TROTTING

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 66, 11 December 1930, Page 18

TROTTING

Big Fields at New Brighton NOTES AND COMMENTS \ (By “Overcheck.”) > FIXTURES. Dee. a.—Ashburton County K.C; Summer (two events). , ‘ ‘ Dec. 13.—New Brighton T.C. Summer. / Dee. 26.—Gore T.C. Annual. Dec. 26.—Ashburton T.C. Summer. Dec. 26, 27.—South Walrarapa T.C. Annual. Dec. 26, 27.—Westport T.C. Annual. . ' Dec 27.—Cattle Flat Hack (nou-tote). • ‘ Dec. 27, 30, 31.—Auckland T.C. Summer. Dec. 30.—Winton T.C. Annual. Dec. 31, Jan. I—Grjeymouth J.C. Midsummer (tour events) Jan I—Wyndham. K.C. Annual (two ' events). s' ; , Jan. I.—Walau K.C. Annual, non-tote (three trotting events). , Jan. I.—WaikoUaiti K.C. Annual (two events). 1 ' • Jan. 1, 2.—Canterbury Park T.C. Summer. Jan. 2, 3.—Southland K.C. Summer (One event each day).. '. Jan. 3.—Westland T.C. Annual. Jan. 5. 6—Greymouth T.C. Summer. Jan. 7. B.—Reefton J.C. Midsummer. ■ i-J Jan. 10.—Timaru T.C. Summer. Jau. 10, 12.—Vincent- J.C. Annual (two Jan. €V l7.—Oamaru J.C. Summer (two •:' events). ■ ■ ■■'. . ’ Jan. 17—Wellington T.C. .Gold Cup. Answer to Correspondent. . H.R.1., Dunedin.—Thanks for letter. Holiday fixtures will be reviewed early, as requested. '■ 1 ■ ‘ . ’ -■ Large-sized Fields. The New Brighton Trotting Club has received very heavy acceptances for its meeting on Saturday, the smallest .number -In' any race being thirteen, while there are ' thirty in the Trial Handicap and twentynine in the Bowhill Handicap. . New Brighton affords the last opportunity for owners to give their horses a race before the Christmas carnivals begin, and this fact no doubt influenced the acceptances. i - ' >, As was generally expected, the Auckland mare, Mountain Dell, is not to make the 1 ‘‘trip, but her owners gained their ends in that she ‘ was handicapped on 4.28, and ■ thus became eligible for a nomination for the Auckland Cup. Arethusa Is an acceptor in the Mace Memorial, the principal race at New Brighton on Saturday, and she is one of the early favourites. This little mare is having plenty of racing, and her programme is somewhat unusual for one so young, ns -she is tackling the older horses over two • miles, a task that few horses that have ’ just turned three have .been set. She is only a handful, but evidently thrives on racing, or a lighter programme would, have been arranged for her. . The" Electric Handicap of one mile,, in saddle, has attracted thirteen* runners, which is quite a nice-sized field, and much above the .average. " These saddle races appear to be a losing proposition for clubs, 'and it will come as no surprise to ' And them deleted all round now that clubs will have to struggle for every penny that .can be got in order to make ends meet. The recent meeting at Forbury resulted in a financial loss to the club, and the club trns since decided on a fairly substantial reduction in stake money for the remainder of the season. ' : Auckland ’T.C. , The nominations received by the Auek-' land Trotting Club for the first day of the. summer meeting, which commences on December 27, are only fair, but < .'seventeen ’ .. .have been entered for the Cup, the field for which should be quite a good one. Wrackler is, now back on the mark with Gold Jacket, Padlock, and Logan Park, and if these horses are produced , at their best Mr. Nicoll’s champion will be fully tried out. It will be remembered that Harold Dogan won a two-mlle race at Addington in better time than that ■ registered by Wrnckler in the Cum and he promises to race well from a 4.25 mark.. Surprise Journey has been nominated ■ among the pacers at Auckland, as weir ns In the unhoppled trotting ' events. His - name appears dn three races the first day, so that his owner is according the club generous support. ■ Vesuvius, who was operated on* for throat trouble, has resumed work, but it will be some considerably time before he can be reduced to racing shape. '.Barrier Practice. ’ • . Stanley T. is being indulged in a good deal of barrier practice these days, and is reported to-be showing considerable im- , provement. Once he can be educated to MO away correctly from a flat-footed start, he will prove a thorn In the side of our highest class trotters, of which we have hot many < these days. Still ; there are some good ones coming, along. WELLINGTON qLUB Prospects for January Meeting / I. . .. . .■ ■ •f .' The stewards of the/ Wellington Trotting Club are at present actively engaged in reorganising a number of the administrative features the club.. This has been made necessary by 'the remarkable strides made during recent years. It has been decided to form a further training track inside' the existing cinder track so that there should be no break in the preparation of horses in any weather. Trainers with horses about to compete at meetings are also to have a limited number of. runs on the outside of the grass track. Later on when the grass becomes better established it is the intention of the club to open the whole of the racing track for fast work on suitable occasions. Trotting enthusiasts in Wellington will be pleased to notice that the club has decided to make a substantial Increase in stake mpney for the Gold'.Cup meeting to be held' on Saturday, January 17. Che . substantial sum of £2550 has been allotted to the day's programme. ■ ■ . .. ■ It Is particularly gratifying to find that the New Zealand Trotting Gold Cup of 1931 will carry with it a stake of £lOOO. This is the first occasion in Wellington that a stake of the sum mentioned has been allotted to a trotting event. The class for this race has been fixed at 4.27. which is the same limit as last year, and should again draw a substantial field of the best of New Zealand’s pacers. The other classes have again been substantially catered for. Unhoppled trotters will have; two,events with stakes of £2OO and £250 respectively. j, There will be three races for improving pacers. The January Handicap of two miles Wiht a limit of , 4.38 ' will carry a stake of £325. The Improvers’ Handicap of one mile and five furlongs has a limit of 3.50, which Is equal to 3.33 for one mile and a half, and will have a stake of £225. The Dispatch Handicap .of £250 is for Horses that can do 2.54 or better for a mile and a quarter. Races for maiden or novice classes are not found nowadays on programmes of most of the clubs racing in the main centres. The Wellington Club, however, has to -be credited with doing its share to encourage beginners. There will be two races, each of £l5O, for these loose class competitors. One is over a distance of a mile and five furlongs, and the other Is a mile and a quarter event. Altogether the programme for the Gold Cup meeting is the best that has so fnr been issued in this centre, and is significant of the buoyant state of affairs in the sport of trotting in Wellington. In order to still further cater for the comfort of patrons, the Wellington Club eastern l^?* l totnlisator h °usc at the Xunw ( a Of the groundp, and at future ”' e , e A ! V fcB ,. ten shilling tickets will be procurable there as well ns at the old totalcommodation in this vicinity. d