Totalisator Turf Topics.

Free Lance, Volume V, Issue 230, 26 November 1904, Page 21

Totalisator Turf Topics.

By the "Old 'Un."

THE Feildvng Jockey Club have been lewaided with capital acceptances, toi their spring meeting. For the Hack Flying event, there are 33 and for the Hack Hurdle Handicap 23' acceptors. The task of suggesting probable winners 1* no easy one, but. in my opinion, the following will include Borne dividend payers — Flymg Handicap.— Tes&era, Solution, Lass o' Gowrie. , St Andiew's Handicap —Lass o G To^ a Xck CIUe Han F S.-To m air^nrSdfe Uie °Hand 1Ca p.-Defoe, Wa^rHack Hardle HajdaoapRepulse, Romany Gul Athol Maad. Kiwitea Welter Handicap — Kahaioa, Sea Lion, Joe Chamberlain. Fitzroy Hack Flyrag Handicap.— Sardonyx, Ngratarua, Starxna. Maiden Plate.— Seagull, Fancy Woik, Windlass. . ♦ * Mr Stead has six horses engaged in Cruciform carnes 81b over weight-for-age. Grand Rapids 61b, Martaan 6b, Nightfall 201b, Golden Knaeht 121b, wtnlst Uranus te allotted weight-for-aee. Unless the weight-for-age scale is all wTone it is obvious that Cruciform is the pick of the Yaldhurst lot. Some handieappers have been heard to say that the weight-rfor-age scale is "all bunkum." Anyhow, it was copied from rules compiled by such English racing authorities as Admiral ttous, and, while is is possible that we have better lacins experts 111 New Zealand than those Englishmen who have made racing a life study, I stall prefer to accept their figures. According to thedr calculations, the Auol and Lup handicap is a fearful and wo, Jerful production. I have no intention of analysing the Auckland Gup handicap in lull as it would occupy too much space, but it doet> t-eem absurd! to me that Crucifoim «> only asked to carry 81b over heir weightrior-age, whilst Martian, whom she ran to a head at weaght-for-age m the Spring Stakes at Sydney, ia set to cai-ry 161b over weigh t-for-age, and Nightfall, wbo secured a couple ol bloodless vietoiies in the C.J.C. Derby and Oaks, is loaded with 201b over her weighWor-age, whilst Golden Knight, a three-year-old, whose only wm is a maiden plate, in poor company, is raised to 121b over weight-for-age. I do not advocate rule ol thumb handicapping, noi, in the face of the fact that some of the Yaldhur^t horses are well treated, do I insinuate that Mr. Stead's horses have been deliberately over-weighted, but I do contend that there should be more uniformity in weight-adjusting. The following half-dozen should piovide the winner of the Auckland Cup Cruciform (or Mr. Stead'b selected), Mahutonga, Melodeon, Bulawayo, Gladstone, and Ailsa. The Railway Handicap includes a number of the best sprinters ever been in New Zealand. Machine Gun (lOst 101b) is not over-weighted on his C.J.C. form. Rubia(Bbt bib), Savoury (Bst 41b), Golden Lily (Bst 31b), and Lady Lyonees (7st 101b) also represent the powerful Yaldhurst stable. Backers will be at their wits end to find the correct pea when, so many have performed really well of late. My fancy of the lot is Savoury, but I would advise backers to wait for a lead, otherwise they may come to grief. The Auckland Steeplechase is not quite such a puzzle. Slow Tom (list 121b) is honoured with top weight— 12lb more than he earned when he won the C.J.C. Grand National Steeplechase. The opposition he is called upon, to meet now is not very formidable. Up-to-Date (list 31b) is nicely handicapped, and, if 'he can get round the steeplechase course safely, should prove the Canterbury horsed strongest opponent. Catherine Gordon is also nicely treated with lOst. Providing they stand' ut> one of the trio or Princess of Thule should win. * ♦ • Those Wellingtonians with sporting inclinations have settled down since the termination of the C.J.C. carnival «i, fTlirtco, -nrhn were lucky enough

bo win from the metallioians have duly received their winning*,, and those whose balance was on the wrong bide have either paid up m com or in promises. The lattei mode of bettling is inevitable, the promises bemg mostly kept. "All's well that ends well." The layers, while admitting that theie was plenty ot businet>s, say that this year's New Zealand Cup meeting was the most di&astrous known for years. The winner was not only heavily backed straight-out, but he was coupled in large wagers in doubles with Vladimir. Canteibury and Otago backers won, large sums from Wellington layers through the victouy of the Dunedun horse. • * * Mr. Stead appaiently has not a very exalted opinion of the New Zealand Cup winner, Grand Rapids — £500 does not seem an exorbitant figure for a young, sound horse. Piobably the Squire of Yaldhurst has noted the fact that New Zealand Cup winners invariably prove white elephants. Handlcappers form exalted" opinions as to then weight-carrying abilities and they are thus precluded from earning even, their oats, and many have bi oken down in the attempt to oarry the weights allotted them subsequent to winning the New Zealand Cup. Loi d! Cardigan, one of the best horses seen out in Australia during the past two years, must have been a plucky animal. He struggled home second m the Melbourne Cup with 9st 61b on his back, but the effort proved his undoing, and a couple of days later he took ill and died. When a postmortem was made it was found that during his struggle he had luptured the lining of his stomach, the inevitable result bemg death. His heart was declared to be perfectly sound, and weighed 81b, being abnormally large. The Petiovna caise should be neainng its end. The chairman of the Conference (Sir G. Clifford) has appointed Mr. Samuels, of New Plymouth, to act m his stead, and there is now some prospect of a final settlement being arrived at. Most sporting men have quite lost interest in the whole business.