TROTTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 27, 1 February 1934, Page 20

TROTTING.

;WALLA WALLA'S TIME.

IN LONG-SHAFTED SULKY.

HIS PROSPECTS AT ADDINGAON

SHOULD APPROACH TWO MINUTES.

A snapshot of Walla Walla shows that he went his 2.2 2-5 record when hitched to a long-shafter sulky of the type originally designed to allow a reinsman to watch the gait of a horse when holding the lines over him. They were introduced with the object of allowing the driver to arrive at an idea of how to balance a horse but are never used in a race in the United States, says the Dunedin writer ' hentmel. •The close-hitched sulky is in general use in America for the reason that it helps a horse to go faster than when travelling with the dead drag of a long-shafter behind him. Everyone knows that if a wheelbarrow is tilted and the weight kept behind the centre of gravity it requires no propulsion and will run along freely with only a. finger controlling each handle, lhe same applies to a sulky. If a _ shortshafter is close-hitched and the points ot the shafts kept well elevated it places the weight of the driver well behind the centre of gravity and so greatly facilitates propulsion instead of the dead drag necessary to haul a long-shafter. It must, then, become obvious that in a close-hitched eulky and on a mile track Walla Walla would be able to crack a two-minute gait and would in all probability do so at Addington, particularly in midsummer, when the atmospheric conditions are generally favourable to the compilation of fast time. This has been noticed in connection with racing and pacing in Canterbury. The speed record of 1.9 2-5 by Silver Scorn was put up at the midsummer meeting at Riccarton, and Harold Logan went his 4.13 at the same time of the year at Addington. At meetings held earlier or later in the season the atmosphere becomes denser and so does not assist a horse against the watch nearly so well as at midsummer. The Americans have not compiled any-re-cords between the times of horses racing in short and long-shafters. The wagon record, which means a dead drag of tour wheels instead of that of two by the longshafter, shows a margin of about 3s to the mile in comparison to the records put up in a short-shaft sulky. A split of the difference suggests that the close-hitched sulky would be IKb tc' *< /asto tban the jong-shafter. Hence Walla Walla, if he could act well in a short-shaft sulky, would go close or beat the watch to a 2.0 gait The picture of Walla Walla shows him acting on a cinder track with an apparently loosish surface and not nearly so fast as the going at Addington whereat times :one cannot note more than the faintest impression of a hoof or wheel. \ .CHANGE OF LUCK. C S. Donald has been racing out of luck for some considerable time, but. it has taken a" turn for the better, judging by the results since the beginning of the year, as he has been successful on six occasions during the last month. DISAPPOINTED IN PAST. Grand Triumph' has been given plenty of work in the saddle, but this has not apparently improved him, as in Ins last couple of work-outs the erratic The Triumph has been breaking as bad as ever Grand Triumph shows a nice burst of pace when trotting solidly, but when racing breaks for no apparent reason. ±Ie would give the other competitors something to do to beat him should he ever decide to trot splidly on race day.

IN GOOD ORDER. Mountain Sun is being given plenty of slow work at Epsom by W. Fleming, and. the chestnut looks in bright condition. Mountain Sun secured a very comfortable win at the Auckland meeting at Christmas, and more successes would come Ins way if he would always trot solidly. He is now asked to concede a fairly large handicap, but the son. of Our ThorpeMountain Princess would not be aftected by this to any large extent, as he possesses a brilliant burst of speed and stays on solidly. YOU NE,VER KNOW. Margaret Chenault was started twice at Forbury Park on the first day, and in the Electric Handicap she quite lived up to the good reputation she had earned. Her trailer, J. S. Shaw, did not like her chances, and after he had given the mare her preliminary "he asked permission to withdraw her from the race, as she apparently could not handle the going. Luckily the stewards refused the request. Later in the day, over two miles, she tailed dismally, putting in several bad breaks, and interfering with other horses. £500 STAKES.

At a meeting of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club special consideration was given to the programme selected tor ■the Easter meeting at Addington, when the Australian pacer Walla Walla will be an attraction. Stake-money for the two days will total £5000, and there will be an invitation scratch race each day, witu a stake of £500. The first day s event will be run at a mile and the second day s at a mile and a half, the club nominating opponents for Walla Walla on each occasion. The principal handicap will carry a Jtake of £500,. and the class has been fixed at 4.28. ■ '

RACE STRATEGY. One of the prettiest pieces of race strategy that has been seen for a number of years was that staged by G. MeKendry, driver of Silver de Oro in the Metropolitan Handicap at Dunedin on > Saturday (says the Christchurch "Star ). From the limit, Silver de Oro began like a shot from a gun and glided over the first portion of the trip in a shade faster than a 2.11 speed. She was closely followed by Blue Mountain, the pair being four lengths clear of the next horse. MeKendry realised that if he kept Silver de Oro in front making the pace she might tire over the last furlong and be beaten for first money, bo, when leaving the straight the second time, Silver de Oro conveniently moved out from the rajls, and in doing so left plenty of room for a horse to go up on the inside of her and take the lead. Such an opportunity Blue Mountain's driver was quick to take, and no sooner had he gained the position in front than' Silver de Oro dropped in behind him., where she remained until her driver pulled her out to challenge Blue Mountain over the last furlong and win nicely. A GREAT EFFORT. Apart from the Dunedin Cup and the Metropolitan Handicap, most interest at the Forbury Park Trotting Club's meeting was taken in the Au Kevoir Handicap, which attracted a high-class" field of sprinters, including Indianapolis, Sunny Morn, Gold Country and Royal Silk. When the betting opened Belinda was a firm favourite. Nearing closing time of operations Indianapolis was made first choice, but even then he went out paying the biggest dividend of his career. The race was full of incident, and had Indianapolis not been, forced to travel on the outside of three sulkies on one bend and on the outside of two on another bend, he undoubtedly would have won, notwithstanding the cold fact that the winner, Blue Mountain, and the second horse, Sunny Morn, .broke the existing records, says a Southern writer. In spite of the extra distance Indianapolis covered.he paced the mile and! a quarter in 2.42, and was only three-quarters of a length behind the winner at the winning post. It was a magnificent performance on the part of Indianapolis, who, after all. is only a four-year-old, and an over-sized one at that. The racing at Dunedin will tune him up appreciably for next Saturday's contest Addington.

UNDER TREATMENT. Louis Bingeii, who lias been spelling since his unsuccessful trip to Addiugton for the Cup meeting last November, was recently placed in work again by K. 'Xownley, but developed unsoundness. He is at present under treatment for the ailment, but his trainer is not too sanguine of getting this brilliant trotter sound again, and the chances are he will be turned out for a lengthy spell. ' HANDICAPPED ON FORM. After noting the*names attached to some light harness races carrying nomenclature which means little or nothing in distinctiveness, it seems time that we had a Brinkman Handicap, as he did more than a little for the sport by the way he handicapped on form. The late JUr. Harry Brinkman took control of handicapping when the game was in really low water in public opinion, and to him alone rests the credit of levering it up to success, says "Sentinel," the Dunedin writer. PROGRESSIVE POLICY. The progressive policy which the New South Wales Trotting Club has adopted is manifest in its attitude to any suggestion to popularise the sport (says the Sydney "Referee"). Some years ago it was suggested to the club that it adopt class racing, but nothing practical was done, and the years of depression drove all ideas of catering for the fast horses in this manner out of the considerations of the committee. Now that the light harness sport is coming into its own as a major sport and Walla Walla and other fast horses have made their appearance, the club believes the time an- opportune one to offer breeders, owners and trainers an added inducement to cultivate speed. At a committee meeting held recently it was decided to investigate the possibilities of the proposal, and to instruct the secretary of the club to communicate with the owners of horses capable of meeting allcomers in such an event, with the idea of ascertaining the amount of practical support they could give to this progressive proposal. Australian- and New Zealand owners are to be approached, and it will be a week or two before the club is in possession of the desired information. The amount of prize money has not been stated and this important item will play a big part in the decision of the owners concerned, as bringing horses to Sydney from other States and New Zealand is an expensive business.