, and Tho Hague.

Both Ohudis. and Sveaborg- ran well under big weights in'their races at Dunedin, and in. the Trial and lluapchu Hack to-day tlio full brothers should ran well. In the .handicap event, Square Deal will probably bo accorded mast, support. ...

In the. weight-for-age event, tho Waterloo Stakes, Postillion. Auiunmus, Bon Ton, . Emperador, and. Itinaldo should provida a great sot-'to, and tho event will no doubt bo one of. the'features of tho meeting. .

G rattan was .yesterday struck out of all his engagements at Trentham.

An eleventh-hour fancy for tho Wellington Cup is Bleriot, who lias como into strong demand during tho-last day or two. When asked for an explanation of the accession to popularity of Mr, Hall's maro, a supporter remarked; ; "Well, yon sent- up a Wellington lioi'so to win the Auckland Cup; isn't it a fair revenge for Auckland to send down an Auckland" horse to win tho Wellington Cup?" Provincial feeling dies hard, but, a lot of Auckland money will remain iu Wellington if Bleriot is unsuccessful. Some usually very prudent speculators are' supporting Midnight Sun for- the i Cup., It is said Air. Watt's handsome] horse has shown his connections a more satisfactory display on tho. Hastings track than ho did at tile Manawaiu meeting. It- is tmo at Awapmii lie tailed tho field a largo portion of tho journey, but about, five furlongs from homo ho made 6 move to go through, passing two or three horses very rapidly, when lie suffered-.a bump that sent him to the tail of the field asain. . Probably, Bell, realising tho hopelessness of the quest, did not persevere with the Now Zealand Cui> winner. . Our spccial correspondent states, that rain is badly needed at tlie Foxton course, and also in town, whero tho residents art carting water. Tho Foxton candidate for the Wellington Cup, Lord Renown, was railed to Trentham' yesterday. • . • The accommodation booked at Foxton for the Taranaki horses, Patronate and. Tetikura, has been cancelled, so tliat thoy vill not be seen at the meeting. Tho only other official withdrawal so far (ravs our special correspondent) is I,caput!. Since last year tho foxton Cluti has built thirty loose-boxes, which aw greatly appreciated by visiting trainers. ' Mrs. Lcn Freeman, of Whyte's Hotel, Foxton, has presented a handsome Roldliuiunted whip for tho rider of. tho winner of the Foxton Cup. The club's silver cup, valued at 25 guineas, is also a very handsome one. This is the- first trophy attached to tho race since about thirty years'iii;o, when the late Mr. David Scott, of won with Camellia. .She' whs riddrii by L. T'roeter, at pre.scut.caretaker of the Foxton course._ _ Acceptances for events iU the Te Ruiti fla-Mug Club's meeting close on .Tamiary ■•' .? fTiie.'.aiin.iial'Sale of Ihe-.Waikatiae' yeaflii'ifi's'lakes place on" Friday lit; 2.30 l>. 11l - :it \ir. Lan .Duncan's private : .s stables, Thoiiiiion (.'nay.. /•• \ ■ '■ > vi<)r'?to i ...UiV..r:t;e'eeiit' i F4h' ! >lie ,v ineet i inj;,. A. Hall had. pui'tic-illy divided upon n •trip io -Australia--at -Easter; and; His; | tram(rnuld : I Doiiiso Or'.i'.e, • and llluoso./ -,Tlie• iir.forI jij11 .J;e i':: i< sulliti.-c ..j'V. tl'.-V dentil .of Phroj'o'nnd tile iiii.in ir v'o |)?mse Ot nu.' Spit itii'iiShilo o?i he:',!jWiipKs?iu ! ™ti : • '.Sjvrial :rain, '!rni.n.':emen!s - .nr« . adisrd.S'i ir? ; fehhfi t ioiV% i th' : . t he&Fpxl on. "il'aj; i iir/jji njiua Fox^ tin to-BwiroK"aad.l;ridij.

HANDICAPPING .■ CONTROVERSY. ■ : Ss3i'-'P :■'. (To the-Editor.) ■' ■ :-i ; -Sir,—l, havo been watching with interest" the" argument that has been going 011 iii your columns in regard to the handicaps for th-e.Trcntlmm races, and 1 may say I am on the side vf tiiose. who aver that Marshal M'Donald was given .a 1 great deal too much weight in tho Cup. I think that his handicap, as com'pared with that of Sea I'isik, is iully 101b. too much. But 1 cannot make out why your sporting mail, in referring to ■ the case of Sea I'ink, did not quote that horse's performance in running sccoiu! in t-lio New Zealand Cup. That is tin. sort of performance that puts a third in the- Derby rather in the shade. "A Racing Reader" does not seem to havo anything t-o say in reply to your arguments re Jolie Fill© and Soultilcoff, and tis lie has retired from the fray, will you let 1110 liave just, one word.to say on a sido issue? You gave him some space, and I now crave a similar favour. Ho objects to what ho terms the continuous pin-pricking which racing men of wide knowledge arc subjected to, but says that 110 liolds 110 brief for any handicappcr. Now. : sir, why should he object when Mr. Pollock, in addition to being a handicapper, is what is commonly known as a sporting writer, and, more than tliat, a sporting writer who has oil many occasions made free use of the colunnts of tho paper for wliieh he' writes to criticise other racing officials? Mr. Pollock himself does not, I am sure, object to a little-criticism'even when ho hfis to boar tlio bnuii of tito attack. However; whether he objected or not, I hope that that would not deter _ your sporting writer from speaking out in tho interests of owners when lie sees a horse has been'harshly deult- with, as 111 this, case—and in tlie interests of punters when he fiees horses fired-in. as was the case with Miss Mischief ■ (Wellington Cup), Armlet (Thompson Handicap), and others.—-I am, etc., , VERITAS.' ■ Wellington, January 20, 1914. Sir,— According to the views expressed bv "A Racing IU-oder" in his Icttcfs re Marshal M'Donald's weight in the Wellington Cup, thes Wellington Racing Club handicapper should bo immune from criticism; but, sir, I think, 011 the other hand, lie -should bo freely criticised. Might I ask "A Basing Reader" through your columns what ho thinks of the liandicanping of Bandiera in the Telegraph Handicap at Wellington? Dees lie think the horse should havo got in with practically no penalty for Ins two-wins at Awapuni last month?—l am, - CtC " CURIOUS. . Palmerston North, January I<3Sir,—l asn not only a supporter of . your paper, but I am a believer in its polities, and take considerable interest in racing -matters and regularly peruse your racing notes. For some time I have noticed that our handicappera, especially the W.lt.C. weight adjuster, are subjoot to ,what appears to me to be unjustifiable and carping criticism. In re-, cent notes, your correspondent, asks why certain horses should get certain imposts, and in this, mowing's issue it is recorded that "Apparently R. J. Mason is anything but satisfied with the treatwent meted out to Emporador in the handicap events at Trenthain, as.lie has allowed iiim to drop out of the Cup and Telegraph Handicaps, and the gelding is to take his place in the Waterloo Stakes field." Surely the latter portion of tho paragraph quoted suggests tlie reason that" lOniperador declined tho handicap events: ho could not l'acc three, times 0.11 one day. I attend the 1 rent-, 'haul race meetings, and. can honestly eav that closer finishes or bettor fields jvyuld not be possible.. Last summer •yo«r-JcbrrMpontfci)fc"took the M eUmgton). handicapper to task over Bobi'ikou s --weights. -Later; in .'connection with tnc W.R.C. spring meeting, it was Kilrain that'was thrown in to the principal handicap. Ou-'tlic -present occasion, although Kilrain only recently won the Mauawatu Crip, your critic writes that ".he has been given too much weight (KilraiiiV impost'' was increased ns tho result of his Mflnawatu Cup win_b.v om.). Does this not verge on pin-pnekmg." lhe> Wellington Club's handicapper has had 11 life-long experience to. guide bim. His critics mav or may not be as well \cised in racing, but a- nowsp-aper oi tho stand-' in <T of The Doihnioh should see that a square deal'obtains in sporting matters, as well as in politics. If any horseowlioTfl are dissatisfied, they have their rcmr-dv:' thev can complain to the lxac.inc Club, then the handicapper will have hit. opportunity of justifying lus work. A handicapper cannot, -you will admit, adopt tlie undignified attitude oi at>- ; tempting to controvert oiimions expressed under the "heading ot lurf Notes. ■ .-I.am, etc., CRITIC. . 'Palmerston, North, January 16. ■ Sir,—Constant readers of your paper cannot help noticing tlie controversy tliat is going on coiieerning the lianui-, capping of Marshal M'Donald for the Wellington- Cup. .1 know numerous owners'interested-in the coming Wellington meeting, and have spoken to several, not one of whom, has passed a single adverse comment 011 the iMMicap, rather the other, way about, ana it seems to me the- only fault-finder is your: sporting writer. Surely Maishal M'Donald's performance at Auckland was sufficient justification for the weight apportioned him. What weight leas than 7st„ Gib. could the handicapper havo given without creating dissatisiac-/ lion among owners of other horses 111 tlie same, race? Personally, I consider tho 'handicapper has done his work very well, and deserves praise for tho way 111 which 110 has concealed the winner of that important race.—l aro, etc., ' .. FAUlil. Sir—Great, interest has been taken in the ha'fklicappiim controversy and a point that seems worth writing about has struck 1110. Tliat is,, how would 3fr. Morse 'rate Sea Pink as compared with' Marshal M'Donald? T was in Auckland the night the handicaps were declared for the fourth day's cvents at Ei'erslie. and Mr. Morse, after seeing Marshal' M'Donald run third in tuo Derbv, gave him the same weinht as Admiral Soult in the Goodwood Handicap, viz., 7st. Bib. _ ' . , . In the Takapuna Cup, Mr. Morse rates Jolie Fille as 101b. better than Admiral Soult-. and I take it tliat he considers Jolie Fille 101b. better than Marshal M'Donald. Sc:* Pink gave Jolie Fille 31b , and a beating, in tlie A.R.C. Han* dican. Therefore, I should think it won hi take about 2i>lb. to hnnc Sea Pink and Marshal M'Donald together.— I am, etc. INTERESTED. .Waipaiva, January IS. ANOTHER FIRE AT DEWHURST. By Teleffranh—Pros* AssodaHen-Oopyflrtt London, January 10. A fire has occurred at Dewhnwt s oilier stables at Clonsilln, to which the horses rescued from, the previews fire had been removed, and at which a valuable hunter was inciueyatecl, ,U!0 lire is attributed to incendiarism; ■ FIXTURES Tan "1 °2. 21-~Wellingtnn" llacing Club.' ■r" T |' m „ m i ffi.-Fcixtoh R.C. .'Annual. ; . ' Jan". 2.l—Hutt Valley Trottinß Clnli- . .Tan. 29 and Itl-TakHpuna Jockey C.ul).- . , I Foi> 4 s—Eement- Racing Feb!" s—To Kuiti Baciim Cl«b. ; Feb 7—Bav of Plenty .Turkey Club..v V,1,: It -Itotorna Jockey Club ; Fob 11 12 —Joo.k>oy Cliib. • • : I'cb! UO, 2S—Wanganui Jockey Club. ''iff. ;■! -.siippnsp. ' V - --':' C WrUnlefs-'itvwr;resciil'ed ' V'sS. . Ho'ci In fwd for til? j !):<•. Jliousht of his faie. ; ■inoti-endurei'i: ; ■ ■. .. • So lis:?'! himself B?i;.Weods i ;;; > —Advl,