WHEEL AND TRACK NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 181, 2 August 1929, Page 13

WHEEL AND TRACK NOTES.

COMING MEETINGS. (By OBION.) Aug. 10, 14, 16 —N.Z. Metropolitan T.C. August 31—Auckland Trotting Club. Belief Fund Meeting. Sept. 7 —New Brighton T.C. Oct. s—"Wellingtons—"Wellington T.C. Oct. s—Methven5 —Methven T.C. Oct. 32—Waikato T.C. i Oct. 19—New Brighton T.C. Oct 26, 2S. —Auckland T.C. Dec. 26.—Ashburton T.C. Dec. 26.—Gore T.C. Nov. 12, 14, 15. —N.Z. Metropolitan T.C. Nor. 15. 16. —Nelson T.C. Nov. 16.—Wellington T.C. Dec. 26. 27.—Westport T.C. Dec. 26, 2S.—Sonth Walrarapa T.C. Dec. 27, 28, 31.—Aucklan 3 T.C. Dec. 28. —Winton T.C. Dec. 30.—Inangahua T.C. Jan. 1, 2.—Canterbury Park T.C. Jan. 3. —Westland T.C. Jan. 4, 6. —Greymouth T.C. Jan. 11. —Timaru T.C. Jan. 18.—Wellington T.C. Jan. 30, Feb. I.—Forbury Park T.C. Feb. S.—N.Z. Metropolitan T.C. Feb. 22.—Kaikoura T.C. Feb. 22, 26. —Otahuhu T.C. March 1. —Waikato T.C. Mar eh 5, 6. —Invercargill T.C. March S. —Timaru T.C. March 12.—Manawatu T.C. March 15.—New Brighton T.C. March 19.—Wyndham T.C. March 22.—Wellington T.C. March 24.—South Otago.T.C.

G. Plant is educating a three-year-old pacer by A 1 Mack —Rosie Drift. He has been named A 1 Rose. Though the weather was fine yesterday morning, the track at Epsom was heavy. Very few horses were out, the majority of trainers preferring to wait till the afternoon, when the track had dried considerably. F. Young has hopes of winning another race or two with Lord Nepean. The bay pacer is in regular work/ but though he has speed he is not a smooth mover, and his owner-trainer has the hardest part to do to win a race. A Hobart writer says: It is believed in the north that steps will be taken at the annual conference to reduce the imported maidens' marks from 2.40 to Z35. Such a measure, if introduced, would no doubt prove a boon to the breeding industry in Tasmania, as the continuous success enjoyed by this class of horse for eome time past has done much to nullify interest by Tasmanian owners in locally-bred maidens. Grand Light, a youngster that raced with great promise in the early part of lfi*t season, but whose later form was disappointing, is engaged in the Trial Handicap of two miles at Addington this month. In the New Zealand Derby in November Grand Light ran second to Wrackler, registering 3.25 2-5, while at Wellington in February he was second to Halmore in the Waiwetu Handicap, going 3.27 4-5. His only other placed performance was at Taranaki in April, when he ran third to Great Delight and Cora Tacks, hi 3 time being 4.42 3-5. An exchange reports that a colt foal by Real Guy from Karriewood, owned by A. Hendriksen, has had its fair share of bad luck during its short term, for his dam died at foaling, and the youngster was reared by hand. A few weeks ago the foal, while galloping in the paddock, charged into a fence and lifted about six inches of skin from one of its shoulders. Hendriksen operated with needle and thread, but for some days the young pacer was in a bad way. Now, however, ha seems to have quite recovered, and the accident is not likely to have any| ill-effects.

Mr. V. .Jacobs has given a smoker s companion valued at £10 10/ to be presented to the driver of the winner of the principal, event at the benefit trotting meeting, to be held at Addington on September 14, in aid of the earthquake relief fund. G. Paton has his old pal. All Bell, working at Otabuhu. Though getting on in years, the Gold Bell gelding can still hold his end up even when pitted against the best sprinters. He has been a great proposition, and looks certain to gather in more money. W. Kerr is not allowing Uncle Bert to be idle, and wet or dry he has the Gold Bell gelding at the track. He is doing all his work in saddle, but before the meeting comes along will be harnessed up. It is intenedd to race him in sprint events at the end of the month. A. Julian has the happy knack of 1 being able to get his horses ready on what most trainers would consider a very light preparation. When trained by J. Shaw Jewel Pointer did almost as much work and racing as any two average horses, and not only did he stand up to it, but he thrived on it. Now he must think he is on holiday, as he does practically no fast work, and his preparation is confined to plenty of jogging and liill work. Both Jewel Pointer and Explosion look well, and no doubt Julian's methods will prove successful. The Mangere owner-trainer. J. T. Paul, never has a big team at work, but he keeps no "duds." He long ago realised that a good horse eats no more than a bad one, and often not so much. Great Parrish and Nelson Tasker are two useful ones he will open the season with. The records show that he is the only Aucklander to train a winner of the Great Northern Derby, and with Great Parrish to pull him along next Christinas he may do it again.

Reinsman A. J. Gregg has old Emilias in great racing trim, and considering the number of years he has been at the stud he recorded a great performance to win the Ascot Plate (says a writer). He led from start to finish, and although May Duke and Cantab Rock threatened him turning for home the Rothschild horse only needed to be shaken up to beat them home. He finished more strongly than either of the others, in spite of making all the pace, and clipped the limit by three-fifths of a second, so will be penalised only 12 yards for the victory. Should his legs stand the strain of a searching preparation he should be good for another race or two before he has finished with the trotting tracks. At Elphin the previous Saturday he finished second to Cardinal on little or no work, but that race evidently topped him up for the event last week-end. He is a very stylish mover, and travels like a machine.

Bookmakers and backers had a very limited space to work in at the meeting . of the N.S.W. Trotting Club, on the Bth of this month, owing to the extensive alterations going on in the remodelling of the Epping racecourse, nowknown as Harold Park. A Sydney writer says that quite a number of cases which might have occupied the attention of the stewards were passed over; in fact, the meeting might well be described as one of the worst in this respect the Sydney tracks have seen for some time. Horses that had shown form at recont outings good enough to give them good winning chances, meandered along at the rear of affairs, much to the disgust of those who had "specked" them on form. It is in cases of this sort that the stewards should at least give the owners the opportunity to explain away the apparent inconsistency, and not when they crop up at subsequent meetings as winners. If one of the horses that made the poor showing at last meeting came out next up and won it would be opposed to all idea of justice to punish the owner for doing right. The stewards might as well tell the owner before the race: ''Hun another bye, or we'll send you out."

When discussing the possibility of locating a 2rain or better horse on a public performance in this country some of the critics appear completely to overlook the fact that track conditions are t-otally against the same results as in the United States (says "Sentinel"). Under existing conditions in New Zealand the tracks are too small for a horse to gather and hold an extreme flight of speed, because long stretches are absolutely necessary, whereas turns such as exists at Addington compel a reinsman to steady a horse. Hence speed cannot be eustained without danger of a break or trouble. Many years ago Cathedral Chimes went 4.25 over the mile circuit | at Plumpton Park, long before a winner of the Trotting Cup won in the same time or better. At that time and at the presetn' time a 4.25 horse has to be on the front to be a winning proposition, as he could not work through or round a field with such a mark as the limit of speed. The margin between an extreme flight of speed on a half-mile and mile track may be said to be from 8s to 10s. Dan Patch went 1.55 on a mile circuit and 2.1 on a half-mile circuit. Taking that as a basis a horse that could go 2.3 at Addington would be better than a 2m horse in America, but until clubs study the horse's reputation rather than the spectator's pleasure of seeing a horse race around a saucer track under his nose. New Zealand will have to beat America by a quarter of a century before a 2m horse is seen in public action on the small tracks in this country.