HANOVER BERTHA (2.2).

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 300, 19 December 1929, Page 22

HANOVER BERTHA (2.2).

CLOSE-UP OP WONDERFUL TWO-

YEAR-OLD,

The doings of champions are always interesting and in this respect a closeup of the training methods and gear worn by Hanover Bertha, as given in an interview by Murray Howe and published in the "Horse Review," may be appreciated. The two-year-old. created a sensation in America this season by trotting a mile in 2.2. In an article dealing with the filly, Murray Howe says:— When Walter Moore told me he was . bnaking a late fall trip to Hanover Farms, a short time since, I decided to tag along if he didn't stop me. As you will surmise we talked a lot about a certain champion filly on our way down and made tracks for her stall soon after pur arrival at the farm. We found the two-year-old queen in splendid condition and spirits. She even had some fat on her ribs and looked quite as fresh and keen as she did before her first race last June. Answering our question about her weight, Mr. Lawrence Sheppard said: "Just 9401b when she came' home from Lexington." Plenty for a lof-hand' two-year-old that has been to Her legs, too, looked clean and hard, with no sigu of. puffs or pimples. gl asked Tom Berry if Joe Markey was right when lie pronounced Bertha a prospective two-minute . two-year-old 'way back in July. "Yes, I agree with Joe," said, Tom. "I believe she could have trotted a mile .that fast with special preparation. Her 1 mile in 2.2, right after her terrific battles, with Main McElwyn, 'fcas not a supreme effort. She Was comfortable all the way in that, heat—we only tried to beat the world's record." "If it's a fair • question, Tom, what difference gave Main McElwyn the edge over her in their last races?" "Well, besides the,, advantage of sex, Ben's colt may have a slightly better mouth.- But' she's almost, a perfect racing tool, as 'her campaign attests. ' She permit < me to step her away, from the wire in 14s and come through the home stretch quarter as fast as 281s. There's no friction in her stroke and there's one of her front- shoes —just a plain, Bever-ounce bar shoo with the too slightly squared and rounded. The wear show 3 :she' breaks over her toe slightly to t! e outside of the centre, as many great horses do. We don't use toeweights on her, and as to boots, she onl£ wears shin boots behind and twoounce heel boots in front. She doesn't want to break. The jumps she made in some of her mid-season races when she had a sore shin were excusable. She never raised her nose in her last tlirej contests and you know she beat 2.4 in four of her last six heats. . "Her head rigging speaks. for her driving qualities—she wears an open bridle in her work —blind • bridle in her races —a plain snaffle bit —no check bit at all—just a chain-strap. In her slow work she likes to have me cluck and tap her along with the whip. She will stand for a few smacks in a tight finish, but I seldom hit her in a race. She is not double-gaited and is a line trotter, trailing her hind feet straight in undev her front ones. To the eye her action looks to be lower than it really is. She has a fair amount of hock action and rolls he? front feet as high as her knees. . oln g S |° 1 W s be is a cut-up and likes to play. She works her ears and turn-, twists her h«ad in all directions looking for_ everything in sight and even breaks into a canter every little wavs. tWs Play spirit out of her just let her cavort and think phe is_ having her own way—knowing that she will be all business when she steps along. . __ "X usually give her about three wanning up heats—the first in 2.50, then .one in 2.20 and one in 2.15 or a trifle r if hlic'h too full of pep. We are htm giving bar slow cxerciso in harness MciU probably not turn her out at