FINE RECORD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 17, 21 January 1939, Page 20

FINE RECORD.

B. *. XTXPHMTT SUCCESS. FOURTEEN WINS THIS SEASON. Members of R. 3. Humphreys' Christchurch stable have won six races this month. They arc Blair Athol, Janeworthy, Esplendor, Acuity and Donald Dhu. Blair Athol wu first home in the Canterbury Handicap of £1000 at Addington on January 2 and Donald Dhu was successful in the principal event at Timaru. (Jince August pacers and trotters trained by Humphreys have won fourteen races, have beat twice second, once third, and once fourth. Their stake earnings for thai period total £3163. Eleven horses contributed. Cantata, with three firsts, a third and foqrth, tops the list with £1025, her principal victory being the President's Handicap at Oamara. Blair Athol has won £750 in his two starts under Humphreys, and Donald Dhu has contributed £455. The best horse Humphreys has trained is Harold Logan. He drove the old favourite when he won his first New Zealand Trotting Cup in 1991. Humphreys has been closely associated with trotting for nearly forty years. He is not in favour of confining a horse's preparation to the training track, and advocates jogging horses on country grass lanes, which serves to .keep horses' nerves in a healthy state. Humphreys rarely gives horses exacting trials, being satisfied to get them mfiscular and fit before submitting them to speed work approaching the best they can do. Many successful trainers have in recent years done away with all-in trials and have found that their horses race more generously and are more dependable.

HALF-BROTHER TO SCOTLAND. The unnamed gelding by Sargon from Bonny Mabel, in W. J. McLean's team, has had little fast work, but is showing pro raise for a beginner. Yesterday morning he went exceptionally well over three furlonga in company with Full of Scotch, i ranging the distance in smart time. He « i» • half-brother to Scotland, who won a number of races when trained by McLean. an mm m mmm