TROTTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 149, 25 June 1936, Page 24

TROTTING.

FORM AT EPSOM. v MEADOW KING'S SUCCESSES. OUTCLASSES THE OPPOSITION. Two splendid victories went to the credit of Meadow King and his form had the stamp of real class. He had preiously been racing with the hopples on and he was making his reappearance as a trotter when he contested the Stewards' Handicap on the first day of the Auckland meeting. He -went away all right, but had not gone more than half a furlong when lie left his feet. It was a bad lapse and he had to be practically pulled up to a walk before coming back to his correct gait. When he settled down he was giving the leaders nearly 50 yards, but once warmed up to his work he made the opposition look like a lot of second-raters, and he was going just as well at the end as at the start. He was installed a very warm favourite for the Members' Handicap on the second day, although receiving a 48yds penalty. He again left his feet in the early stages and when the field had gone half a mile he was standing the leaders up about 100 yards. His driver did not bustle, him, but with a little over four furlongs to go he ran past the field in effortless style. The race looked a foiegone conclusion, but his backers were in for another fright, as. crossing the top, the grey gelding again broke and lost about four lengths. Once he settled down he ran to the front in a stride, and the most astonishing feature of his win was that lie was going just as well in the straight as he was after going a mile. There is little doubt that Meadow King ;s destined for a high place among locallybred trotters, and the easy manner in which his victories were attained augurs well for his prospects in near, at hand engagements. WENT FAIR RACES. Without gaining some of the prize money Bronze King went good, even rages in both of his engagements at the Auckland meeting, and he should not be long in gaining his initial success. On Tuesday, in the Manukau Handicap, lie drew the second row and received a bad run in the first furlong, and as a consequence was a good way back at the three-furlong post. However, he stuck to his work well, and he was only beaten by half a head by Hori Bingen for third money. Bronze King is a stylish pacer by Frank Worthy, and lie appeals as a likely sort to improve a lot with racing. TAKANINI TO HUTT PARK. llr. S ; G. Hedlev. owner of Bonnv Azure. I lias decided to transfer the chestnut mare to Hutt Park, and she left yesterday to join the stable of L. .0. Thomas. The mare is not on a good mark for local racing, and as there are more opportunities further south, this counted a lot in her owner's decision'. Bonny Azure is one of the best four-year-olds raced in Auckland for a long time, and even though she was beaten in both of her races at the Auckland meeting there are numerous successes in store for the daughter of Blue Mountain King and Bonnie Bingen in the future. The Takanini trainer F. J. Smith deserves a lot of credit for the fine record of the mare, as he has handled her right through her career. DE SOTO'S TWO WINS. De Soto was the only Southerner to contest the principal two-mile events at the Auckland meeting, and he showed his real worth by accounting for both the Adams Memorial Cup and the C. F. Mark i Memorial. He was solidly supported in both races, being a strong, second . fav- I ourite to King's Warrior on each occasion. ' In the past De Soto has been inclined to lose a lot of ground at the start, but for which his already good record would have been a better one. A feature of the chestnut's two victories was the solid manner in which lie ran out the two miles. Ho was splendidly driven by J. Bryce, jun.,—whose reinsmanship at the meeting was first class. As the result of his wins De Soto is now back on a 4.2S mar and he only needs one more, or maybe two, successes to join the eligibles for the New Zealand Trotting Cup. and although ho has much stronger company to meet in the South, Do Soto impresses as a pacer likely to win more races. - , . f A FINE EFFORT. One of the best efforts registered in a novice trotting event for some time was that of Elissa in the Royal Handicap at Epsom on Tuesday. She failed to go away properly in the Winter Handicap on the first day, and on the second day she was entrusted with only £8 on the win machine and £13 10/ on the place totalisator. However, on this occasion she went off smartly, but with half a mile to go she was still a long way back. W. Dye then sent her after the leaders, and with the going very heavy on the inside kept the mare well out in the centre. Sustaining her run she ran into second place as the field swung round the bend, but although she hung on well she had no chance of overhauling Colleen Murphy, who beat her by two lengths. On the strength of this form she came in for more support in the Members' Handicap later in the day, but failed to strike a gait at the start, and her task was soon hopeless. Elissa has an abundance of speed, but is not too reliable andi frequently spoils her chances with a lapse at barrier rise. '• GREAT JEWEL IMPRESSIVE. Although it has taken Great Jewel some time to reach the winning list, he scored a very impressive victory in the Manukau Handicap on tlie second day of the Auckland meeting. On Saturday he drew No. 1 at the barrier, but when the tapes rose he broke hp, losing a lot of ground, and his driver did not knock him about when ho had no chance. On Tuesday he was produced in the Manukau Handicap, and, drawing the second row, made a really good beginning, with the result that he was not far from the leaders when the field settled down. When Tollgate began to iiWease his advantage along the back the last time, J. T. Paul asked Great Jewel to sprint and he ran the leader within half a furlong. He and Tollgate turned for home on terms, but once straightened up Great Jewel finished too well, and he went on to gain a very comfortable victory. The win was most popular with, the crowd, as it was the Mangere trainer's first success .since he met with a serious injury at the Auckland February meeting. Great Jewel has been given plenty of time to develop, and, coming from such a speedy fanijly, he should continue to do good service for his owner Mr. D. Brideson. HIS FIRST SUCCESS. After several failures Bingen Sun opened his winning account when he won the Winter Handicap on the first day of the Auckland meeting. The bay trotter had been working very soundly prior to the fixture, but in the past he has not kept a steady gait, and this has been the cause of most of his defeats. On Saturday Bingen Sun went away particularly well, and settled down in a handy position just in behind the leading pair, Worthy Princess and Colleen Murphy, aud when the latter broke crossing the top Bingen Sun ran through to the front and led into the straight. Although Colleen Murphy challenged strongly halfway down the straight she failed to stay down, and this left Bingen Sun to go on and score a comfortable victory oy threequarters of a length. On the second dayhe was harnessed up for the Royal Handicap, and was again neglected in the betting. He was slow away with the result that lie was a fair way from the leaders with half a mile to go, and was still six lengths from Colleen Murphy as the field rounded the home turn. However, once his driver asked him for an extra effort the gelding responded in great style, and he came home particularly well in third place. Both were very encouraging efforts, and now that the son of Nelson Bingen is beginning to show the benefit of the racing experience he has had in the last couple of I months he should continue to pay his W«y ' in the improving classes.