HANDICAPPING ANOMALIES

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 144, 8 September 1927, Page 7

HANDICAPPING ANOMALIES

DISAPPROVAL EXPRESSED BY OWNER OF WAITAKI GIRL AT MARE’S N.Z. CUP MARK

TN an open letter to THE SUN Mr. H. W. Aker, owner of Waitaki Girl, takes Mr. Brinkman to task over the treatment meted out to his mare in the New Zealand Cup handicaps. He instances what He considers a glaring mistake in the adjustment, the placing of Talaro or, a 4.27 mark. Mr. Akers points out that Talaro was placed in last year’s Cup off a 4.28 mark, and later won the Auckland Cup, Mr. C. E. Lindsay’s horse was the biggest stake-winner in Australasia last season in the trotting bus ness, his earnings totalling £3,600, yet, he states, "Mr. Brinkman only makes him out to be one: second better horse than he was last Cup. He has only been penalised 12yds for his big earnings of last season. It is ridiculous.

‘•After winning the Auckland Cup and running second to Great Bingen in the mile and a-quarter race at Auckland, the Auckland handicapper, Mr. Paul, placed him on 4.25, and rightly so. That is where Talaro ought to be now. But Mr. Brinkman says no. ‘He puts him on 4.26 at Easter time and on 4.27 in the Cup. Now at Easter time Waitaki Girl gave Talaro 24yds in two miles. Waitaki Girl has since won the King George Handicap, beating the worst field that I ever saw in a tight class handicap race at Addington. GOOD MUD LARK ‘ Of course, it was on a heavy track, and that is why my mare managed to win. As everybody knows, she is good

in mud. There were no Cup horses in the race that could go in the mud. Now Mr. Brinkman makes Waitaki Girl give Talaro 48yds. Waitaki Girl only won £6OO last year and Talaro £3.600.

“I call this a. crying shame and no encouragement fdr an owner to train a, back-marker. Now my mare is one of the smallest stake-winners among the back-markers, having won little more in her career than Talaro won in 12 months.”

THE CASE OF JACK POTTS But there are others, according to Mr. Akers, that, have been liberally treated. ‘ The next horse is Jack Potts,” he continues. "He went 4.23 4-5 when he won the Midsummer Handicap and he won as he liked. He is only asked to go what lie won in. He is entitled to be on 4.24. My mare’s best winning time is 4.25, and she should be on that mark. ‘‘The next horse is Great Bingen. He won the Duke of York Handicap off 4 21. and went 4.21. He is still on that mark for the Cup. ”1 am quite sure that every rightthinking man will agree with me that Mr. Brinkman has absolutely ruined by mare’s chance of winning the Cup. He has not given her a ghost of a chance, not even for a place. I will immediately sort out Talaro as the winner of the next Cup with the other horses I have mentioned as having a good chance. APPRECIABLE ACTION “Do not think for a moment that the handicapper was too lenient with Great Bingen. lie is to be: congratulated for taking into consideration that the back horses have to go round the field to win, which sometimes means seconds to them on the journey. This was easily seen at the National meet-

ing, when Waitaki Girl was at the top of her form. She started three times from the back end of her races off 4.23, but had no chance, yet Mr. Brinkman says she has a chance in the Cup off the same mark. SCRATCH MARE AS PROTEST “In conclusion. I think it is high tipie Mr. Brinkman took into consideration the stakes horses win and penalise them accordingly. This is only fair. I suppose Mr. Brinkman must know we are racing our horses to get the money, not to put up fast times. It is the money we want and the horses that get it have a perfect right to be penalised, not the ones that are always triers and only win a race now and again. ‘‘There are other horses in the Cup that are harshly treated also. I am not going to start my mare, as a protest against the handicap.”