TROTTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 228, 27 September 1938, Page 16

TROTTING.

IMPROVED BY RUN.

DARK HAZARD'S EFFORTS. FHILARIO IMPRESSIVE. I One of the features of the racing at the meeting of the Wellington Trotting Club on Saturday was the form of the Great Bingen gelding Dark Hazard. In the Bollard Memorial Handicap M.C. McTigue's | representative was a heavily supported *econd favourite, but he never gave his' backers a feeling of optimism at any stage ot the race. It is true that he hobbled a > bit at the start, but he .did not lose much ' ground, and even though he was wide out ' on the track for a mile and a quarter he i ■till Was very handy to the three leaders with two furlongs to go, and apparently going well within himself. Philai io then I shot away, followed by Bexley Girl and . 1 wenty Grand, and it was not until the laat half furlong had been entered upon— and the placed positions a foregone conclusion—that Dark Hazard again showed up. He was then on the rails, and so full of dash that observers in the Press stand decided that the run should improve him sufficiently to make the last race of the day—the Wellington Handicap— a reasonably good thing. Thev were right Dark Hazard went to the front at the start, and, never off the rails the whole way, won very easily indeed. On this occasion he was only sixth favourite, and not l only paid a great price, but also escaped a I penalty for the Methven Cup next Saturday, in which he is on the limit. Quite recently Dark Hazard ran 3.17 4-5 from a 3.28 mark in the Lightning Handicap at

Addington, and was only beaten by half t head by Donor, one of the bent horses ii bis class in the Dominion. Dark Hazan should go on winning. • 0111 ' G. R. Burner should be pleasec -S'-»st *?P**"*»»t«tion thjg season bj Piufaurio. ihis .on of Jack Potts i. onb coming right; and undoubtedly is on< « the most promising ©t pacers. Just iivi |ws old, he won the Bollard Memoria Handicap as he liked, and, even tbougl the time of for the mile and a hall was only an improvement of one second or the limit for the race, Philario could hav« gone a good deal faster if challenges bj » l, ?r, nor * e * **■» convinced his driver, M B. Edwards, that necessity called for an extra trump. n9f 5V? h * ?•???" who'competed in th« Bollard Memorial Handicap it can be stated reasonably , that the well-bred American importation, Fremont, did not impress as a good betting proposition presently. lie certainly finished second to Dark Hazard in the Wellington Handicap later in the day, but that was only on sufferance, (.avail Chief, who was successful last season when in F. J. Smith's stable, is another in the Fremont category at the moment; but Bexley Girl, on the other hand, will improve as a result of her two runs at Wellington, and should be a possibility at Auckland next month. Aldsrshot On Parade. The Wellington Stakes was really a Drocession, Aldershot, a topic at the moment, very appropriately leading all the way. Ihis son of Wrack and Trjx Pointer is a nice-looking colt with a pleasing action, and although his followers for the most part lacked dignity and experience, it must he said of him that he showed the way to perfection. Aldershot was always going very easily under a strong hold just in iront of the field, and it was not until almost in line for the judge that he was allowed to move away in impressive style to further emphasise that he will take all -orU Sf De ** to S in the New .Zealand Trotting Derby in November next. Mitaya, owned by Mr. W. Hoskrng. of Auckland, and trained by F. J. Smith at Takanini, a a nice-looking filly by Truman Direct, S". •*il- w,, ? y9f y nervous in the field, and it is difficult as yet to get a line on her Contrary to general anticipations, Te Roto I (Loch Moigh—Tim Wildwood), who is trained at Hastings by J. A. Gerrard, 1 .showed considerable promise. He was one of the few contestants to pace nieely I throughout (after a somewhat shaky start), and he ran past Revision without much effort as the last quarter of a mile! was entered upon, to finish second. Zingarri also displayed dash (after a break) at the finish, and, like Revision, a Jack Potts—Olive Turmoil filly, will profit by the experience. I Not 80 Good. . I

Very little can be said in favour of the* trotter* who took part in two events at I Wellington. Both Dollar Maid and Biworthy won a race, arid that is about all that-can be aaid for them. Each horse wag lucky in victory, Of the two, Dollar Maid, | who in the past ha» been somewhat inclined to mix her gait, certainly trotted better at the recent New Brighton meeting and at Hutt Park than ahe has dona in the past, and it is by no means unlikely that she will continue to improve. However, in the Nai Nai Handicap, the race she won at Hutt Park, she was fortunate in that A. Butterfield's Cbristchurch representative, Sagamore, broke when he had the event won. The race waa by no means truly run, as Biworthy, who came from behind to be with the leader (Axiom) as they ran to the home turn (ahead of Sagamore and Dollar Maid), struck an angle towards the centre of the course, thus giving Sagamore a charmed run on the rails to take a three lengths' lead. Twentyyards from home the lastnamed was in the air and Dollar Maid went on to win well, i Penalised 48yds in the Wilford Handicap, j run over an extra half mile, Dollar Maid appeared to be certain to run the leader! (Biworthy) down as they raced through j the top for the spurt to the judge, but she, too, copied Sagamore's earlier effort by fetting up in the air, to lose three lengths. Iven then she was only half a length' behind the "improved" Biworthy at the finish. Sagamore was also handy opposite' the stand during the final round, but he : then broke- bndlv, effectually settling his' chance. Altogether too "chancy," this' type of trotter, but, aa stated, Dollar Maid may do better with a little more experience - Tft F - Birkett had a horse in both i races. This waa Tone*?, but, although the aged son of Wrack was in good condition,. !&££? » persist in putting a foot wrong. Birkett is a good man with trotters, but gPfgJH I nave to do a lot better to get i tha confidence of speculators. ~,," '