TROTTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 139, 14 June 1929, Page 8

TROTTING.

TRAINING AT EPSOM. PACING MARE MEDUSA KILLED The weather at Epsom this morning was beautiful, but the track was inclined to be slippery, and trainers in very few instances drove their horses at to.p speed. J. Shaw allowed his team an easy time. They were all taken to Otalniliu yesterday and. worked 011 the grass. Great Ballin (Cockle) and Rote Ringen (Julian) were stepped out to go a mile and a-half. Great Ballin, who had tiie inside running, paced evenly throughout, but Rose Bingen, after trotting well for just over a mile left her feet. Xaplund (Kinnamont) was sent along for a mile and a-half. lie went his first half best, and was not putting much dash into his work over the final half .mile. Goldman was hopjiled up, and jumped away at the winning post to go a mile and a-half. He moved very freely throughout, and the time, considering the track, was satisfactory. "" Horizon was not bustled when pacing a mile and a-half. Master Councillor (Evans) was not hoppled up, and strode over several rounds, being accompanied for portion of the trip by the Blue Mountain King—j Cool Time maiden in G. Pliipps' stable.

Reynard (Selkirk) was pottering about on the sand track, and Mountain Dell (Mitchell) was given very light work without the straps. L. McMahon worked both Gold Jacket and Hohoro without the hopples, but Hohoro would do nothing right. Dillon Huon, after being given a lot of jogging, was strapped up and driven a mile by J. McKendrick. He showed plenty of pace and his mile was easily the best of the morning. Polly's Picture (Mitchell) and Tradesman (Gee) were companions over a mile and a-half. Polly's Picture was always going better than the trotter, who tired in the latter stages of the journey. W. Clifton was easy with his pair, ! Dad's Hope and The Abbey, and they merely did slow jogging. Glandore (Dyer) was another worked unhoppled and his task was not strenuous. Anseline got through useful won: over a couple of rounds, trotting steadily all the way. Rockaway was strapped up and ran one half-mile at better then threequarter speed, but was then allowed to bowl along at his own pace. Sebisca (Mitchell) and Te Muku (Gee) accompanied each other for a time at steady trotting, and later when Te Muku was pulled up Wimmera King (Millen) joined Sebisca, but Wimmera King broke twice. '

Explosion (Julian) was not asked to do more than easy pacing.

Jewel Pointer and Medusa were to work out together. The pair jumped off at the winning post to go the reverse way. Just as they reached the mile post, Medusa, driven by Julian, slipped and fell. The harness was immediately removed from her, but she could not be got on her feet, and it was only after considerable difficulty that she was pulled to the side of the track to allow other horses to work/- All attempts to get her on her feet were of no avail, and while the mare lay there a veterinary surgeon was sent for. Later in the dav Medusa was destroved.

Medusa was one of the most promising mares in training at Epsom. Highly bred, being by Man-o'-War—Miss Rolfe, she was a four-year-old and was expected to develop into a high-class pacer. She only started twice as a three-year-old last season, winning the first division of the Progressive Handicap at the Waikato Trotting Club's meeting in March, when she covered the mile and a-half in 3.33 3-5. This season she commenced by getting a third place, and then followed three wins on end, a double at the Northland meeting, and .the Claudelands Handicap at Hamilton, when she recorded 4.30 4-5 for two mile's. Her next start was at the Otahuhu meeting in February last, when she beat all but Gold Dial in the Richmond Handicap, and at the Waikato meeting the next month ehe ran third in the Waipa Handicap, covering the mile in 2.14 1-5. Her last start was in the Te Aroha Cup, in which she finished out of a place. She was owned by Messrs. R. Montgomery and A. Julian, her trainer, and her loss is a severe one.