TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 25 August 1909, Page 54

TALK OF THE DAY.

By Sentinel. -

THE NEW ZEALAND CUP. The handicap for the New Zealand Cup is," on the first blush, framed on a light scale, and to give colour to that opinion it need only be pointed out that the first hojse backed for money after the appearance of the weights is All Red, who figures at the ton of the list -with 9.4 opposite his name. Still the facts of experience, spread over many years, show that the top-weight division have rarely succeeded in gaining a. place in the race, and it is not difficult to find the reason why. The top weights in a handicap are invariably handicapped to the top of their form, and when they are so treated, ajud, in addition, have to run ov*r a distance of .ground, when' the weight tells to the last ounce, they gen«rally find a victor amongst the more Ug-htly-weigitted division, who haa been developing form whilst hi? more heavily-burdened opponents nave been displaying, and, conse--quently, handicapped up to, the: best they Tare capable of Showing. In framing a -handicap the handdcarjper has to be .guided by form — the form of -a season or .years, — "and if- past experienee/eSKwrs that only an exceptionally gocd horse can score under x big weight over two miles in the early spring, then it is ridiculous to* crush the best horses w© have far the time being* in order to give the moderates — who may never be anything else — a chance to win. It is, of course, our best horses that the public desire to see racing, and in the past our handicappers have not been giving a great inducement to their owners to bring them to the post. Some ..months ago the writer, in referring to the. fate* of top weights in our races, pointed out that the Cesarewitch Handicap, which is' the pre- ' mier long-distance race of England, haa been won on only one occasion since its inauguration, in 1839, by a horse carrying 9.0 or over. This was iii 1890, when Sheen carried 9.2, whilst The White Knight's performance 'of getting second with 9.12 in 1907 stands out- as a monumental performance in the race. It must be born in mind, Australian Cup is another race run at the back end of the English season. The Australian Cup is another race run at the back end of the 6eason (when good horses have run up their weights), and yefc since 1863 only three horses in Malua., Highborn, and Tartan, have won wifch over 9.0. In the 20 years preceding Carbine's famous win in the Melbourne Cup Malua was the only horse that carried over 9.0 successfully in the race, whilst since Carbine's year only two horses, in Patron 9.3 and The Grafter 9.2 have won with over 9.0. Coming righ,t to the- spot, it is found that tho highest weight carried to victory in the New Zealand: Cup i? 8.9, and the victories of the heavy-weight division have been few and far between in the Auckland Cup. Hence i" is seen there is ample justification for giving the top weights a chance when they are racing over a dis- j tance of ground. ' j All Red was seen out in 19 race* last ' season, an<2 scor«<J in six. As a youngster j he was a big gross colt, and may be b«tt«r next year thaji he was last. He- ran a great race in the Fendalton Handicap last ! .November, wiben he was only a neck i away from the leader after getting a bad passage, or, possibly, to be candid, badfy > ridden by Jenkins. He next won the! Auckland Cup with 8.6 in 3.31, Zimmerman 9.5 being unplaced. A second with \ of y\j tlie Summ « r Cup to Master Soult ' 8.4 followed, and then he scored in the A.R.C. Handicap with 9.11 in 2.37 2-5, . Zimmerman 9.7 and Downfall 8.12 unplaced. AH Red 9.9 was unplaced in the Wellington Cup, in which the placed horeee were Blue Ribbon 6.12, Muskerry 7.1, and , Husbandman 8.6. The son of Madder was ' again unplaced ip the W.R.C. Handicap ; I wjth 9.8. At Wanganui he was unplaced 1 I m the Cup with 9.6, in wiiioh Kilmarnock tnow known as Sir Prize) 6.10, Blue Ribbon 7.11, and Uhlando were first pas* I wie post. All Red won the W«nganud Stakes, one mile and a-half, with 9 ♦ in 2.35 4-5, Sir Prize 7.11 being third. He 1 w«a unplaced in jfre AiR.C. St. George's J I Handicap! with 9.11, in which the place* were filled by Sedition 6.13, Downfall 8.7, , and Ngapuka 7.8. Mastei Soult 9.5 „& i Sir Prize 7.12 -were also unplaced. The I Autumn Handicap, one mil© «ad a-hal* was won with 9.8 t and All Red was fol- ! lowed home by Downfall 8.13, whilst Sir ' Prize 7.8 was unplaced. All Red 9.10 waj

' unplaced in the Thompson. Handicap, and j Master Soult 9.5 was in ths same box. ' In the Wellington Autumn Ham-dicap Ail ! Red 9.7" was second to Sir Tristram 7.7, ! and. that wound up his labours for the ' season. The above is a brief 1 account of j the form displayed during the past season •by the " peg " on which the handicap for j tiie New Zealand Cup is hung. It will be ' eesn that All Red won the Auckland Cop, j two miles, with" 8.6, and also won twice, on the same course, over one mile and ahalf, with 9.11 in 2.37 2-5, and later with 9.8 in 2.40 3-5. Again at Wanganui he won- over on® mile and a-half with 9.4 in 2.35 4-5, and has shown excellent form up to s mile and a-half when racing under big weights. He •however, failed in the Wamganui Oup wit'i 9.6 and he was a&o unplaced in the WeKngfon Cup with 9.9. His best weightcarrying peTformaaiee was under -9.11 over 12 furlomigs, at Auckland, but against that we have his failure at Waaiganxii over 14furlongs and his failure in other races over a mil* and a-half. Bearing this in mind, it does not seem to be. an .undue piece o£ leniency to dtop the son of Madder 7lb from the 9.11 he carried at Auckland la order to give him a chance «>ver an additional half a mile at Riccaston. All Red, of course, ia not the only horse that gets a concession ha the handicap. For instance, in the Auckland Cup, which is ran over '%> same distance as the Rdccarton Races we find that Bobxikoff, who ran second to AJI Red, is alloYijea lllb-'forvthe beating, whilst Zimmerman, who was unplaced, is allowed loft* -Signor proved hinnelf a- good stayer last season, both in Australia «nd "New ' • Zealand.' Hie- was giving over 6lb- to Downall- when the. latter wen tfoe 'N.Z. Gap, and now meets him. again on the same termer, but at a higher scale. Zimmerman was unplaced in the Cup, and now meets Signer on 221b better terms. In the Great .Autumn Handicap of 12 months ago • Zimmerman beaj; Signor a head when- giving away 321b, and now we find that the latter is in receipt of only lib. In the Canterbury Cup Zimmerman- failed to- give 51b to Signor, axhd Downfall, whilst Husbandman was unplaced in th» same race, and if the form can be accepted as true then- Signor has proved hdmsdf a better stayer under weight than Zimmerman, and H u& was capable of bsa-ting Husbandman at w.f.a, ha should beat him at 4lb, but Husbandman in the Canterbury Cup was 1 1 not as good as subsequent form suggests. . Husbandman beat Master Soult in the A.R.O. Derby, but the latter turned the tables on him in tba St. Leger, but excuse . was made for the Treadmill colt on account of the going being against him. Master Soult was undoubtedly brilliant last season, but perhaps ths handicap of Husbandman's third in the Gxeat Autumn with 8.13 to Bonif orm's 9.1 was better than Master Souit's second with 8.13 to Tangimoana 8.3 in the Hawke's Bay Cup. Downfall won last year with 7.8 in the smart time of 3min 28 2-sseo — -arid got a bad passage when- the field was racing along the back stretch. He subsequently ran third in the Canterbury ' oup, aoa eecond to All Red over a. mile end . a-half at Auckland when in receipt of-9ft>. Now there » 121b between with an additional half -mil© to California was a bit of a difiappoiuitanejit last season, but in. iha autumn at Hawke's Bay be ran third . to Tangimoana and 'Master Soult when meeting th« latter at Jevel weigh+s, and giving away 91b to the mare. Be meets both slightly better in the Cup, and if he gets into, a condition, to display his beat gailopimg abilities will ba a dangerous contender.'Frisco wen the Cup under 7.8, but haa been, on the £.he!f' for a long 1 , while, and thi. b?et idea about him wiJl'te gkaned if t» is given a run before racing at Riocftrton. He is let away 31b on last year's weight. Penates has never won over a greater distance than a mile, but he is an exceptionally brilliant performer up to that stage. In his races he appears to pull and fight * bit, and that may tell against him developing into a stayer. StLH, he has a weight which is a luxury to him. T*ngimomna, is this last of -fc»e fng-ht-stone division. She was one of the fancies for last year's race, in which she had 8.4. but failed to make the final paymsmfc. Up to a mile and a-half she haa shown fairly good! form, and when she, won the Hawke's Bay Cup with 8.3 in May last she was folloHwed home by Maefcer Soult 8.12, California, 8.12. and the unpk^f* l Jot included Downf*H 8.13. Earlier in the year she won the Manawatu Cup, one mile and a-half. in 2min 36 l-ssec, with 8.3, *nd just beat BlueRibbon 6.7. Now she is down 21b, and Blue Ribbon goes up 171b for subsequent form, inctudinsr a win in the Wellington Cup with. 6.10 in 2min 35« ec, and a second in the Wenganui Cup wifch 7.11 to Sir Prips, who was in receipt of 151b. Sir Prize goes up 13H> for his Waoganui win. and ft placed to ~ give lib to Boliin. The- lastnamed ttarted five time 3 last year, and. including a dead-heat with Miss . Mischief over a mile at even weights. won>four lacea. Boliin appears to be a horso whioh th« handicapper is inclined to take c*re of. Roosevdt won the Pah-ia-tua Oup, one isailo and" a-craarter. with 7.8 in 2min 8 2-sseo;i the P.R.C. Handicap, nine furlongs, with 8.7, in lmin 56 3-ssec: the Marta-wobu Oup, nine furlongs, with 7.7, in. lrain 55sec; besides showing other winning form in addition to creditable place ahowimgs. PriiC -won the Dvmedin Cup wiih 8.3 in 2m in 36 and (nartioultfrly if ehe trains on) reads well treated *t 81b v le£B wedght, aa it: is doubtful if some of thoes near her couldi take up the same burden and run 12 furlong* at Wingatui as well as Pilgrim's Progress mare. W'immera won three times last season, but not bayond seven furlongs, and brilliant horses' up to a mile may bo utterly lacking at two miles. Still. - all things being equsd, some with good form over short courses do not read so well a» Penaiee with 8.3. Gwendoline is a. good mare, and probably put up her best performance when, she ran a mile at the National meeting in lmin 435«0, with 10.4* Heorthen- is up 101b on. her .second last year, -whilst Downfall is up 12lb. Grand Slam, is down a stone on> whet he was handicapped for last year's jraca, end the weight should - not hamper the balance of the field if they can stay and" be trained to stay two miles.