TROTTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 18, 22 January 1926, Page 9

TROTTING.

WHEEL AND TRACK NOTES.

(By ORION.)

FIXTURES FOR THE SEASON.

January 28, 30—Forbury Park Trotting

CIUD. January 30 —Hawfce's Bay Trotting Club. February 12—Poverty Bay Trottuigr Club. February 13— X.Z. Metropolitan Trotting

Club. February 19—Kaikoura Trotting Club. February 19. 2i—Waniianui Trotting Club. February 20, 24—Otafiuhu Trotting Club. February 2 o—Marlborouglio—Marlborougli Trottinf,- Uub. February 27—Taranakl Trotting Club. March 6 —Waikato Trotting Club. March 10—Manawatu Trotting Club. Alarcn "13—.Northland Trotting Club. March 13—Timaru Trotting Club. March 17 —Wyndham Trotting Club. March IS. 2U—-New Brighton Trotting

Club. March 20—Thames Trotting Club. March 27—Wellington Trotting Club. April 3. 7—IV'.Z. .Metropolitan Trotting

Club. April 3, s—Hawera Trotting- Club. April 17—Eliesmere Trotting , Club. April 17—Cambridge Trotting Clun. April 22—Walmate Trotting Club. April 24—Ashburton Trotting Cluh. .May 6, B—Forburyß—Forbury Park Trotting Club. May 22 —Oamaru Trotting Club. June 3, s—canterbury Park Trotting Club. June 12—Ashburton Trotting- Club. June 19, 23—Auckland Trotting CluD.

Jack Potts is not to be taken to the Forbury Park meeting to fulfil engagements.

It is stated that Mr. L. G. King, owner of that brilliant pacing mare Onyx, does not intend to race her after the NewZealand Cup meeting next November. She will then be retired to the matrons' paddock.

Jean Darling and Aggie Bell, which are engaged at the Hawke's Bay meeting, are trained by A. Cameron, at Mangere. Jean Darling won a race last season, but Aggie Bell, which is a full sister to Nita Bell and All Bell., has only placed performances to her credit.

In trotting circles in Sydney recently there have been consistent rumours to the effect that a recent winner at Goulburn is identical with another horse. The New South Wales Trotting Club immediately made inquiries into the matter, aiid a statutory declaration has been secured from the breeder of the horse in question. This declaration proves conclusively that the rumours concerning the winner at Goulburn are false. The N.S.W.T.C. have acted wisely in taking action to so quickly put a stop to these rumours.

The Nelson-owned Fille de Ballin. wliicli won the mile and a-half trotters' race and finished second to Grace Grattan in the two mile event at the Wellington Trotting Club's meeting on Saturday, looks like taking higli honours amongst the trotting brigade. She is well mannered, has an easy action, and appears to possess plenty of stamina. She is by Ballin, an American stallion, which was double gaited, going at either the pacing or the trotting gait, and she is a credit to her sire.

The attention of owners is drawn to the advertised programme for the annual meeting of the Poverty Bay Trotting Club, which takes place on Friday, February 12. Over the eight events the club will distribute £1010, and of this £250 goes to the Poverty Bay Cup, for horses that can go 4.52 or better. The Dominion Handicap, for unhoppled trotters, which can go 5.10 or better, is worth £150, and the Electric Handicap, one mile, limit 2.28, £125. Only one event, the Trial Handicap, is worth less than £100. and owners who intend to be represented at the fixture should remember that nominations close with the secretary. Mr. H. E. Dodd, Gisborne, on Moiidav next, January 23.

The pacer Sungleam, which won the Novice Handicap at Wellington, was bred in Canterbury, and is by Bungod from a Wallace L. mare. Sungleam was trained early in his career -by D. Withers, at Addington. and before being raced was sold to a Nelson sportsman and raced in the north of the South Island, being trained at that period by L. Birkett, says a Christchurch writer. At the last meeting of the Nelson Trotting Club Sungleam was so had in the paddock and at the barrier that he was reported as eligible for the black list by the stipendiary steward, who would have quite failed in his duty had he not done so. Sungleam has been sold in the meantime, as he raced in Mr. J. B. Carr's name at Wellington, and was trained by R. L. Kearns, who drove him. Sungleam was a changed horse in last Saturday's race. No competitor was better mannered than the Nelson pacer, both in the paddock, and at the post. IHe began smartly and paced solidly all the way. The improvement in Sun- ! gleam's manners was a tribute to his I trainer's skill.

Stewards Too Lax. "The New South Wales Trotting Club held a most successful meeting at Epping," says a Sydney writer, referring to a meeting held this month. "At least, it was successful from the viewpoint of the attendance, which was such as to ensure the club reaping a good profit from the fixture. But it is fairly certain that the meeting was lacking in the matter of control. After the racing , was over the conviction was forced on one that certain owners and drivers are allowed altogether -too much latitude. There should he a tightening up of the control. Unless this is done, the Xew South Wales Trotting Club is likely to find itself in a sorry fix. The piit*ii<i will lose interest in the fixture?, and with the loss of public patronage will go all prospects of lifting the sport out of the mire in which it has been allowed to sink.

'"There is no fioubt that the stewards allowed altogether too much to pass their notice. It is understood that one owner-trainer was questioned, but no information was furnished to the Pres3 in this matter. The matter was allowed to drop. I am not going to say that this particular ease merited attention, but I will say there were several instances where stewerds'action criel out to be taken. In one particular race there were quite a number of the connections who should have been asked to explain the running of their candidates. A case lias just come under notice in Xew Zealand where jockeys were dealt with in wholesale fashion. I n this particular case, the only rider to escape scot-free was the rider of the winner. That was in a galloping event, but it struck mc, when the field in the race at Bppmsr which I have under reviewpassed the post, that something akin to the action in Xew Zealand should have been taken. But this race, , -while it stood out from the others in its demand for action by the stewards, was not the only case where the stewards should have interested themselves. The stewards could have done much to vindicate their position on Monday, and it is a pity that they should have allowed certain cases to pass them."