TROTTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 21, 25 January 1934, Page 20

TROTTING.

REALM DEAD. GREAT PACING STALLION. HIS TIME RECORD. RIBBON WOOD'S BEST SON. ■■ Regarded as the King of the Ribbonwood tribe, Realm (2.3 4-5) is dead. In a letter to Sydney "Sportsman" Mr. J; Barrett states that the liorse died of heart failure recently. A winner of £4500 In prize money, Realm was one of the greatest pacing stallionß seen in Australia. He first came into prominence in the July of 1920, when, at Harold Park, he won a division of a Trial Handicap from eight seconds behind, ! his actual time for the nine furlongs being i 2.37%. Then came two further victories that year in A.T.C- Handicaps, his best time for the mile and a half being 3.31. The following year saw him record two successes, but it was not until the next year, 1022, that Sydney saw him at his best. He started off by dead-heating for first in the Menangle Park Trotting Club Handicap, one mile and a half, in 3.30'/4, on a grass track. Then came two wins at , Victoria Park, one in an A.T.C. Handi- | cap, and the other in a Flying Mile. In the latter race he put the distance by in 2.13. In that event he got away slowly, and seemed to be hopelessly out of the race. But running the last half-mile in 595, he won easily, thus demonstrating the wonderful turn of speed he possessed. Then he came to New Zealand, and he clearly showed that he was one of the most outstanding pacers of the day. He was not long in winning races, but the best was not seen of him until 1924. In that year ho was second in the Free-for-All, one mile, a flying start, his time being 2.3 4-5. Two days prior to that he was placed in the New Zealand Cup, two miles, from 72yds behind, his time for the distance being 4.24 3-5. By Ribbonwood (2-9), the champion pacing stallion of his day, he was out of Levuka, the dam of such good performers as Childwood and Carolini Wood. Realm was certainly the_ breed era' dream personified. He had five crosses of Hambletonian 10, the fountain head of trotting in America, and two crosses of Childe Harold, whose position at the head of trotting breeding in Australia is recognised. In addition, the blood of Green Mountain Maid, the greatest brood mare foaled in America, ran through Realm's pedigree, which undoubtedly made him one of the most attractive sires to do duty at an Australian stud. His best times were: One mile, 2.3 4-5; one mile and a quarter, 2.43; and two miles, 4.24 3-5.

.PREPARING FOR AUCKLAND. With the Auckland Trotting Club's meeting only three weeks off, trainers are starting to send their charges along a bit faster in their work and on Tuesday morning quite an interesting morning's work was witnessed. WASKASU SETTLING DOWN. Since being acquired by J, Gee, Waskasu has been given plenty of slow work and the bay mare is settling down consideri ably. Always recognised as possessing I plenty 6f speed. Waskasu has proved very unreliable in the past and it remains to be seen whether J. Gee can succeed in getting her to do her work solidly on race day. CIMARRON RESUMES WORK. Having his first workout since the Christmas carnival, Cimarron was seat over a mile in 2.22, but showed his usual speed in coming home the last half m 1.9 when under a strong pull. He has furnished considerably and will now be prepared for the chief events on the country circuits, where the classes should suit him admirably, as the bay son of Worthy Bond is at present handicapped on 4.38 for two miles and the chances are that the couutry clubs will make their big handicaps a 4.38 class event. TWO TO ARABOND. When trained in the North Lsland Arabond won several races, and showed promise of developing into a pacer likely to reach good class, but since going South to U. S. Donald's establishment lie has been troubled with unsoundness, and Donald has had to be careful with him. The trainer's patience, however, has been amply rewarded, for, after winning the Kia Ora Handicap, decided over one mile and a quarter at Wellington on January 13, Arabond led a field home in a similar contest at Timaru on Saturday. Arabond is a solid customer when he is well, and his recent efforts suggest he will be in the money again shortly. He is by Worthy Bond from Aranui, a marc that one time grazed the pasture at .Durbar Lodge. Aranui is by Lord Derby (son of Kotliscllild) from Verity, the dam of Pearlchild, Edenchild, Sir Swithin, Fancy Girl and Pansy. Aranui, the dam of Arabond, is also the dam of Quickfire. HARVEST CHILD SURPRISES. There must be something in the theory that horses, like wine, improve with age, says the "Christchurch Star." On Saturday the nine-year-old gelding Harvest Child won the President's Handicap at the Timaru Trotting Club's meeting as if he had never done anything wrong in his life- It was his first win for four years, and he has been in regular training in the meantime, and has competed in 105 races since he won the Heathcote Handicap at Addington on August 16, 1D29. His ability has long been recognised, but despite the ingenuity of certain trainers he failed , to reproduce his private form with the colours up. About a year ago he was purchased by Mrs. I. E. Sweetapple and L. A. Maidens. After winning the principal two-mile event at Timaru on Saturday in hollow style, he came out ! later in the afternoon, and, despite a penalty of 12yds for his earlier success, he ran another honest race to fill second place to Arabond. He is now trained by D- A. Maidens, who drove him on Saturday. Harvest Child was in the thick of the fight in both his races on Saturday, and he never looked like shirking his work. He won like a 100 per cent pacer. He was bred by Mr. C. E. Lindsay at Fernside, and is by the American-bred sire Sonoma Harvester from Gwenchild, who is by Petereta from Rosechild. If Saturday's performances are an indication of his future intentions, then Harvest child will do his owners further favours. 1

| ANOTHER LIKELY VISITOR. New Derby, the brilliant winner of the last Ascot (Sydney) Five Hundred, will in all probability be brought across to New Zealand towards the end of next month. NELSON MEETING POSTPONED. Interest shown in the Nelson Trotting Club's meeting in the pact few years has been only fair, and the annual meeting, which was to have been held on February 3 and 5, has had to bo postponed owing to the small number of nominations received. IN GREAT CONDITION. A. Broiighton is not setting Tryment any severe tasks just at present, but the mare looks a picture and is in great order for a serious preparation. Tryment has not succeeded in winning a race, but has shown a nice burst of speed, her chief fault in the past being an inclination to break at the start of a race. Should Bronghton succeed in remedying this fsrii't, he should have no trouble in placing Tryment to advantage. A CONSISTENT PACER. J. Gee brought Kewpie's Triumph over to Epsom on Tuesday and, accompanied by Ngingongingo and Indian Author, he covered a mile and a half in 3.28, to finish about half a length behind Ngingongingo. Considering it was Kewpie's Iriumph s first workout since the Wellington Trotting Club's meeting, it was an impressive performance, and there should not be anything wrong with this consistent pacer's condition when the Auckland meeting comes along next month. A SOLID TROTTER. The novice trotter Young Rodney is shaping well in his work at Epsom, and he was responsible for a pleasing display on Tuesdav, when he went a mile and a half in 3.50, the last half in 1.11. He was never unduly pressed and had the measure of Stalky, his companion, when the last named broke 100 yards from the post. Young Rodney is a solid young trotter, and having already a second placing to his credit, looks a likely prospect for a slow-class trotting event round the circuit.

MOKO GIRL IN WORK. Moko Girl has resumed work again after a short spell following the Auckland meeting at Christmas. She filled second place to Nell Volo in the Rowe Cup, and on Tuesday she was given strong work over two miles, but was not after time. A particularly fine trotter on the dirt track, Moko Girl invariably does something in her engagements, this fault costing her an excellent chance of winning on many occasions. When she goes solidly, W. Dye's trotter gives her opponents something to do to beat her. AN IMPROVED PACER. One of the most improved horses at Epsom is Star Pronto, and the big black is doing- his work like a tradesman: Last season he was very rattle-headed and on only one occasion out of seven starts did he leave the mark and that was at Cambridge, where he would have won but for colliding with another horse when making his run in the straight. There are not many maiden pacers about with the pace of Star Pronto, and should he settle down in forthcoming engagements W. Dyer will be amply rewarded for the patience he has exercised in the past, as he should have no trouble in winning about three in succession. FOR NEW ZEALAND. The crack Victorian trainer-driver, W. McKay, is bringing to New Zealand Star Princess and Auburn Lad, two of the best hoppled pacers now racing in Victoria. Auburn Lad's best performance in public was 2.9% on the Ascot track, but in private he has been responsible for several phenomenal efforts, and McKay, no doubt, feete confident that on the fast New Zealand tracks he will record much faster times. Star Princess, a natty little grey mare, who looks more like a blood mare than a pacer, won the Victorian Derby last year in exceptionally brilliant style, and won the Richmond Handicap at the last Ascot (Victoria) meeting at a 2.18 rate for the two miles. With two such good horses as Auburn Lad and Star Princess McKay should be able to make his trip to New Zealand a very profitable one.