FIXING TOP WEIGHTS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 5, 21 January 1937, Page 10

FIXING TOP WEIGHTS

With 7.7 Minimum Oue argument that has been advanccd against the new 7.7 minimum, writes ' ' ifangatira " in the Wellington "Post," Ls tliat it forces the good horses to carry an extra parcel of woiglit. But in practically every list that has been issued since the new "rule" came into operation the good horses have been treated' just as they would have been under the old rule, and it is only the riff-raff that have sufEered, by being set on 7.7 instead of 7.0. Thiis the good horses actually gain at the expense of the poorer under the present minimum. An illustratiou was afforded by tlie weighting of the top weights in the three handicap events . (excluding the two-year-old handicap) on the first day of the Wellington meeting. • In the Wellington Cup Mr Coyle did not find it necessary to go higher than . 9.6, or in the Telegraph Handicap higher than 9.5. And in the Ruapehu Handicap, tor hacks, the weights starte'd oiily at the obligatory 9.0, and all • exeept two of the field of 24 were set above the minimum. . In most years the handicap for the Wellington Cup has been commenced above 9.0, and, whatever the minimum, Flood Tide would this year probably have received just the sarne weight as he has, if considered only through Vintage two years ago. The top weight that has been given to horses in ihe Wellington Cup has always tendod to range about tho same point, allowing for difierence in quality of * the liorses from year to year, as estimated by the handicappers. Tho following table, giviug the full list of horses who have been assessed at 9.0 or above since 1903, three years before the racing was transferred from Hutt Park to Trentham, will be of interest as showing that the . good horses this year have been weighted apparently no differently from what. they were when the minimum was lowpr* — 1Q03* — Advance, 10.4; Cruciform, 9.13; Achilles, 9.(5; Halb'erdier, 9.4 1904* — Achilles, 10.0. 1905* — Achilles, 9.12; Martian, 9.3. 1906 — Achilles, 9.6; Mah«|||tfnL 9.4; Nightfall, 9.4. , 1907 — ^Achilles, 9.4 1908 — Zimmerman, 9.3, 1909 — All Red, 9.9; Bobrikoff, 9.9; i

Zimmerman,. 9.1; Gold Crest, 9.0. 1910 — Bobrikoff, 9.12; All Red, 9,11, 1911 — Los Angelos, 9.0. ' _ 1912— Los Angelos, 9.0. 1913— Bobrikoff, 9.9; Los Angelos, 9.6, 1914 — Midnight Sun, 9.0. 1915— Merry Roe, 9.0. 1916— Warstep, 9.8;' Chortle, 9.3; First' Glanee, 9.2; Balboa, 9.1. 1917— Chortle, 9.0. 1918 — Chortle, 9.4. 1919— Client, ' 9.0. 1920— Karo, 9:7. • ' 1921 — Client, 0.3; Oratrees, 9.3; Yolo, 9.1. 1922 — Rouen, 9.0 , 1923 — Income, 9.0. 1924 — Roseday, 9.7; Highland, 9.1; Mark Time, 9.0; Ngata, 9.0. 1925 — Gold Light, 9.7; Loughrea, 9.2; Sunjart, 9.1. x926 — Count Cavour, 9,6; Musketoon, 9.1; Te Monuanui, 9.1; The" Banker, 9.0. 1927 — Rapine, 10.2; Count Cavour, 9.13; Star Stranger,v 9.3; Te Monanui, 9.3. • ; 1928 — Rapier, 9.8; Star Stranger,- 9.8. 1929 — ^Rapine, 9.5." 1930—rStar Stranger, 9,7. 1931 — Nightmarch, 9.12; ' Historlc, 9.3;Concentrate, 9.0. 1932 — Gay Crest, 9.6; Compris, 9.0. 1933— Antique, 9.5; Concentrate, 9.3. 1934 — King's Knave, 9.0. . 1935— Yintage, 9.9; King' March, 0.4. * 1936 — Cuddle, 9.11; Silver Ring, 9.9. 1937 — Flood Tide, 9.6; Argentic, 9.3; Queen of Song, 9.3; Yintage, 9.1. ♦Racing held at Hutt Park, • It may be of interest to note incidentally that the only topweights who nave won in the period have been Advance (1903), Achilles (1907), Star Stnanger (1928), and yintage (1935). Topweights to have been in the minor piaces in the same period have been Achilles "(second, 1906), Bobrikoff (third, 1913), Roseday (third), " Gold Light (second), Rapine (third, 1927), Star Stranger (third, 1930), and Antique (second) . Many of .the topweights given here of course were not among the. aceeptors and henee did not run. Mr H. Coyle, the club's .present handicapper, has f ramed the assessments since 1915.