RAIN AND MUD AT EPSOM

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 212, 8 September 1941, Page 4

RAIN AND MUD AT EPSOM

It is a lons time since conditions ■were

as unpleasant fur r.v.-.igocns as they were at Kpsom on Saturday, when the Auckland Trotting C'i'ib's meeting, postponed from the previous Saturday, was held. Itain on the Friday and diirins the Tiiifht produced a sodden track, and when racing on Saturday the rain continued and

the liorscK were nearly hook deep ploughiiilt through the mud. After the tliird race the vain eased. and the afternoon was tine

from then mi. but even so there was little to enjoy in the racing. which. except in two iiir-taine.-. was tar from intercstinc. most of the event's being a inocession from ba::ie; rii-e.

It was only to I>e expected that the attenti ime and bottmi: should be affected, and in getting out wii'h a jlTr?oi,Vs decrease in the totalizator turnover the club did not do at. ali badly. But. for the rain erasing the doeiease would have been considerably more. The veteran Our MeKinney. who is a iru-at j'.u'i'i' in heavy going, made no race of I'M" principal event, tjie August ir.mdi - .p. and was in front a Ions; way I nun l.inne. -loseilale Grattan niado a game effort from 60yds Tx-hind. but never looked like eettintr to the leader, and it vram only l>y tin- narrowest of margins that Josedale (.'rattan <-ui Three Bells out of second money. The favourite, Betty Boop, made two mistakes during the running. but she will do much beter on a firm track.

'J he smart Double lYtcr scored a runaway win in the .Massey Memorial, and led t hroujhout t'o pa.e past the post well i-lcar i'f an outsider in Bedford, (.'loverdale. the favourite, was third, but a igood way back. IVter's Kind again disappointed. A Good Trotter A tine performance was credited to Joecdale 1 >i( tator. who won the Koyal Oak I ! <1 m a lighting finish with Appomattox. ■I'wl.il" Dictator did not make up much i'f his !Hj.\ds handieap until the last halfmile, Aiiien he commenced a forward move. Sustaining 1 iits tun 'he had Appomattox inside the last furlong, and the pair then had a rare battle. The judge derided in favour of Josedale Dictator, but there was nc>l uracil in it.

Chailes !T!cx. who had not raced last beacon, seined a very easy win in the first division in" tlie Mount Kdc-n Handicap. He was m front throughout and did not look like •l)ein3 caught al" any part. For one of ■T. 1 . Paul's team he returned a surprisingly pood price, bur is not likely to Ik> al anythiiic like the same odds next time he steps o it. He is by Great Parr is h out of Great liyre, a mare who has produced some smart' pacers. Saturday was not on■> of M. Stewart's lucky days, .and lie went through t-he pvo--zi amine without driving a winner. To add to tin- disappointment tie was fined £10 for "iiiit-ceiiily behaviour." Alter The finish ot the August' Handicap Stewart, driver i>: B.tiv Boon, hart an altercation with K. N. Kenneiley. dri\ er of Three Bells.