TROTTING 381 entries for trials next week at Ashburton

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33033, 28 September 1972, Page 8

TROTTING 381 entries for trials next week at Ashburton

Anyone attempting to minimise the difficulties facing owners and trainers in securing racing for their horses will be hard pressed to justify arguments in the face of the experience of the Mid-Canterbury Owners and Breeders’ Association.

The association received 289 entries for trials run on Tuesday at Methven when a 20race programme was run in six hours and a half.

The association’s next trials at Ashburton on Tuesday drew record entries of

381 and it seemed likely that a programme of 25 or 26 races would have to be run, with the final event starting after 6 p.m.

An emergency meeting of members of the corimittee was held on Tuesday and it was decided, in an effort to keep the programme within reasonable bounds that the free-for-all, which drew 47 entries and would have required three heats, would have to be dropped. “While we realise that there is tremendous value in a run under race conditions for open handicap horses we just had to eliminate some races from the programme,” said the president (Mr W. E. Lowe). "Most of the horses entered in the free-for-all will have had a race at Ashburton on Saturday and we felt that as the real aim is to cater for slower classes we should drop the free-for-all.” Most non-totalisator clubs and owners and breeders’ groups running trials in the immediate Canterbury area have been embarrassed by increasing numbers of entries this season, and the position could be further complicated when qualifying trials for maiden trotters have to be included. The inclusion of races for fast-class horses in programmes is an important part of the promotion of racing in the South Island. With practically all trainers having their own private tracks, little publicity other than from trials is attached to the preparation of horses which compete in feature races which are usually T.A.B. double races.

The previous largest entry for trials in Mid-Canterbury was 345 for the Ashburton meeting last October; there were 294 entries for Methven in November and 290 at Ashburton in March. The smallest entry was 169 at Methven in April. In spite of the large number of horses to qualify at Amberley early in the month, the qualifying trials at Ashburton on Tuesday attracted 116 entries, which will probably be drawn in 10 or 11 heats.

Fifty entries were received for the 2.T9 class pace, six fewer than the event for qualified, maiden pacers. There are 73 entries for the event for trotters, and 39 for the two-year-old parade, which will be run probably in four heats.

Eighty entries were received for the qualifying section at the trials run on Tuesday at Methven, many owners and trainers preferring to try to qualify in the easier conditions usually experienced on the less-search-ing Ashburton track.

The five horses to qualify in less than favourable conditions at Methven on Tuesday equalled the number to do this at five trials run during the whole of last season on this testing course. Two of those to qualify were three-year-olds, two were four-year-olds and one a five-year-old.

WELL RELATED Donover, trained by G. B. Noble for Mr R. A. McKenzie, of Wellington, is a promising three-year-old gelding by Scottish Hanover from Roydon Mary, by Thurber Frost from Mary Wootton, a daughter of a champion mare, Parisienne. This yougster has the breeding and appearance to suggest he could be a threat in restricted age events later on. Equally impressive was Drum Major, a three-year-old gelding by Scottish Hanover from Arizona, the dam of

Ordeal, the only trotter bred in New Zealand to break two minutes for one mile, Hiya, Pakeha, Waiata, Garu Roa, and other winners. He is raced in partnership by his trainer, C. C. Devine, and his Geraldine breeder, Mr J. M. Connolly. Lachlan Bay, raced and trained by C. W. McLachlan, is a four-year-old by Dick Adios from Glen Light, a member of the renowned Miss Fortune family, which has been kept to the fore lately through the deeds of Maida Million in the United States.

Moville, a member of C. S. Donald’s team, is a four-year-old gelding by Flight Adios from Normandy, a half-sister by Stormyway to the champion trotter, Battle Cry, and another top trotter. Front Line. He is raced by Messrs K. Baxter and W. A. Franks.

Battenburg, the other qualifier, is a five-year-old gelding by Bachelor Hanover from a smart mare, Legendary, a daughter of Morano and the fine producer. Tradition, a sister of the dual New Zealand Cup winner, Haughty. He is owned and trained at Frebbleton by D. P. Grice.