TROTTING DERBY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 31, 7 February 1939, Page 14

TROTTING DERBY.

KEEN STRUGLE LIKELY FORM OF SOUTHERN HORSES. PROSPECTS OF XEWPIE'S JEWEL By the failure of both Centaurus and Shadow Son to shape promisingly in their engagements at the Wellington Trots at Hutt Park last week, the prospect of an Auckland candidate winning the coveted Great Northern Trotting Derby at Alexandra Park. on Saturday next is greatly enhanced. Before the Wellington meeting there was a popular belief that the South Island held a very strong hand in the northern classic, particularly through the medium of Shadow Son, who won the I Timaru Nursery Stakes in March last, and > then went on, a few months later, to ' capture the New Brighton Challenge Stakes, a mile and a quarter, in 2.51 2-5. The son of Red Shadow finished strongly in that event, and great tilings were expected of him on the race track. Aldershot was unplaced in the Nursery Stakes at Timaru, and Shadow Son was not in the New Zealand Derby field when Aldershot was successful at Addington. Shadow Son looked well at Wellington last Saturday, but never appeared to be likely to succeed in the February Handicap, in which he was only seventh favourite. There is the possibility that he was feeling the effects of the trip across the Straits, and, therefore, a final judgment on his prospects is suspended until after he appears on the tracks at Kpsom. C'entaurus, on the other hand, has been somewhat of a boom, without showing anything in public to justify an exalted opinion of his ability as a pacer. On bin running at the Hutt Park, he has no chance of defeating the local horses. The Trotting Stakes Winner.

.Tust 12 months ago J. T. Paul produced Contender and Davev Day in the Great Northern Trotting Stakes at Alexandra Park, and they finished first and second in the order named. They were both then

put aside until this season, and Contender will represent the navy btue and red sleeves in the Derby on Saturday. Although the Travis Axworthy gelding was nominated for several events since this term wag commenced, he hag done very little racing. He wag produced in the Fencourt Handicap at Cambridge on January 14, started 14th favourite, and failed to show up. From the point of view of racing experience during the past few months, Kewpie'g Jewel, who is owned by Mr. E. G. Bridgens, president of the Auckland Trotting Club, has a decided advantage over the rent of the field, with, perhaps, the single exception of Auto Bingen. She has improved with each race, and, at Cambridge, on January 14. literally smothered a fair field over the concluding stages of the Hautapu Handicap. That was good form, and she will be a better filly now. Auto Bingen, too, has had a number of races, but has not been unduly bustled on the tracks between meetings, and it is evident that his owner-trainer, G. Phipps, believed that the wise course with this promising son of Auto Machine was to give him plenty of time to develop. There is no doubt about the fact that the result of this year's Great Northern Derby is by no means foregone, and it would not i be surprising if the issue is fought out I between Kewpie'g Jewel, Auto Bingen and Shadow Sun.