TROTTING FIXTURES.

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 55, 13 September 1928, Page 9

TROTTING FIXTURES.

September 15—Wellington T.C. October 6—Jlethven T.C. October 13. 17- Auckland T.C. October 22—Oamaru X.C. Octobc- 20. 22—Greymouth T.C. November 6, 8, 9—Metropolitan T.C. November 17, 21—Otahuhu T.C. November 24—Wellington T.C. November 29. Dec. I—Forbury Paris T.C December I—Waikato T.C. December B—Cheviot T.C. December 15, 17—New Brighton T.C. December 31 —Inangahua T.C. Reminder. Weights for the New Zealand Cup are duo to-morrow. A Useful Performer. Lady Desmond started last season's vacing by -winning the Kairanga Handicap under 8.11 at the Manawatu Hunt Club Meeting; evidently a similar programme has been mapped out agaiu this year, as she figures as an acceptor for the same event.-at next week's meeting oi that club, but will have to carry 9.3. Not of Same Class. ••*■ Carrying 11.3. Rouen was a competitor in the Grand National Hurdle Race ot 1923, 'but when running very prominently at the last jump he fell, and has not since started in a hurdle went. .Now, after.five years, the gelding is again to contest a .lumping race, the Kiwitea Hack Hurdles, at the Manawatu Hunt _ Uub Meeting, but the class he is opposing is more modest. Very Rare. Something unprecedented in the history of racing in the Dominion occurs m the acceptances received for the Kiwitea Hack Hurdles to be run at Awapuni next Wednesday. In that ev,eut appear the names of Eouen, winner of. the New Zealand Cup of 1923, and Simart, who won that important race in 1024. It is doubtful i£ two winners of such an important flat event have been brought together in a hurdle race in any part of the world. Both of these geldings are much past their prime, and in addition were broken down in the past. Their appearance on Wednesday next should attract more than passing notice. A Big Financial Loss. The three months suspension inflicted on M. M'Carten by the A.J.C. stewards is indeed severe if measured financially, for he'is now just on.the threshold of the busy period of racing when big amounts are offering in stake money. Thus to a rider of M'Carten's calibre, who appeared certain to win a number of big prizes on Limerick, the loss in commission alone will amount to hundreds. In causing interference, a rider : may not only spoil the chance of an opponent, but at the same time his action may cause a bad smash and possibly death to a brother horseman For this reason, it is absolutely essential that the penalty be a severe one. Decry a Champion. \ weakness manifested in many followiK-.' of sport is a desire to see a champion defeated, and in the racing world there are many such persons. Just now, with Limerick currying all before him, one often hears- the rertfark: "Wait until he meets So'and-So in such and -such a race, then we will-see if he is a world beater. Only last season Gothic was hailed as much superior to Limerick, and it was made public by Gothic's owner that the English horse would be sent from ' Melbourne to stop Limerick's victorious career. The pair met in the All Aged Stakes at the A.J.C. Meeting last April, and Limerick beat Gothic very decisively. This season Mollison is the one that is sorted out to beat our ■ champion. ( But while the trainer of the-. Australian-three-year-old is anything but sanguine, and recently said he would prefer to wait until later, before expressing an opinion about the pair, the man in the street has no doubt about Mollison being the better. ; Just, a few days ago an admirer of Mollison-s remarked that the Craven Plate of one mile and a .quarter to be run at the coming meeting of. the -A.JiC. would find the pair clashing; with disastrous results to Limerick. However, the connections of Mollison did^not think it -wise to tackle Limerick in that important and rich event, and have not nominated their three-year-old for the Craven Plate. As It Should Be. Some English owners and trainers having complained that carelessness in connection with the disinfection of horseboxes was the chief cause of coughing among racehorses, one big company, the L.N.E.R., said it was not so on its lines. After a box has been used, all harness and parts of the box which come in actual contact with the horse are first wiped clean with a large sponge, and then the whole of the interior, including the roof, is sprayed with a strong disinfectant. Is on the Improve. Rotor has been on the easy list since lie raced at the Grand National Meeting, but he recommenced work this week. E. Scoullar will not require him to do much of a.strenuous naturein'the meantime, relying on the fact "that he is very forward, | having done a lot of racing at the back end of last season and right up to August. It is probable that Rotor will have only one more race, at Rangiora on Labour Day, before he tackles the New Zealand Cup. A Fine Galloper. Count Cavour was responsible for a very attractive gallop at Riccarton on Tuesday morning. He was sent along twice last week at a sound pace, but he was stretched out in earnest yesterday morning, when he registered 1.41 2-5 for a mile. Amor accompanied him for the last five furlongs and a half, but Count Cavour held his mate safe at the finish. The conditions were favourable for timc-mak-1 ing, as the number seven track is a trifle short, besides being fast, but it was a good gallop. The Solferino gelding is coming on in fine style in his preparation, and he is going to play a prominent part in the New Zealand Cup, despite his advancing years. Some Doubt. . Rapier lias survived more preparations for cups than most horses have been capable of doing. Indeed for a stallion he has stood iip in a wonderful manner. So far this season he has not done much galloping, but already he is wearing bandages, a thing .be never wore before, and on occasion* .there is a suspicion^ of soreness to be noticed when he is walking home after work. He .may stand up to a' New Zealand Cup - preparation, but his admirers had better wait until they sea him in the birdcage before supporting him. An Aspirant for Classical Honour. Starshooter is getting a very thorough preparation for the Dunedin Guineas. As far as condition goes he will be just about the fittest colt in the Guineas. He is galloping regularly with Footfall, and the pair have acquitted themselves well over various distances up to nine furlongs, at practically even weights. How good Starshoo!:?'' is. remains to be seen. His superior condition may enable him to beat those optipsed to him in the Dunedin Guineas, but all things being equal there are several three-year-olds' I know of that would beat Starshooter. Hiflh-prlced .Thoroughbreds. The yearling sales take place at Saratoga (nearly 200- miles from New York) each August, and, though some big prices were madfeilasfc year, they were put in the shade recently when a colt by Whisk Broom 11. realised £15,000. The colt, according to cabled news, was one of Mrs.

T. Regan's Kentucky draft. At the Saratoga sales of 1927, an English-bred colt by Hurry On from Fathna, was sold for £14,000, but that was beaten in England last year, ■when the Aga Kr.nn gavo £14,700 for a colt by Papyrus from Simdart, by Sunstar—Baroness la F'.echc. The colt sold at Saratoga was thoroughly American bred, his sire, Whisk Broom IT., being by Broomstick (Ben Brush—Kit) from Prudery, by Peter Pan from Polly Flinders, by Burgomaster. May Win a Good Handicap. One of the most promising of last season's young horses was Royal Doulton, but, unfortunately for her owner, she met trouble when just about to show her best. She opened her winning account when she scored in the Maiden Plate at the Avondale Meeting twelve months ago. Since them the daughter o£ Romeo has won the required amount to put her out of hack company, and in future will have to compete among the open class performers, but that should not prevent her from adding further victories to her credit. She is to make her first appearance of the season at the Avondale Meeting this month, and the indications are that she will be an improved galloper before the present season concludes. Retiring. The Native owner, Mr. Miki Thomas, is apparently retiring from racing, as all his horses are advertised for private sale. They comprise Crisbna, Plimmerton, Avazone, Civili'orm, and the brood mares Gate Pa and Mirk. Crishna and Plimmertou are both in training, and the former has given promise of developing into a useful hurdler. Plimmerton, too. though on ihe small side, might do well as a jumper, as he comes from a jumping family, and has a good deal of pace. Civili'orm has not nm for some time, but if he could be taught to jump and could bo got back to anything like the form he showed when racing on the flat, he would make a real good hurdler. Should Do Well. The Paper Money gelding Pink Note is stated to have done well recently,'and already he has begun his preparation for his New Zealand Cup engagement. Pink Note is one of the few sons of Paper Money who can run out a long journey. Perhaps his most notable victory last season was in the Dunedin Cup, one mile and a half, in which he beat Arikiwni and the Great Northern and New Zealand St. Leger winner, Satrap. As the 12 furlongs of that race were travelled in the smart time of 2min 32sec, there was no loitering on the journey. Pink Note is bound to improve with age, and so he should not experience much difficulty in running out a fast-run two miles. In last year's contest for the New Zealand Cup, Pink Note ran a good race, and was nearer the leaders at the close than at any other part of the journey. Unusual These Days. Something out of the ordinary was provided Queensland racegoers on Saturday, ISth August, when the Turf Club sanctioned the special Challenge race between four crack Brisbane performers—High Syce, Kitty Paddington, Soulton, and Killarney. All four are .first-class horses, and the match, which arose from a private argument, must have caused great interest. The' horses met at weight-for-age over a mile. It was stated prior to the event that the owner of Killarney was prepared to race for £1000 a-side, but this proposal was regarded as preposterous, so that the prize money came from a £100 sweepstake and a £100 forfeit, with £200 added. It was just as well the owner of Killarney did not go and persist about the £1000 bet, for the winner proved to be High Syce; Killarney and Soulton filling the places. There is no doubt that High Syce is a class horse, for he ran the mile in hnin 37Visec —a Queensland record. High Syce is in .the Caulfiehl Cup with 8.8. ■ [ Odds and Ends. So.far Goblin Market has not been asked to do more than -to -sprint a few furlongs occasionally. -He looks well, but is of course on the big side. He will be fairly forward when he goes to Dunedin. This colt is lost in soft ground. Martarma was on the course at Riccarton on Tuesday, but ho was restricted to only light exercise. The big Martian horse appears to be quite sound again, and I\ Christinas expects to start him on. serious work next week. E. Scoullar is going to race Countersign at Ashburton on Saturday. The big daughter of Paper Money is going well, and she might effect a surprise, as she did two seasons ago when the Ashburton Meeting was held at Riccarton. It' Scoullar had his way he would not race this mare until the autumn, as her sex troubles her very much all through the spring. Although Diana's Lad was sold to a Wellington owner during the Grand National Meeting, he still is an inmate of R. Ellis's stable and he will remain under the care of the Riccarton trainer in the meantime. He is getting through useful tasks at present, and he may be a competitor in hurdle races at Geraldine at the end of this month. Nothing at Riccarton is putting more dash into his work than First; Sight. _He is looking a picture and is doing brilliant work. Two things will on occasions prevent this gelding from winning races. He is always apt to be left at the barrier owing to his habit of backing out, and being a hard puller he is likely to fail over the last furlong of a longish course.