WHEEL AND TRACK NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 186, 8 August 1930, Page 12

WHEEL AND TRACK NOTES.

(By ORION.)

August 13, 16— N.Z. Metropolitan T.C. August 30, September I—Auckland-T.C. September 6 —New Brighton T.C. October 4—Methven T.C. October 11—Waikato T.C. October 18—New Brighton T.C. October 25, 27—Greymouth T.C.

Elsie Dillon, a four-year-old mare imported with her dam from America by the Western Australian Trotting Association, recently finished third in a race at worse than a 2.28 gait. A Perth paper remarks, "Elsie Dillon is likely to make history." She will have to hurry up.

Included among the many interesting tables contained in the Trotting Register is one showing the most successful pacers and trotters during the season, just closed. ' Padlock tops the list with £2387, but it is interesting to note that 3G horses won £1000 or more, and 393 horses from £100 to £1000.

At the meeting last week of the Trotting Appeal Board of the Victorian Trotting and Racing Association the appeal of P. Gooding, owner of Delavan Jim, against his disqualification in the Trotting £000 was heard. After taking a deal of evidence Gooding's appeal was dismissed and the deposit estreated. The stake thus goes to Blacksmith, who iinislied second, but protested against Delavan Jim, who finished first, for interference. All bets were paid on the decision of the stewards, but the payment of stake-money was held over pending the decision of the Appeal Board on Gooding's appeal.

Off 24yds behind in the 2.17 Flying Handicap, olio mile and 75 yards, Gracewas backcd down to an odds-oil favourite at Harold Park last week. Jumping off his mark like a flash the favourite rushed; to the front and, after that it "was a hard matter for {Jitcky Watts to keep him "back with the field. In the end he won pulling up from Nikola and Lyndluirst in 2.21 3-5, a 2.15 go. Graceful Derby can be written down as the fastest horse at present racing on the Sydney tracks, aira it is doubtful if a faster has been seen before. He used to be unreliable, going with such a burst of speed as to get tangled in his hopples, but he now appears to be much more reliable.

H. D. "Curly" Brown, race track promoter and breeder, who died recently in California, had a theory that all thoroughbreds should be milk fed until approaching two yeai's of age, and for that reason stocked his farm with a choice lot of cows. A good many years before Volstead destroyed the industry there was a brewer in New Jersey who used beer instead of water for refreshing his horses, and a good many of them won races. This led a student of breeding to remark: "I don't care how they feed 'em or train 'em; if they win that is the right way." It is still possible for breeders to pattern after the owner of Shasta Farm, but Uncle Sam declares that it is not good form to imitate the New Jersey man."—The "Horseman" (U.S.A.) ' ;