TROTTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 92, 19 April 1928, Page 13

TROTTING.

WHEEL AND TRACK NOTES,

(By ORION.)

FIXTURES. April 21.—Te Aroha T.C. April 21.—Ashburton T.C. May 8, s.—Forbury Park T.C. May, 6. —Cambridge T.C. .Viuy 10.—Oamaru T.C. June 2, 4.—Canterbury Park T.C. June 9. —Ashburton T.C. June 28. 27. —Auckland T.C.

It is understood, says a Dunedin writer, that the two months' suspension imposed on F. G. Holmes, was due to the fact that he had been before the stewards on 19 occasions for infringement of the rules.

Acre was expected to put up a good race in the April Handicap last Saturday, but to goi better than 4.30 for two miles, and then only finish third was quite unexpected. It further demonstrated the great improvement that is necessary now to have a chance in slow-class races.

After going about two furlongs in the Harvest Handicap, the opening event at Addington on Saturday, Proud Ata lost his driver (J. Deyell). The horse went on without a pilot, colliding with Western Voyage, whose driver, A. Hendriksen, was thrown from the sulky. An inquiry was held. J. McLennan (driver of Herbilwin) was held to have caused the mishap to Proud Ata, and was lined £25 for careless driving.

At Addington on (Saturday, Moneyspidet' lost ihis driver 'Bryee). soon start of the handicap, and after interfering Iglth-some of the other competitors, ion -for a .circuit after the finish 4>f the race. He was eventually stopped pear the winning post. A spectator caught one rein and the horse swerved into the fence, carrying away the rail and falling into a ditch in the inside of the course. The horse was extricated and brought in, when he appeared to be very sore. Brycc escaped with nothing more serious than a few scratches.

An Indication' of the progress that light harness racing is making consists in the fact that with f>ne or two exceptions all those engaged in the New Zealand Sires' Produce Stakes can be found in the Trotting Stud Book. Some breeders still fail to realise that inclusion in the Stud Book enhances the value of stock and places a hall mark of possibility on youngsters which does not otherwise exist, says a Southern writer. Patty Todd is by Lorenes Todd from Miss Patty, by Rothschild —Zenobid, by Franz (son of Vanclere), from Polly, by Sacramento. Manhattan is by Happy Voyage from Lady Cherry, by King Harold (son of Childe Harold) from a Laertes mare. The jcolt by Homeleigh Dick is out of a well-known performer in Olive L. by Wallace L. from Cissie Wood, by Wildwood—Auntie, by Kentucky. Swiftetta is by Petereta from Swift, by Rothschild ,—Cling, by Vancleve. She is a sister to Peter Swift. There is some. little difficulty in tracking the pedigree of some of the others engaged, but it is to be hoped that in the not-far-distant future everything worthy of nomination will also be found in the Stud Book.

On his return to Adelaide after a two months' holiday spent in New Zealand, Mr. H. Lewis, the owner of a number of racehorses, recently stated to a representative of the "Adelaide Advertiser" that he saw nothing in the conduct, of racing in the Dominion which might, with advantage, be adopted by the metropolitan clubs in that State. Mr. Lewis was amazed at the extent to which trotting races, with the assistance of the totalisator, were held in New Zealand. There was just as much trotting I there as horse racing, and the racing public was much better catered for in I regard to the number of meetings than lin South Australia. The stakes for trotting were larger than those for racing, and all the leading clubs held two-day meetings—on Saturday and Monday, or Thursday and Saturday. All the trotting and racing programmes contained eight races, a start being made at noon and the last race run about 5.30 p.m. He witnessed a trotting meeting of the Otahuhu Club, at Auckland, and the stakes for the eight races on one day ranged from £300 to £1000, and the totalisator investments for the two day* totalled £97,000. The stand erected on the Epsom course, where the trotting waa held, was larger than that at Morphettville. Bookmakers were not allowed to operate, but it waa easy to see, said Mr. Lewis, that money was passing through other channels. On all the New Zealand courses provision is made for receiving big commissions in the totalisator, said Mr. Lewis. The commissioner With £50 or £200 goes to a small office, fills in a voucher, and hands 4a hie money. That money is not put through the totalisator at the time, but is held until the machine is about to be cloaed three minutes before the start of a race. Then all the big money is recorded, and the general public has no chance of following the money. If the public has not completed its investments a race is delayed, but even in that case the machine closes three minutes before the start.

Daphne de Ora has won close on 2000sovs in eleven starts.

Native Queen was handicapped at 2.14 in the Oxford Handicap at Addington, and won in 2.10 2-5. This speed practically settled the field, as the winner won by a big margin. Native Queen was bred by the late Mr. B. Shadbolt, and her parents, Native King and Rawene, were raced by the Hawke's Bay sportsman. Native Queen is a brilliant sprinter, but she is not partial to a long journey. She is only five-years-old, so she may develop stamina later.

A feature of the racing at the Metropolitan Trotting Club's meeting on Saturday was that three of the winners were bred in Hawke's Bay, at the stud of the late Mr. B. Shadbolt, who was for many years an enthusiastic patron of the trotting sport. His stud came under notice when Native Queen, by Native King from Rawene, captured the Oxford Handicap, while the President's Handicap waj won by Padlock, a halfbrother, by Hal Zolocic, to Native Queen. Later in the day further fame for the Hawke's Bay stud was earned by the brilliant trotter, Native Star, by Native King from Muriel Star, when she beat a good field in the Sumner Handicap.