THE JOCKEY CLUB HANDICAP.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 95, 22 April 1874, Page 2

THE JOCKEY CLUB HANDICAP.

To the Editor op the Evbnikg Mail. Sir — The writer of the remaiks in the Colonist of the 21st inst-mt, on the above su 1 . ject has either from ignorance or intentionally to mislead the public, made tuch a lot of misrepresentations that 1 think it necessary to put him and the public right. The handicappers admit that they have made a mistake from wrong information, if so, more is the jity that they did not know sufficient about the horses that they were going to handicap to detect an error of 2 st. If dorm intentionally, which 1 hope it was net, i f . would have been the greatest piece of injustice that I have ever seen done by handicappers. Why put aeide the > T ew Zealand Cup ?My mare Yatterina was as fit as ehe c-u'.d be, and was very well ridden and made the most of, fend Ray did not try to mak. the pace slow oa ac ount of <he weight Cidumny had to carry, but on account of her condition, for Ray inlormed me that his grratest reason for sel ing lurwas that he expected htr to give way every gallup that he gave her, and to s'iow how right be waß, Calumny was not ab.e to put in .n a- pearance during tha next three da>s' racing after she met Yattcrini. The weights for the above race were Calumny, 9st; Yatterina, 7st lllbs. The race was so close (both mares under the whin for very near a quarter of a mile) that Mr Watt maintains that Calumny was in front. I now come to the remarks about the Nelson meeting of 1871. I think every person in Nelson knows that there was not a hone here that year fit to run LncenlceJ, the bet horse, was lan c, and ehe couid never do much at two miles, especially with 9at l*b up. In 1872 Yatterina met Peeress, the latter not in her prime at that meeting by a very long way (as stated by the Colonist's correspondent)"; and one of tin handicippers told me that his reason for making so little difference in the weights was that as Peeress was trained at or near his place he knev from the bad weather and little work she got that she would not be able to race two mi'ea. Do the Nelson public call it easy the w.»y that race was won? Now for tho Meiropolitan Handicap at Christchurch. It is very convenient to have short memories at times-, but mine Lappens t" be clear on that race, nnd as the writer of ihe article in the Colonist is unable to state tho weights, I will give them to you:— Calumny, Fst 51bs ; Yatterina, 7st 4!bs ; Malvina, 6st 71b_; Calumny giving Yatterina 3st 9lbs, snd Malvina giving her Ist 1 libs according to weight for age. As for the statement that Yatterina carried all before her on the West Coast last year, it is simply untrue and absurd, for at the three different meetiogs which she ran at there li-st year she on'y woo one email handicap of less than £50, and a Consolation At Clriatchurch, Gossip beat her casy^ih the Victoria Handicap, Yatte'ina giving her 2lbs accord ing to weight for age. The week bof ire last Calumny gave the tame-mar. Gossip 2st 71bs, beside a year, and be it her eisily. 'J his year Yatterina has beeti very lucky, for she has not had nnything to racs against. At Ilokitika the best was Lacenfeed, and it took her over four minut s to do two miles, with only 7st 51ba up. I think Calumny ha* proved herself the second best mare bred in New Zealand, in fact, iv the last stable she was in she was thought as good as Lurline, although I do think her quite a-? good. The above writer cannot find that she has done anything good at a mile ar.d a half and over. I will refer him to the Christchurch Derby. Ij miles with 88t 7lbs, doing it in 2min. 46-<ec. Only time or four Derbys have betn done in faster timd in England since Derbps were started. I ihink if he would go into it candidly he would alter bis opinion, and admit tbat the present handicap, is a very bad one, for I cannot pick out a goo J performance of Yatterina with good horses, except with Peeress, unless she has been conceded lumps of weights. As for the gentleman who placed a handicap before him with 9st 2lbs on Yatterina and Bst on Calumny, could he not see tbat he was poking fun* at him, and that he meant the names to be reversed He ea? s some persons are of opinion that Kakapo is favored in the weights. Well, I think every person who knows anything about it will say so, as he has never yet been strung up to concert pitch we do not know what he can do, but as this is bis last meeting before he is handed over to his new owners I expect to see hint* well strung up. By the way, I think Mr Redwood has made a very great mistake in parting with such a very fine colt for the price that he is soli at. I think the reason that Yat'crina is thought so much of by some patties is tl at she always runs pretty well, thanks to her having one of the best men in New Zealand to look after her, ior he has her pretty fit generally, but let her be ever so fi% I cannot think of starting her for this handicap unless the weights are re- adjusted. I am, &c, William Walters.