TROTTING

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 262, 1 August 1929, Page 15

TROTTING

FIXTURES. August 10. 14, 16—New Zealand Metropolitan, August. ACCEPTANCES. August 6—Now Zealand Metropolitan T.C. August. NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By

"Overcheck.”)

Receipt is acknowledged of the prorammeg issued by the Auckland Trotting Club in connection with the earthquake relief meeting to be held on Saturday, August 31.

In all the club is ottering £1825 in stake money for the seven races, in addition to which Messrs. A. Kohn, Ltd. and Messrs. Walker and Hall, have presented a cabinet of cutlery and crystal and a cabinet or crystal respectively, the winner of the Westport Handicap receiving the former, and the winner of the Nelson District Handicap the latter. These two races are also the highest endowed races, the lirst-namea carrying a stake of 500 sovs., and the lastpamed £3OO.

Nominations for ail events close on Friday, August 16. at 5 p.m. Handicaps are to appear on Tuesday, August -0, while acceptances close at 5 p.m. on the following Friday.

Concliff .bas been recommissioned and is at present being worked by C. Tasker on behalf of W. J. Totnkinson.

Wah went South recently and it is anticipated that he will soon form one of W. J. Tomklnson’s active brigade.

Daphne de Oro, who Is Mte of the horses favourably treated in the August Handicap, is reported to be getting through her work in a very satisfactory manner at Addington. As I pointed out last week, she is on a 4.29 mark, while her best effort last season was 4.2(1. She should not be long In picking up some stake money.

Speedlight has been turned out for a spell, having struck a knee.

Native Prince and Carmel are already at Addington. Both horses are reported to be in good order.

Glenelg Is training on the right way for D. Withers. He is a smart sprinter.

A Southern exchange states that the North Canterbury Jockey Club’s course at Rangiora Is well patronised by trainers of trotting horses'at present. It is said that there are nearly fifty pacers and trotters In work around the Rangiora district, most of them being worked on the racecourse. There is no doubt that the light harness horse Is extremely popular in Canterbury, and as time goes by he will probably find more favour in the Wellington province than he does just now.

Nelson Boy is reported to be looking better than ever. He is a very steady trotter, but has not displayed a great deal or stamina in the past. He now ranks as an eight-year-old, so If he is ever going to develop stamina he will have to be quick about it.

The scoring up system pt starting races in America, which Is considered to be the one fault of the trotting sport there, lias been so roundly criticised during recent months that it. was only to be expected other methods would he given a trial, in some places the barrier starts, the same as obtains in New Zealand, are being tried, but exchanges to hand show that at the Grand Circuit Inaugural fixture, another method was to be given a trial, because many patrons objected to the fiat-footed barrier start. In his announcement of the new conditions previous to the first of the Grand Circuit meetings, the manager of the Crlcult’s sport said: "Take, for instance, a field of eight horses: After these horses have been warmed up and are ready to start, the starter, who will be on the track, will signal the drivers to line their horses up the reverse way of the track, as follows:—The four having the first scoring positions, one to four, will line their horses up In that order on the outside of the track. When the two lines are properly formed, the started with a red nag raised will walk both lines to the 70-yard line, where each line will turn on a walk, the Inside line turning to their positions on the outside and the outside line turning to their positions on the inside. If all the horses are in their proper positions, the starter will drop tho red flag and the race is started. The word go will be given at the wire. However, there will be absolutely no recall after the starter lias dropped the flag, regardless of breaks or bad acting on the part of any of the starters. Any starter left at the post will have to save bls distance In order to start in the next heat. All heats will be timed from the wire. The association expects every driver to assist the starter and follow his instructions. The starter will lurvc the support of the judges, absolutely. The association is asking every driver who races at the meeting to give this system considerable thought, so he will know the system and what is expected of him. With your help and support, I believe we can work out a system of starting that will be better than using the barrier.”

In writing of Maxegin last week I stated that he is now under the care of J. Bryce, and then referred to the winning performances registered by him at Addington last August. It lias been suggested to me that my remarks may have caused some misunderstanding. To remove any misapprehension that may have arisen it is pointed out that when he won at Addington last year he was driven and trained by B. Jarden.

That good trotter Peter Swift is (states an exchange) ready to commence a serious preparation for spring racing, and it is slated that the Dominion Handicap at Addington and the Rowe Handicap at Auckland will be his main objectives. Teter Swift lias proved a line racehorse, and is one of the few trotters in the Dominion that has competed successfully against good-class pacers. His trainer, R. B. I laxico, is very .much in favour of the trotter as against the hoppled pacer, and is at present handling a rising two-year-old trotter that claims a Sapling Stakes engagement. Plaxico sees no reason why a trotter, even a two-year-old, should not compete with success against the pacers.

Jewel Pointer has been scratched for all engagements at the New Zealand Metropolitan Club’s meeting. lie Is reported to be backward, and this being so he would hardly be expected to win from a 4.24 mark.

Jolly Pet is now under the care of F. G. Holmes, and it will be interesting to see how the pair get on at Addington this month. But for being so bad-mannered at the barrier Jolly Pet would be a useful horse to own for he has a nice turn of speed and can stay.

Mr. T. H. McGirr has presented a set of harness, valued at 15 guineas, for presentation to the winner of the Mt. Harding Handicap at the Methven Trotting Club’s annual meeting.

Southern sportsmen are keenly waiting the production of Llewellyn, a young colt in the care of R. B. Plaxico. They expect to see something special, and 'from all accounts their optimism appears to be well founded.

Groat Bingen, who has a record of 2.7 3-5. is on a 2.9 mark in the International Handicap at Addington, and those alongside him are Terence Dillon and Logan Park. These horses are admittedly smart, but fit and well the champion should be capable of beating them. It is said that Great Bingen is in rare order to commence a hard preparation for the New Zealand Cup, and that those who are inclined to look upon him as somewhat of a spent force are likely to be confounded. While it is hoped that Mr. McKenzie’s horse will reproduce his best form, one cannot close one’s eyes to the fact that he is getting up in years, which makes his trainer’s task a somewhat difficult one. Western King, who is also in the International Handicap, has been handicapped on 2.11, notwithstanding that at Addington in November he registered 2.7 4-5 when he ran third to Epigram and Talent. This horse appears to be particularly well placed.

C. S. Donald appears to hold a strong hand in the Trial Handicap at Addington for he has four good horses engaged—viz.. Sunny Bob, Sir Author, Lindbergh, and Invader. Whatever he starts is sure to be in strong demand.

Grand Light, a youngster that raced with great promise in the early part of last season, but whose later form was disappointing. is engaged in the Trial Handicap of two miles, at Addington this month. In the Now Zealand Derby in November, Grand Light ran second to Wrackler, registering 3.25 2-5, while at Wellington in February he was second to Halmore in the Waiwetu Handicap, going 3.27 4-5. His only other placed performance was at Taranaki in April, when be ran third to Groat Delight and Cora Tacks, his time being 4.42 3-5. I shall not be surprised to find Grand Light doing good service for his owner this season seeing that he is only on a 4.40 mark, whereas Wrackler is now back amongst the good ones.