TROTTING

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 261, 4 August 1928, Page 14

TROTTING

(By Overcheck.) 'no rain has fallen in Christchurch during tlie current week, up to the time ot writing (Thursday), and so training °P®R ations have been continued under the best possible conditions. On Wednesday Great Change, Pointer, Western King, and Native Prince were on the track, but were not asked to do more than jogging work, Jewel Pointer being ridden. The four horses are.in_£ice order and should pay expenses during the meeting. Western King did not like the railway journey down from damaged the box he was in by klcKing. He also damaged his legs to some extent. T)arknite. who looks well, was given a run over a mile and a Half, but was under restraint the whole way. Theckla Boy was allotted a ™ ll £. a, {d £ quarter, but was not asked to do his best. Petroieuse. who raced well in the latter part of the season, was also seen in action, but shelved a tendency to break. Nighburu was worked over two miles, giving an even display. Great Amazon, after being 11 ’ ,p ' was. sprinted half a mile and «ent well. Vestas and Vesuvius ’■'ere allotted medium pace work. Both are looking well. On. Thursday Peter Bingen. Jackie Audubon. and Queen’s Own were associatcl in a rousing piece of work. t he former ha - lug the better ot the argument at the finish. Queen’s Own being half a length a’®’; with Jackie Audubon about four lengths further back, he having been eased somewhat over the last 50 yards or so. Ficht Ever worked nicely oyer two miles, but was not on a time-making misS1 Lady Matchlight was also given a spin over two’ miles, pacing evenly throughout. Vestas did not go as well as usual, breaking several times. He had the hopples on. Young Blake gave another sound display over two miles. Locanda Boy, Jewel Pointer, Western King, and Native Prinee were given strou„ work, the two latter Having an advantage at the finish. Evidently the damage he sustained on the journey down has left no ill-effect on Western- King. Talent had an advantage over WflHam the Great and Granite City in a pleasin„ piece of work. Elzear gave another fine exhibition over two miles. She is going to be a hard nut to erack next week. Peterwah has arrived at headquarters. Our Lady is trotting very solidly in her work, and should lack nothing on the score of condition when she is stripped at Addington this month. Cannonball and Swiftbine are both working well, and both should be capable of improving on anything they have already done in a race. The annual report of the oamaru 3 rot tin- Club shows an excess of assets over liabilities of £13.537. H 3 compared with £12,536 Ils. last year. '

It is reported tliat Cardinal Logan will be raced on the second and third days of the forthcoming meeting of. the Metropolitan Club, and that the racing he had at the Auckland winter meeting has effected a big improvement in him. On past performances, his best distance appears to be a mile and a quarter.

William the Great is going on the right way. Towards the end of last season be found the company he was in too good at two miles, but as he should be a better horse this term, it should be possible to place him to advantage.

Both Dalnahine and Terence Dillon, who will probably be J. Henderson’s representatives in the New Zealand Cup, are reporttd to be looking well, and are due to compete at Addington next week. Which reminds me that nominations for the NewZealand Cup are due otr August 23. The Metropolitan Club’s meeting will therefore be the last one at which horses will have an. opportunity to qualify for the big event in November.

Logan Chief is oue of the early favourites down south for the August Handicap. Possibly this is due to the fact that at the Auckland winter meeting he paced well and looked like being in the money when he broke at the bend. He is now on the same mark, viz., 4.28, but personally I am inclined to look elsewhere for the winner. It is true that he has shown much better form of late, but one cannot forget that his best days are behind' and not in front of him.

There, will be. tw o trotting races ou each day of the Geraldine Racing Club’s meeting, to be held ou September 27 and 28. Each is an open class race, and no doubt they will be well patronised.

C. Rokkjer, the Sydney trotting driver, who has made several visits to New Zealand with horses, says that he will probably retire from active participation in the light harness sport. For this reason lie will not lodge an appeal against his recent disqualification of twelve months, imposed in connection with the running of Denis Huon at Epping. Rokkjer has a team of twelve horses in hand, and these will be returned to owners or placed in charge of other trotting drivers as determined by the various, owners. At the time of his disqualification ■ Rokkjer did not have a horse racing in his own name.

It is understood that more than one reinsman has been refused a license for the current season.

Matagouri has built up a great deal since he was last seen In action, and is moving very pleasingly in his work. Being a genuine stayer, and capable of handling any sort of going, he should not be long in securing a further winning bracket.

'The Auckland Trotting Club has decided to have eight races on each day’s card at its winter meeting during the current season. This will be pleasing to owners and should be of great assistance in improving the totalisator returns.

In spite of the bad luck experienced last season, in the shape of unfavourable weather, it is stated that the Auckland Trotting Club will not reduce its stake money for next season. The president of the club, Mr. J. Rowe, is very anxious for the day when no event staged by his club will carry a stake of less than £5OO, and but for the wretched weather conditions which prevailed at the spring and winter fixtures, and also on the middle day of the Cup meeting, it Is possible he would have obtained bis objective. However, perhaps the weather man will be more considerate during the coming season, and maybe 1929-1930 will see £5OO the minimum prize.

On Tuesday last (states a Southern, exchange) IV. J. Tomkinson’s team, consisting of Pageant, Shadowland, Concllff ana tix three trotters, Young Blake, Elzear and Happy Rosa, jogged a few rounds together, Tomkinson driving Happy Rosa. They got fairly in line at the winning post, when they set off, but Happy' Rosa broke and the. rest of the team were slowed up till she caught her gait and joined them. The first circuit was done at a slow speed, when Acron joined in, and the next round was much faster. Pageant, who was without hopples, was pulled off at the end of a mile, but the rest of Tomkiuson's team went on tor nearly .two miles, Elzear remaining in front, with Young Blake last. It was a very interesting piece of work. None of the liqrses were asked to do their best. Acron did not look to be any too sound.

■ The Southern writer “Mascot” states tha» for some time past a sub-committee has been busy discussing a project of big alterations to the Addington course, and it is believed that a scheme involving an expenditure of £-45,000 is likely to engage the attention of the committee interested in the appointments, and future of the course. He adds: “If the suggested proposals, are adopted, there will be a real transformation at Addington. The lake may be filled in, and on that portion of the ground which now is utilised for a lawn, a new stewards’ and members stand mav be built- This building would contain a dressing-room, with conveniences and lockers, for riders and drivers, besides weighing-out rooms, secretary s office, stewards’ room, and other offices. The winning-post would be shitted to the top of the straight. It is proposed that the horses be required to race the opposite way round to the method at present m vogue Under the new scheme, it is proposed to allot the present stewards' and members’ stand to patrons of the outside enclosure. This, of course, would mean an alteration in the boundary fence between the grandstand and the outside enclosure.”