TROTTING Fast-Class Race At Kurow In 1969

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31729, 12 July 1968, Page 5

TROTTING Fast-Class Race At Kurow In 1969

A race for fast-class pacers will be included in the programme for the Kurow Trotting Club’s annual meeting to be held early in August, 1969. This was decided at the annual meeting of the club held recently.

A suggestion that the club frame its programme to attract top-class horses each year was made by Mr F. Smith. The club’s date could provide an opportunity for horses on the verge of New Zealand Cup class to qualify, he said.

The club considered running such a race at this year’s programme on August 10, but it was felt that it would be better to delay the inaugural race for 12 months so that the club could consolidate its position. The meeting considered that while the club might not be able to compete with the stakes given by metropolitan clubs for such a race, there would be sufficient horses whose owners would be prepared to race for a reasonable stake at that time of year. It was then decided that for the 1969 programme a race with a 2min Usee or similar limit be provided. The programme committee’s decision will be governed by the number of horses available. The event could be run under either invitation or free-for-all conditions.

Stakes for this year’s annual meeting will be $6550, the same as for last year. The main change has been in the second race for trotters. This event will have a limit of 2min 19sec, against 2min 18sec last year, and it will carry a stake of $6OO. The race has been renamed the R. A. Paterson Handicap after the club’s first life member.

Stakes for races for maiden pacers have been increased from $450 to $5OO, and the stake for the Kurow Cup has been increased by $5O to $1350, plus a trophy valued at $5O. DATES

The dates of February 15. 19 and 22 and March 1 were approved for the next InterDominion Championship

series in Adelaide at a meeting of the Inter-Dominion Trotting Conference held in Melbourne. The venue of the series until 1976 were also decided at the meeting. The schedule is: 1970, Melbourne; 1971, New

Zealand; 1972, Brisbane; 1973, Sydney; 1974, Perth; 1975, New Zealand; 1976, Wayville. SOLD TO U.S. State Express, from Southland, and Atlas, Laurinda and Rola Coaster, from Canterbury, have been purchased by Mr N. Simpson, of Sydney on behalf of a Chicago syndicate headed by the trainer-driver, J. Grenier. They are to travel to Auckland early next week and be shipped from there to the United States a few days later. Emulate is another Southland pacer to have been sold to America. He has been bought by the Auckland trainer, W. Baker, who earlier in the year sent a number of horses from New Zealand, including Valley Girl, Apt, Roseland Beauty, Apex, and Hercules. HALWES SOUGHT

Attempts will be made to have the champion Australian pacer, Halwes, race in the Auckland Cup on December 31 as well as at the New Zealand Cup meeting in November.

The Auckland Trotting Club is interested in negotiating with the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club and assisting in the costs of getting Halwes to New Zealand. It is expected that there will be four races to suit Halwes at the cup meeting at Addington Raceway, and it is possible that the New Brighton club would include a race to suit or a special time trial

at its meeting on December 7. There would also be three suitable races at the Auckland Cup meeting. MARGOT BAY SOLD Margot Bay, a four-year-old sister to Cardigan Bay, has been sold by her Mataura breeders, Messrs Todd Bros, to Mrs A. D. Dean, of Auckland. Margot Bay is the third of Colwyn Bay’s progeny to be bought from the same vendors by Mrs Dean, and all are by Hal Tryax. Mrs Dean bought Cardigan Bay after he had started to show top form in Southland as a four-year-old in the 1960-61 season, and later acquired Thule Bay, which is now rising seven. Thule Bay’s first foal, a Garrison Hanover colt, has been entered for the 1969 New Zealand Futurity Stakes at Rotorua.

Now a four-year-old, Margot Bay had one unsuccessful start last season, and apart from an equalisator appearance in November, she has not raced this season.