THE FORTHCOMING RACES.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 594, 16 December 1869, Page 2

THE FORTHCOMING RACES.

{To the Editor of the Westport Times.)

Sib, —As the excitement has now subsided relative to the late fires, the original topic of almost universal conversation, and my bugbear, has again cropped up, viz., horse-racing. By calling it my bugbear I do not mean to insinuate that I am not as fond of seeing a good day's racing as most people, but the constant harping on one subject, and that subject being one of which, unfortunately for myself, I am as ignorant as a babe unborn, listening at times becomes rather a tedious occupation, especially when most of my friends are what they call thoroughly posted up in racing matters, and take every opportunity, when they can obtain a good listener, of enlarging upon them to a very great extent indeed. Tor instance, they will frequently give the aforesaid listener the names of all the Derby, Oaks, &c, and other great winners time out of mind, interspersed with 3uch technicalities as in the year fifty-eight or sixty-four " Blunderbore," grey colt 4yrs, handicapped at lOst. lOlbs, beat a field of fourteen, including " Breechloader" at same weight at Newmarket, or sister to " Bat Trap," syrs, at weight for age was easily beaten at Doncaster by " Puss in Boots," 4yrs, carrying 7lbs extra. Now all this is very interesting I have no doubt, provided you are as well posted up as your friends ; and, naturally wishing to be able sometimes to put in a word or two in the conversation, I have of late taken every opportunity of reading up the subject, and began to think (after carefully perusing the printed rules of the W.J.C., and almost learning by heart the conditions of the forthcoming races at Westport as published in your valuable journal) I know almost as much as my friends, with the exception of not understanding the meaning of such phrases as " Catch Weights," " Handicapping," and " Weights for Age." I therefore took the first chance that presented itself of asking their meaning from my great racing friend Tom Staggers. The questions took him by surprise, not unmixed, I am afraid, with something very like contempt at my ignorance, but, being a good-tempered fellow, he at once endeavored to explain matters to me, and indeed, when he told me the meaning of " Catch Weights " I was not surprised myself at his wondering, the subject being so very simple that he explained it to my dull comprehension at once. He was not so successful, however, when the second subject came on the board, viz., " Handicapping," although he soon explained to me what the word itself meant, but I could not help asking him who were the parties to fix the weights ? " What a muff you are, begging your pardon. Why, the Stewards of course." But still, stupid as I felt myself to be, I was not quite satisfied with the reply, and asked him who were the Stewards ? " My dear fellow," he replied, " when will you learn anything ? The Stewards are always chosen by the Jockey Club for whom they act." " But Tom," said I," don't be angry at my stupidity, but tell me, can the Stewards who handicap the horses run horses themselves handicapped by themselves?" "Well—h'm. Yes, I suppose so; I don't know that there is any law against it, but, of course, my dear Ignoramus, you must understand that all the Stewards are gentlemen, and will, of course, act as such, although I should not like to say that all of them would know a horse from a moke—unless they were previously told which was which." I asked him what " Weights for Age " meant ? He answered " This is not an easy thing to explain, but it really means certain weights generally agreed upon as a standard throughout the country, according to the age of the horse." I then told him I had only one or two more questions to ask, and, the first was, that as I had previously seen by the published programme that there were five stewards, would he tell me how many of them formed a quorum? "Three, I believe," he replied. " Then, according to that," I said, " supposing that only a quorum were present at the time of handicapping, two would constitute a majority, and, as I read only the other day, in ' Nitnrod on the Turf,' page 128, that two persons are allowed to run horses as confederates, the two could, were they present at the meeting, as they undoubtedly would be, and were not, as you say they necessarily are, gentlemen, most, if not all, the races could be made, barring accidents, perfectly safe as far as they were concerned." Tom, who entre nous had a horse to run himself at the forthcoming races, was rather nonplussed by this remark, but, saying he would think it over, wished me good-bye. Subsequently to this conversation, I happened to take up the Hokitika paper in which the weights for age, as agreed upon by the Hokitika Jockey Club, were published, and, seeing the local weights were given in your edition of this morning's paper, I compared them, and was rather astonished, after what I had been told, to find that the same horse running at Hokitika would carry in some instances about two stone more than he required to do at Westport. Can you explain this, Mr Editor? Is it the difference in climate, or, supposing a horse to he sent from Nelson, is he improved to that extent by the additional length of the passage ? There is one more question I should like to

ask you, Bir, and that id whether the same rule applies to Westport as to Hokitika respecting the Ladies' Puree, the rule at Hokitika being that only gentlemen riders are allowed to ride in that race; because, if so, such is not stated in the "Westport programme. I trust that you will pardon me for thus troubling you, and kindly put it down to a thirst for knowledge which is a great failing of your obedient servant Ignoramus. P.S. —Enclosed is a copy of the Hokitika weights for age, along with those of Westport, to be carried in the race for the Ladies' Purse : HOKITIKA. Ladies" Purse. Welter weights for age. One and a-half miles. Gentlemen riders. Entrance, 2 sovs. Welter Weights for Age. st. lbs. 6 years and aged ... ... 12 4 5 „ 11 8 4 „ 11 0 3„ 9 2 N.B—Mares and geldings allowed 31bs. WESTPORT. Ladies' Purse. Weight for age. st. lbs. 3 year olds ... 710 4 „ 8 12 5„ 9 4 Bandaged 9 9 Mares and geldings allowed 31bs.