WHEEL AND TRACK NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 247, 18 October 1928, Page 14

WHEEL AND TRACK NOTES.

(By ORION.)

October 22—Oamaru T.C. October 22 —Northland . T.C. November 6. 8. 9—Metropolitan T.C. Novels her 17. 21—Otahunu T.C. November 24—Wellington T.C. November 29 December I—lforbury Park T.C. December 8— Walkato T.C.' December .8—Cheviot' T.C.

Machine Gun went two- fair races at che • meeting, but be is evidently not juite tuned up yet, and will probably'be i better horse at the Otahuhu meeting.

If Mr. McMillan takes his new purchase, Koro Peter, to the Northland Tieeting h- will have to take a 7 short price about his money, He looks .-another Etta Cole proposition.

Had Young Blake trotted as well in he Alexandra Handicap as he did in the Hillsboro* Tro-t he would have worn Te was handicapped to go 4.31 with the pacers, and in the trot went 4.28 3-5. ''-j

Etta Cole won very easily yesterday, and'she k bound to go bn improving. She will probably take on the better class trotters at the Otahuhu meeting. In which case" she will be giving away time to start off the limit.

Inst?ad of winning one sprint event during the two days Jackie Audubon should have won at least one, if not both, of the thousand pounders. The first time he is driven a good race he will win easily, no matter what the distance is-

; Loch Moigh went two slashing races to get second each day in the principal handicaps. The son of Nelson Derby i« going *to be a - high-class pacer, and before the season is through he wiH be racing with the very best and will not be on- the limit either, rHe is very solid and a game finisher." ; • !■.

Sunfish has . been given ~ every encouragement to be taken to the Northland meeting. There will be a very small field in. the Cup, and as he stays well and is more in condition than the- others in the race,""he" shotrid do' much better than themj oyer , the last part of the race.

Cautions were issued to. three drivers during' the A.T.C. meeting, B. Jarden for calling out to F. Gilchrist, driver of Etta Cole, the first day, apd J. G. Robertson and C. G. Lee for flicking their whips when driving Van Rich and Tiger Salve respectively.

Free Advice, Tiger Salve, and Etta Cole .were three double . winners at the meeting. Free Advice i» a - brilliant filly, and. being only a four-year-old there k plenty of mohey ahead of her. Etta Cole is also a young, ami improving mare who will /each high company, "but the chances are that Tiger Salve has now made it hard for himself to win much more. Since he was given to C. G. Eee {o train, he. has; improved out of all knowledge. ,

Although he only went 4.29 2-5 when be won the Alexandra Handicap yesterday it may be accepted that-the, black pacer bag qualified 'for the Auckland Cup.' The Cup « for horses that have gone or been handicapped to do 4.27, and as Gold Jacket .yesterday won off a 4.28 mark, he - must, now get in the Cup. The son of Gold Bejl is winning a iot of good money, for hie owner, and he is. aLso fortunate in that he ifi winning in slow times.

TIGER SALVE IS SOLID. • The advantage*a solid.trottfer has over those who belong to the "iffy" brigade was well demonstrated in ..the case of Tiger Salve, who won both big trots at the meeting. Each day C. .Gv Lee drove him along, and though' Tradesman was with hiin ' most of the- way on- tbe second day. Lee saw to. it that the pace was right on, and that the backmar-kers would have to trot - faster than ever before if they/were to beat him. Young Blake, who ran third yesterday, went a brilliant go for a trotter, his time for the two miles being 4.28 3-5, which is one of the best performances ever recorded in the Dominion for a squaregaited horse. '

WESTERN' KING UNLUCKY. Had Western King left the mark any l thing like right he must have won the big race yesterday.. Instead of giving the limit horses only 24yds he was standing®' them up over 60yds when he hit his straps, and Jewel Pointer, 84vds, .was almost alongside him, while the others were well in front. But so much speed did Western King show when he did go that at the end of six furlongs he was with the second bunch, and lees than half a-mile from home he wag racing in the lead with two others. After showing so much speed it was only to be expected Western King would tire, but he* hung on surprisingly well, and was third at the finish, two lengths behind the winner, Gold Jacket, with Loch Moigh separating them. Western King is going to be in the, very best class before very long. He has only to hit his-straps a ,bit mbre quickly at the start of his races. «. ' « NORTHLAND TROTTING CLUB. The following reliandicaps have been declared by Mr. G. Paul for "events at. the. Northland Trotting; Club's ingsNorthland C'up.—Sunfish, 48yds. labour Day Handicap.—Sunfish, 48yds.

HORSES BEGIN BADLY. Although horses trained by J. Shaw gathered in over £500 during the two days, the amount would certainly have been considerably more bad his drivers left the mark in their races at all well. On the opening day Native Prince was slow to get going in the Electric Handi* cap, otherwise he would have been in the first three instead of fourth, while Jewel Pointer, driven by A. Julian, wis tangling for about a furlong, after the start of the big race. Yesterday" Great Change would not trot in the early part of the big trot, and was hopelessly out of. it w;hen he did settle down. In the Alexandra Handicap Western King lost about-60yds at the start, arid then went a brilliant race to get thirds KOHARA PENALISED. j For liis win in the Spring Handicap on Monday . Koliara has been penalised 12yds for tlie "New Zealand Trotting Cup, and his handicap - is now 24yds. HIMSELF TO BLAME. . When he came back to the paddock after filling third place with Jackie Audubon in the Spring Handicap on Monday, J. J. Kennerley remarked, "I would have won easily had I been able to. get through." Well, after watching

his exhibition, of driving yesterday "in the Alexandra Handicap! Kennerley has only himself to blame. At the very time when other driyers were going for good positions in order to be handy when the speed was turned on Kennerley allowed himself to get completely boxed in, and he soon found himself in an impossible position to win from. When he was pulled behind the field and came round on the outer Jackie Audubon put in great work down the straight, but he was. then giving away too much start. Driven with better judgment Jackie Audubon was a good thing. This he will prove before very long; GREAT PETER SOON. Seeing that lie was having his first race since last Easter it was something of a surprise to find Great Peter sent out favourite for the Newmarket Handicap in a field of 14. On recent form the race looked the best of good things for the Christchurcli-trained Laplander, and so it proved, as he buried his opponents for pace in the straight when F. G. Holmes asked him to go. At the same time i Great Petei' went a. fine race to get third. Half a-mile from home he was a long way back, and did not appear to have any chance, but coming across the top stretch he put in a nice run which took him to within range of

those with a chancel He battled on to get third, 'and in ill probability next time out will peg up two, particularly if it is a sprint race. A POPULAR WIN. , The most popular win at the Auckland meeting was that of Jewel Pointer in the Campbell Handicap yesterday, when the little champion squeezed home a neck to the good pf Jackie Audubon, a warm round of cheering awaited the driver, J. Shaw, when he brought the Auckland idol back to the enclosure. Jewel Pointer showed brilliant speed in the first three furlongs, so much indeed, that he . had made up nearly all of the 60yds he was giving away, and was lying in behind the leaders All Bell and Lady Dunmore. He held his position till the straight was about to be entered, when he was allowed his head, and he bowled to the lead and looked like scoring.easily. However, over the last half furlong Jackie Audubon, who had been badly placed, came with a terrific run, and Jewel Pointer had to be driven right out to win by a neck. It was a brilliant performance on the part of Mr. Moodabe's champion, as he traversed the mile and a-quarter in 2,41 4-5, which works out at a tick worse than a 2.9 gait all the way. *