TROTTING FIXTURES.

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 58, 9 March 1928, Page 7

TROTTING FIXTURES.

March .14—Wyndham T.C. March 15, 17—New Brighton T.C. March 24—Thames T.C. March 24—Wellington T.C. March 29, 31—Wanganui T.C. April 7, 11— N.Z. Metropolitan T.C. April 7, 9—Hawera T.C. April 14—Taranakl T.C. April 21—Te Aroha T.C. April 21—Ashburton T.C. . April 28—Wellington T.C. Reminders. Nominations for the Great Kaster and Great Autumn Handicaps close to-night at 8 o'clock with the secretary of the Canterbury Joekej' Club. Acceptances for the Wellington Meeting close to-night at 9 o'clock. Nominations for the Masterton Meeting are due on Monday. Acceptances for the Rangitikei Meeting close on Monday at 9 p.m. The Lincoln and National. " : The most discussed double of the season in England is'undoubtedly that of the Lincolnshire Handiaip and Grand National Steeplechase, chiefly because the two races come after the long quiet spell in the winter. This year the Lincoln will be run on 28th March and the Grand National on 30th March. After first acceptances were taken for the National Sprig and Bright's Boy were still in the post of/honour with 12.7, Easter Hero ■ 12.5, and White; Park and Koko each , 12.2 were next. Master Billie (10.8), who is to be ridden by F, Rees, is one of the early favourites. He raced well last year up to the time he came to grief, and has Sib less to carry. He finished sixth in 1926 with 10.0. It is possible there will be one or two French candidates. Priory Park (9.0) is top-weight in the Lincolnshire,' but The Mohawk, a four-year-old,' with 7.13 is a prime fancy. The Franklin Meeting. The ■ Franklin Racing Club's Meeting, which opens to-morrow, ; has the customary big acceptances of the North in most of the events. The Cup field is of average class for the Auckland Province. Gala Day may show up with 8.2, and Sir" Archie, although so far a mile has been the end of his winning tether, may. go on well with 7.7. He has been working very weir on the track at Ellerslie. Princess Ronnie, True Blood, arid Corinax will all have friends, but Gala Day and Sir Archie may do best. In the other races horses who appear well placed are Brilliant Light, Storm Fiend, King Merv. Liaison, Dimmer, Piet, Uralla, Wiltshire, and Ballynioy 11. ' '.'..■' Patience Exhausted. Recently a Melbourne newspaper has conducted a naming competition, or rather a renaming, for the two-year-old, The Cad, by Lucknow from Stage Girl. The winning name was The Gay Mutineer. One entrant, a member of the Melbourne Stock Exchange, thought lie would be full of resource. He decided that it would be a good plan,to ask one of the numerous Indian silk and brassware merchants in Melbourne for the information. He strolled into, a well-known Indian-owned shop, and v asked the girl: at the counter' if he could see "the boss." The girl smiled rather;:broadly, and asked whether it was a personal:matter. ; Our friend:said: ."Well,, not exactly,' but if : ;he lias's1 minute' to; epareil would like to see him/ At 'the, moment a dark gentleman appeared from behind: a screen, and, in advancing towards "our friend,: shouted: "H you want to see me about a horse-naming competition I have no time. I am too busy. ,1 am not an interpreter. I have been pestered out of my life by people with the same question. Go queeck! Go!" Absentee Owners. : ' It would seem that to ensure success on the Turf an owner needs to be absent from .the scene. In several cases this season good races have been won by men who were not present to see their colours carried to victory. Mr. E. E. D. Clarke was in New Zealand while his colt, Trivalve, was winning the Derby and Cup, and Sir Sidney Kidman did not have the pleasure of seeing Silvius down the weigh t-,for-age cracks at Flemington in the spring, being then on a tour abroad. A few weeks; ago Mr. L. Mackinnon left on a trip to the Old Country, and he had hardly started the voyage when Epilogue credited- him. with the Camperdown Cup. Epilogue has done very well for Mr., Mackinnon, and, encouraged by the success, ,he might possibly take a fancy to a smart English horse while abroad and send him, out to-J. Scobie, who has Epilogue in hand. There 'must be a number ■ ,of useful performers in-the Old Country i": that could be acquired at fairly reason- ' -able prices. .