TURF TOPICS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 120, 24 May 1933, Page 14

TURF TOPICS.

AUCKLAND. RACING CLUB. OFFICIALS APPOINTED. PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENT, The committee of the Auckland Racing Club yesterday afternoon appointed Mr; O. Nicholson ae president of the club, and Dr. A. McGregor Grant as vicepresident, for the balance of the current season. Mr. Nicholson was a steward of i the Auckland Racing Club for several I years, and has been a member of the committee for the last 25 years. On the retirement of Sir Edwin Miehelson from the presidency, Mr, H.O. Nolan was appointed president and Mr. Nicholson vicepresident. Mr. Nolan died recently, and Mr. Nicholson has now been appointed president. He i« also vice-president of the New Zealand Racing Conference. Dr. Grant has been a ' member of the committee for the last twelve years, and is a delegate to the New Zealand Racing Conference. He has also been appointed <i trustee of the club in the place of the late Mr. Nolan. Acceptances for the Great Northern Hurdles, Great Northern Steeples, Grecnlane Steeples, Members' Handicap, Jcrvois Handicap, Penrose Hurdles, Cornwall Handicap and Hunt Club Hurdles, to be run at the Auckland Racing Club's winter meeting, close with the secretary, Mr. W. S. Spence, at 5 p.m. next Friday, i TROTTING. THREE MORE WINNERS. .

BOOKED FOR HASTINGS. The Takanini trainer P. J. Smith adde> more winners to his already good totfi when he was first home on three occasion at the Rotorua meeting last Saturday Smith has had a wonderful run of succes since he came to the Dominion from Eng land a couple of seasons ago, and to b the leading trainer—there is every prol) ability he will when the season ende —i the hall mark of his ability 'as traine and driver. When he c'ame to th> Dominion he brought two. horses, Dai Direct and Linnet the Great, but he dii not race Dan Direct himself, as he soli the roan pacer a few ■ months ■ afte , arrival. Linnet the Great he won witl before selling her. It was-not Jong befon his ability as a trainer was recognised, am consistently he has had a, stable full o horses, and with very few exceptions al have won for him. Smith intends to d( the Hawke's Bay Trotting Club's meetinf with a small team, and he looks like winning a race or two. From Hasting! Smith may go on South later with th< two-year-old Chancellor, who is engagec in the Sapling Stakes. VISIT UNLIKELY. As there seems to be no anxiety on the part of any of the owners of-the Southern crack pacers to accept the challenge issued on behalf of Walla Walla to race anj trotter or pacer in the world one mile, if is unlikely the Australian champion will be sent across the Tasman. Of course it is possible Walla Walla across foi the New Zealand Cup meeting, but unless he is previously assessed at 4.26 by a New Zealand handicapper the horse would not Dβ eligible for the Cup. RACED BADLY. Mr. W. Johnstone's horses Kohewah and Te Mahanga raced below form at the Rotorua meeting. Both have done a lot of racing since Christmas, and perhaps they would appreciate a short respite to freshen them up. Te Mahanga has raced very consistently, and won several races, while Kohewah has developed into a goc-d sort of trotter, and has become much more solid than when racing last season, A. W. Broughton will probably take a team of four, Eleawah, Te Mahanga, Kohewah and Lady Fame, to the Hawke's Bay meeting for the Waikato sportsman. DOING WELL. The Waikato trainer C. Moran jogs along in hie quiet' way at Hamilton, but he gets his share of winners, and at the Rotorua meeting he was holding the reins behind three who led past the judge. Bonnie Direct and Donum are only recent additions to the stable, but Bonnie Direct has won twice, and Donum once, in less than a month, while his other winner at Rotorua, Edna Worthy, was i also successful at Alexandra Park earlier in the season. Free Logan, who is also in the stable, is a speedy little pacer, but he has just about worked his way on to a mark from which he is finding it hard to score an outright win. Moran, taking the size of his team into consideration, must have a very fine record.