TROTTING TALK.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 9991, 22 March 1898, Page 3

TROTTING TALK.

[By Hosksty.]

Hailstone, the winner at Little River, has been placed in B. Edwards's hands to train.

Miss Poole, now at Avonhead, returns to her owner's place »t Ashburton shortly. A meeting of the North Island Trotting Association has been convened for April 25th.

At a meeting of the committee of the Palmerston Trotting Club on March Bth, the protests in connection with the running at the recent meeting were gone into. That against Tarawera was dismissed ; as was that from Mr Andrews in regard to the Maiden Trot being run a second time. It was resolved that Awahuri, who finished third in the Autumn Haudicap, should get second money by reason of Eric, placed second, galloping. , It is stated that most of the stewards of the Palmerston North Trotting Club intend to resign, not being satisfied with what they saw of the sport at the last meeting.

Wild wood was slow at getting under way in his race on Saturday, aud such ungenerous remarks as, " He's not a trier," and " We're in the cart," were heard on the stand. Those giving vent to such expressions were no doubt sorry five minutes later. Hpni soit gui mal y pense.

The dividend returned on Tarawera, winner of the Dash Handicap at the last Palmerston North Trotting Club's Meeting, was £1 18s. It was misstated £1 Bs.

There were some fine trotting exhibitions at New Brighton on Saturday. The sport had a tame commencement with a Maiden Handicap, in which there were but three competitors, and in which Comical proved altogether too good for his opponents. Still the form shown by the winner would not gain him many friends for his Tahuna Cup engagement, for he is a bad actioned horse. If there had been anything to press him I fancy he would have gone to pieces. The Pony Race was interesting ; there was talk of finessing in connection with the race, but whatever truth there may have been in such there is no doubt the best pony won. Worthington appeared to mc to have the race in keeping a long way from home, though he did not go to the front until the home stretch was reached.

Dictator signalised his reappearance by a really first-class performance in the chief saddle, race, getting to the end of the two milos from scratch in 5.13. This was, however, not good enough to win, for Gwynne, on the 203 ec mark, commencing well and getting to the front in the , first half mile, did not give her backers much cause for uneasiness, and won with a big margin. Gwynne was favourite, and though her running was contradictory to the form she showed at Plump ton, she there struck and cut herself badly. Allerton, who was after Gwynne the most fancied, cut up badly, and was out of the race at an early stage. In the other big event the achievement of Wildwood in making a fresh two miles harness record and on an admittedly slow track, caused a deal of enthusiasm. Wildwood started slowly, but going down the back had mustered up a great pace. Passing the stand with a mile gone he had picked up rather more than half his handicap on the best placed of the others, and as he was striding along in splendid fashion hia victory was already being heralded. Rapidly closing on the leaders he had the race well in hand before the home stretch was reached and, as he won under a pull, there is no doubfrhe could have bettered) by a few seconds the 5.1 he put up. Brobkholm finished close behind Wildwood, and also registered a capital performance. Of the others Grenadier showed most pace, but broke up badly several times. Viking pulled up sore, and was very lame when he cooled down.

The Selling Race was an easy thing for North Star, who came from North Canterbury with the reputation of being pretty good. Nghia, Imperial, and Autonomy looked to have the winning chances in the Progressive Handicap when half the distance was gone,'but all three made mistakes and Cosmo got home in the end from Nghia. As easy a win as any during the day was that of Jessie in the mile saddle. She caught the odds-on favourite Micro at the turn for home and jogged in. Jessie could have bettered her time very considerably, and there is no doubt about her being among the best performers we have. Micro did not appear to be suited by the going, quite failing to run to form. Lukey's luck is still sticking to him, Ruby 11. scoring in the last race on Saturday. On Ruby's running in Wildwood's race, she and Uncle Tom being well in the van at a mile, she appeared to mc to have a really good chance in the Dash ; she "was, however, not supported to any great extent, and again a good dividend was returned to those who invested on her. Lukey had certainly very little to spare at the finish, and on time several of those behind should have beaten Ruby. Lukey deserves all the success he gets, for everything he has anything to do with is sent to win every time. The trotting events at the meeting at Little River on Thursday last* brought to light a couple of good horses, both bred on the Peninsula and both by Victor. Hailstone, the District Race winner, gets hie name from hie colour, an ioy grey. His merits were talked ot before the race, but the fine action and good work put in by Little Nell, a quality-looking mare hardly over pony size, caused most speculators to invest on her chance. And With half a mile gone it looked long odds on her, she having drawn right away from the others. At the end of a mile her lead was still a long one, Hailstone being practically the only one giving chase. The aspect of affairs changed in the third half mile, for Hailstone, travelling at a great rate, closed up rapidly. He collared Little Nell about three furlongs from home, and the race was then virtually over, for the mare was done, while Hailstone was. full of go. Taking into consideration that the winner hung at the starting post and lost some six or seven seconde, the performance was a notable one for a country course. Penalised no less than 18sec for the open race, Hailstone again did well, after commencing slowly, in getting second. Wallabi, however, had a good margin of victory. Although unsteady Wallabi showed the possession of a lot of pace. He is not quite right in the wind, still there is improvement to be made in him as there is in Hailstone, who carried very little muscle. Mies'Hanlon, the favourite in Wallabi'B race, was reported for starting before time and was stopped by order of the stewards at the end of a mile. Washington, an unruly grey horse, lined up

at the start for both races, but refusing to leave the mark was on each occasion taken back to the paddock.

The track at New Brighton, owing to the continued dry weather, was not in such good order as usual for racing on Thursday last, a number of holes having formed along the back and round the two last turns.

Returning home from the New Brighton Meeting on Thursday Viking got away with his sulky, which was wrecked.

Some useful performers took part at the Hawera Meeting. One of thoin, Cigar, after u'inniug a race, was protested against, it being alleged that he had an unrevealed history. The horse that finished second to him was Otakeho, who, it will bo remembered, had to undergo a similar ordeal when he won at New Brighton. "Not proven" was the verdict in Otakeho'e case, but no long history was supplied by his connections. The members of the Ashburton Trotting Club met at the Somerset Hotel on Saturday evening, and presented Mr Donald McLean, their president, with a valuable gold watch chain and sovereign case, and a pendant in the form of a shield, the latter bearing the following inscription :—" To Mr D. McLean, from members of the Ashburton Trotting Club." Mr Dan McKendry, vice-president, in making the presentation, referred in highly complimentary terms to the mauy valuable services Mr McLean had rendered the club, both in the capacity of its president aud delegate to the Trotting Association, and as an active supporter of trotting in thedistrict. Mr McLean had been the principal mainstay of the Ashburton Trotting Club, and the members as a body were unanimous in asking him to accept some token of their appreciation of his many valuable services. Mr McLean suitably replied. The honouring of several toasts formed part of a very pleasing little ceremony. Mr McLean has undoubtedly made one of the best delegates that has sat at the councils of the South Island Trotting Association. Well up in trotting affaire, he is also conscientious to a degree, and therefore one who is likely to bring a judicial and impartial mind to bear on matters that require dealing with by a governing body, a member of which I hope Mr McLean will be for many years yet. The Tahuna Pack Club has received capital accoptances for the first day of its meeting, Friday, 25th inst. Fifteen remain in the Tahuna Park Cup, and as the baok mark division havo gone out the handicap now only takes a range of 12sec. For the most part the form of those left in is undisguised, but in naming the Selkotkd ov Allan's Staklk and Wuroo to provide the winner 1 may bo near the mark. Comus should about win the Anniversary Handicap, Good Wind the Electric, and SSaoramknto the Tele> graph Handicap. In regard to the Tahuna Park Meeting our Dunedin correspondent writes:— Laracor, Jonny, and Toroa have been declared as harness horses in the Cup, and will trot in a heat by themselves ; the others all go in saddle. The race is considered pretty open, but if books were started it is pretty sure that Jenny would be favourite, with Jimmy also in demand. The acceptances for the other races are also very satisfactory, and a " boom" meeting is confidently looked forward to. The Southland Trotting Club announces a meeting to take place on April 20th. The stake money amounts to £155, the chief prize being a £40 one. The satisfactory number of twenty-two still retain their engagement for the C.T.C. Juvenile Stakes. The Australian sportsman, Mr J. A. Buckland, has two left in. They are both by St. Louis, a sire of his own, who has a capital track record. Others with two representatives are the Brooklyn studmaster, Mr H. Mace, whoso youngsters are very promising, Mr A. G. Holmes and Mr J. Martin. The final payment for the race ia due on the 4th of next month.