Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893), Tuesday 20 January 1880, page 2


The Northern Jockey Club

Races.

THE STRAIGHT TIP.

[BY " VOLUNTEER."]

I promised in last Saturday's issue to en-deavour to indicate Wednesday and Thurs-day's winners in to-day's paper, and thus I redeem my promise as far as I possibly can. Before entering into details, I will give your

numerous readers au acount of the latest gallops, so that they may have a pretty fair line to judge for themselves the chances of a few of the local nags. There are a large number of strange horses entered, and none of those had put in an appearance up to last Saturday morning, so I am rather puzzled how I am going to "pick it." At former meetings the horses arrived generally three or four days befoiehand, when some speel-ing was done, and one could then judge fairly the condition and chances of all the horses ; so on this occasion all the touts are pretty well in the dark, and must judge as best they can how to win some of the needful. Up to the present time of writing, Middlesex, Star, Maitland, and the Earl, are the only horses that have arrived from Sydney ; the latter two arrived only this morning (Monday) ; Sunlight is expected up to-day. Elos has been in town a few days, and has done some good work on Maitland course, according to the opinion of a well-known tout. On Saturday morning I made all possible haste to get to Rutherford in time to see some swallow-catching, but I was too late to catch some of the " birds," who had winged their flight at half-past three. The Swan had finished her work, and to me she appeared jaded. I was just in time to see Soothsayer and True Blue doing the fair "dinkum" over a mile and a quarter. That cleverest of horsemen, Hinks, piloted Soothsayer, who was not asked to extend himself by the brown Kelpie, and came away quite comfortably at the finish. The time was nothing wonderful. Lowlander, the candidate for the double, and Secundus next stripped for a fair flutter, they came from the quarter post at a rattling pace, and went on for a mile anda quarter. Secundus only once got on terms with his brother, who came away a length from him at the finish.

Some of the touts considered he ought to' have beaten Secundus a good deal further than he did, as the latter is not in racing condition, and that being his first fast gallop for a long time. The watches snowed anything but fast time, and I noticed Low lander appeared a little stiff when he cooled down. The gallop didn't please the touts. Volunteer and Vesper went together for two miles, the first mile steady, and the second at a good rattling pace with a hold of their heads. Volunteer, seemingly, had more left in him than Vesper ; the gallop was about the best of the morning, the tickers showing a second lessJ than the other gallops, for the mile. Haphazard was kept exercising until all the touts had cleared for home. His trainer is

karping him very " dark " for the Maitland

Handicap, which is the only race he is entered for. Now to try and spot the winners. I must confess that I am rather puzzled, as these races are the most open events that ever were run for over Maitland Course. In every race there are three or four " in it," not to mention several dark ones whom there

is nothing known about. The Flying Handi-cap must result in a great race between Soothsayer, Volunteer, Vesper, and Sunlight, and to separate and place them one two three I am not enlightened enough, but I fancy /notwithstanding that the trainer of Vesper, Openly declared to lay £50 that she beats anything in it) Soothsayer and Volunteer are the most likely to gain first honors. The whole lot in this race are so evenly weighted, with the exception of one or two, that a sheet will in my opinion cover them all at the finish. For the N. J. C. Handicap, Mabel, Valetta, Middlesex, and Sir Solomon have the best show, and how to weed them out is a puzzle. I have seen Middlesex, and I must say he is anything but a fresh horse ; he appeared to me a bit sore, so that I have altered my opinion concerning him for the Handicap. Mabel is doubtful about coming; and I on the strength of her Cup running would be as good as anything. Since my last notes in Saturday's issue I have changed my opinion in some degree with re

gard to Old Solomon, as I take his chances as very good. Valetta is the mare I will pin my faith to, on the strength of her nice con-dition and light weight; so to sum up I give the following as the nearest conclusion I can arrive at—Valetta, Middlesex, and Sir

Solomon. The Epsom is just about as open a race as the Flying ; those who appear to me as most likely are Proserpine, Volunteer, and Soothsayer, but the real issue must be be-tween the two light weights. Proserpine and Volunter. Elos and Eosalind ought to be very close on their heels. For the Maitland Handicap Proserpine, Elos, and Sooth-sayer are likely to fill the places in the

order named. If Valetta and Middlesex were likely starters, I would certainly take them before Elos and Soothsayer. The Duckenfield Cup is still more open than the N. J. C, but I will hold to my former opinion in reference to Volunteer and Proserpine holding a great many of their opponents safe. The issue is most likely to lie between Valetta, Volunteer, and Proserpine, each of which have, in my opinion, as good a show as the other. The Swan and Elos will be dan-gerous, but I don't think they can do the first three named. Solomon won't have as good a show in this as in the other, as the distance is hardly long enough to suit him.

The Prince of Wales contains a large field of horses, and some of them great goers : I find this race as hard if not harder than the others to pick. Fancy Boy, Cameo, Dexter, Pride, and Kingsworth have all a big say in it. I think the following have a little bit more to say in it than the others-Fancy Boy, Dexter, and Kingsworth, and if anything beats this lot it will be Pride. The Two-year-old Stakes must fall to the lot of Dover, the horse who defeated at Eandwickthe big gun Kamilaroi, Maitland will beat anything for second place, and Kathleen Mavourneen will just find a place. In the Novel Bace Voltaire Speculation, and Auld Eeekie are good, enough for the places. And the Maiden Plate is again another open event ; some of the talent consider Dover a good double, but I think Maitland has as good a chance over a mile and a quarter, weight for age. Dr. Nash's filly Kathleen is not out of it alto-gether, and I would not be surprised to see her wipe the pail of them out. My fiat will be for Maitlaud, Dover, and Kathleen Ma-vourneen in the order named. Backers of horses can now be accommodated with any double conceivable at the coming races—a

descendant of Moses has opened a book, and has laid since the scratchings 20 to [?]'7 ~f pounds and crowns against the following

horses : The two Volunteers and the two Proserpines, and neither horses are in the N. J. C. He will stretch

a point more if backers will take any of the following "stiffuns"—Drum Major and Knight Errant, Gipsy Cooper and Knight Errant, or Colima and The Grape. I fancy this itinerant bookmaker has not studied the rules of racing, otherwise he would not be troubled by so many of the knowing ones taking over fifty doubles of the above sort. However, I wish him every suc-cess in his new phase of bookmaking, and that Soothsayer will pull him through in the Maiden Plate, as he expects him to do.