EPSOM ECCENTRICITIES.

NZ Truth, Issue 123, 26 October 1907, Page 8

EPSOM ECCENTRICITIES.

THE CAPERS OF COLLARIT. A Mysterious Melodrama. /the Winning Ways of the Hon. Agar Wynne.

The Epsom and Mefrop'.- this year' (writes Sydney ■ "Truth," under date October G) have afforded much -scope for speculation — not speculation of the kind sought to be put down byAct of Parliament outside the charmed circle of the specially licensed betting rings— but m the nature of gossip and gabbling, rumors and rumblings. Indeed, the "man m the street" has not had such an opportunity of wagging his jaws to some purpose for many years past. That he has made tlie most of his splendid opportunities goes .without saying.; * * *. Gossip first got a grip on Mr W. ■P. Crick's horse— Coll arit. Crick had solemnly assured the electors of Surrey Hills that there were two distinct duties for them — to return him at the 'head of the poll.) for the Mac-quarie-street Stakes and back Collarit, who would be first past the post m the Epsom, They failed m their first great duty to the politician, for which many are now sorry. If they failed equally to listen to the voice of the charmer m regard to plunging on the Epsom "winner" they 'are doubtless full of corresponding gladness^ * * * Notwithstanding Mr Crick's assurances to the electors whose suffrages he was wooing, there were some persons who announced with consummate cock-suredness that Collarit would not start for the Epsom. The whispers and head shaking soon assumed a more definitely demonstrative shape, and reasons why the horse would not start were bandied about. There were various reasons assigned, but, though widely divergent, they all tended to the one tune.. ■ ' ■ * • * * . For instance, ifc was first stated that Mr Samuels, a horse-owning Tommy, had worked a commission for Collarit and Mooltan— for the Epsom and Metrop., and it was alleged that though this comjmission was worked m the interest of _both parties when Mr Samuels got his dukes on the briefs he cocked a deaf ear to William Patrick's inquiries as to how it was proposed to cut the boodle m the event of both horses winning. To teach the noble Samuels a well-deserved lesson was declared to be Crick's reason for not starting the horse. It may have been— so the gossips assert — that Crick waited till final accaptances were due to see if Sammy would come up to the scratch before running his pencil through the horse's name. * * * A second reason alleged was that the public had "got m" on the horse and- he had determined to "give them one." That Mr Crick had the reputation of being a rather irascible sport gave, point to this rumor. The fact remains, however, that while the punting public fell over themselves to back the horse at anything from tens to fives the quotations ■ for the past week have been 40 to 50 to 1. He could certainly have gone into the ring early m the week and have backed his horse for a ton of money at odds longer by far that the punt- j ing public were forced to take while they were rushing to get on to the "absolute cert.."- --•* * * A third and more sinister rumor has been that "Collarit is m the bag." In this connection the name of a prominent Sydney bookmaker, Mr Humphrey Oxenham, has been most freely bandied about. Mr P. Bourke andJYlr Loughlin, local BarVons, were also referred to, while it was asserted that m Melbourne. Mr Sol. Green was working the oracle. The peculiarity of this rumor and the credence apparently given it by the manner m which it spread is that, if one or more of these bookmakers were dealing with the horse the general public should have been aware of the fact. Bookmakers and horse manipulators when they have a good thing on, as the "going on" with Collarit would certainly be, do •not usually take their fellbw-pencill-ors or the public into their confidence. The game is to boopa the horse as a likely winner, and m this manner to induce the fool public to toting their brass into the Bar-Vons' satchels. Yet, for weeks past the rumor has gained increasing currency that ; the. horse was being dealt with by one or more interested parties. An inversion of ordinary methods truly. So far as Mr Crick' and his horse: Collarit are concerned— that is entirely a matter of his own concern. He could have left the horse m the race till half an hour before the start —as is frequently done— and by all the. rules of racing the world over lie would have been held blameless.; ■''.'* * * 'A ! representative of ■ this paper called on Mr Humphrey Oxenham at his auction mart yesterday morning. Mr Oxenham admitted that he had heard the rumors connecting his name with that of Collarit. The rumors were absolutely absurd, he said. He invariably worked on his own, and had no understanding with any bookmakers, either here or m Melbourne, to "go on with" Collarit, nor did he know definitely that it would •be withdrawn from the Epsom. His business called him to the Metropolitan Hotel, almost daily, and there he rrequently met Mr Crick, who, for weeks past, had been telling all and sundry that he would not start' his horse for the Epsom. Be had advised Crick not ■to scratch the horse, as it had " a good chance of winning the Epsom, but Crick had an idea that he would "down Poseidon" m the Spring Stakes, which would suit him as ti horse-own-er much better than winning-the Epsom, and he also reckoned that he could win the Metropolitan with him. If he, Oxy, had been dealing with the horse, as rumor made out, it would have been a most, suicidal policy to bo seen with Crick day after, day, and thereby, give a semblance

of reliability to the rumor that the pair -were working hand and . glove m the matter,, Although Crick had declared over and over again that the horse would not start he was until Thursday of" opinion that . Crick would change his mind, as so many advised him not .to scratch.- *'. . . " .• . ■ • In proof of the incorrectness of the yarn that he, Oxy, had been laying Collarit to all and sundry for weeks past, he produced his betting slips, j and showed how the money to pay out on the various Epsom; horses stood a week ago. Certainly, Collarit then showed that from £400 to £500 would have to be paid out on him more than any other horse — a comparatively triflng difference, however, considering the horse was a favorite. A similar Epsom slip a week later, made up to Friday last, showed that Kyadgerie topped .the list, with some hundreds above Coilarit, and there were half a dozen other horses on the list that . would take out more money than Collarit. "This," said Mr Oxenham. "shows conclusively that if I had the big advantage on Collarit that rumor credits me with, I made very little use of it. It proves also that the whole yarn of the horse being dealt with is a fabrication." * • * * ■.. "A"nd look here," continued Mr Oxenham, "here is my list for the Metropolitan. Mooltan is my worst horse. It can be just as easily said that lam dealing with Mooltan because its figures run so high. As a matter of fact, I stand to lose several thousand pounds on the best backed horses m the Metrop., and must work my book up to save myself such loss. The Epsom could, I believe, have been won by Collarit, but if Crick prefers to run it m the Spring Stakes and the Metropolitan, that is his own business. To my knowledge, Crick has always run his horses straight, and it is a cruel calumny on him to say that Collarit was 'm the bag.' Anyhow, there are my books, which show that the betting on it was only that of a favorite, and other horses that are vet m would only have been a few hundred pounds better for me if I had then— a fweek ago;— to pay but on one of them instead of on Collarit,"- --*• « - The scratching? of Collarit on Thursday led to developments m the Ep- j som betting market. Mooltan became a firm favorite. Rumor was also quick to supplythe reason of this. It was stated that a commission' of Books had laid Mr Samuels £3000 to nothing against his winning the Epsom. Mooltan was quickly made a firm favorite, as it was confidently believed that he could beat anything m the race, if he was "on the job," even Collarit, if he started. The object of offering such a nice bit to nothing was, it was asserted, .to save the Bar-Vons concerned having to pay out on other horses that the public had backed. However, the scheme just fell through, as Mooltan was downed by Melodrama when the Epsom was run.; * • • Mr Crick's desire to. have his horse "down Poseidon" was also frustrated. The running of the Spring Stakes saw Collarit leading the field by three lengths after covering a 'mile, and was still leading at 1% mile, but thereafter he began to die, and was rapidly headed. The mile and a half saw Poseidon m. the place of victory, while Collarit did not get a drum. Mr Crick's hope of downing the great son of Positano was shattered when the pair got going m earnest. * • * The non-acceptance of Collarit on Thursday may now be contrasted with.. the acceptance of Pompous, the highly-thought-of Epsom-class imported horse that runs m the nomination of the Hon. Agar Wynne, the wealthy Victorian. This honorable gentleman had Pompous and Melodrama nominated for the Epsom. On September 14, at Randwick, m the Tramway. Handicap, Melodrama star-' ted at 4' to 1. He got well away, but was apparently settled fairly'easily by Legation, who started at 8 to 1. On the strength of his failure m the Tramtway Handicap, the public would have none of Melodrama m the Epsom,, but pinned their faith to the Hon. Agar Wynne's other nomination—the* imported Pompous. " * ..■,-» • ■ *•: " » Pompous paid final forfeit. Pompous was taken to the course yesterday. The name of Pompous appeared on the board till well, on time for hoisting the numbers of the actual starters, when it disappeared., Al--though the name of Pompous-had dis- ' appeared, the public did not take a tumble and back the other nomination of the Hon. Agar Wynne-^Melo-drama. Yet Melodrama got away well, and won from end to endi . de- • f eating Mooltan-, the horse that has; been hot for the Metrop., and when.; they stepped m to back it' for theEpsom, became quite as hot afavorite for that Tace m one afternoon. After rain had fallen on Friday night and Saturday forenoon, Melodrama succeeded m covering the mile within three-cfuarters of a second or record time for the Australian Commonwealth. The public were so bluffed by the easy defeat of Melodrama by Legation three . weeks' ago that: at' least 20 to 1 could. easily be obtained ; yet it is stated that the Hon. Agar, Wynne's choice was warmly supported m Melbourne. Legation, the horse that so signally defeated ' Melodrama, three weeks ago, was also a starter m the thousand pounds: Epsom, Ilibut ! was no use to Melodrama nor the other top-notchers defeated by Melodrama. *'.•■■* ■■; Which -all go to prove that there are differences m methods. The Honorable Agai; Wynne's methods are somewhat different. The gentle public that didn't back Melodrama, vet took his victory without a murmur, can judge which methods they best approve 4