TROTTING NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 10, 12 January 1929, Page 21

TROTTING NOTES

Tho Wellington Handicaps. I Mr; G. Paul's handicaps for the, Wellington Meeting should provide plenty of -discussion, iv these days of stroug criticism of adjustments in the light harness game, but there does not appear any reason to expect anything but good acceptances for the meeting at Hutt Park on Saturday next. King Pointer on 18 yards and Free Advice on 24 yards are a' very promising pair in the Gold Cup. Free Advice has been rated up to her best, but there is no doubt she is good. Kohara has not been set an impossible task by any means on a time basis, but backmarkers always have the additional handicap of having to make their way through the field. If in anything like the form he showed at Alexandra Park,: he will not disgrace himself. For the Dispatch Handicap rathei^ a flattering adjustment has been made, and a big acceptance looks likely. Quite a good proportion of the runners are also engaged in the Gold Cup, so that form displayed in that event should have some bearing. Acceptances close next Tuesday. D. Withers Hands Over His Team. D. Withers has relinquished charge o£ Mr. J. R. M'Kenzie's horses. Great Bingen, Silk Thread, Peter Swift, Trampcrisp, Dolores, Danny Boy, and others are now in charge of the ex-American trainsr, J. Plaxieo,'at Mr. M'Kenzie's Yaldhurst farm. The only horse that Withers has is a two-year-old gelding by Silk Thread from Plain. Bell, but he is not paying very much attention to him. It is his intention to take a holiday for a couple of weeks, after which he will probably set up as a public trainer. The WithersM'Kenzie association for the past two years has been a particularly happy one, a*hd Withers has had the satisfaction of driving Great Bingen to a world's two-mile race record on two occasions. Withers, one of the most popular trainers in New Zealand, has shown marked cleverness in the "making" of his horses, and the success he has attained with Trampcrisp, Silk Thread, Real the Great, Dolores, and Danny Boy is.'a tribute to his ability as a trainer. • ■ . Rjnging the Changes. "For ways, that are dark" the trotting "toff" is hard to beat. The trotting "gent" sprung a new.dodge on the unsuspecting public at a meeting recently held near Bendigo, says the "Australasian." It was a post entry event. The names of the horses were displayed; upon, a blackboard prior to the race. The swindle was worked this wise. Black Bird, figuring as No. 1, Bessie as No. 2, both nominated or paid for by the same individual, the^ nominator getting the "saddle cloths, Nos. 1 and 2, from the official in charge. A large number of the public, not knowing tho horses, but taking note of saddle cloths when the horses were doing preliminaries, facied chances of the horse carrying No. 2, and, referring to the board, found it was. Bessie, consequently they went baldheaded for her. Bessie, it might be mentioned, was. on scratch, as were all other horses. excepting Black Bird, who was 75 yards behind scratch. Judge of the astonishment of backers when they saw their horse (No. 2) put behind others'at the start making up ground very fast, even-, tually winning with ridiculous ease, while' No. 1 went only one round and was pulled up. Backers of Bessie were jubilant at the win, but much to their chagrin they found that the changes had been rung on them, and that they had been duped, as the saoidle cloths had been changed—rßlack Bird had been ridd'jn under No. 2, while Bessie had carried No. 1. ' - .■'.'■

Team Driving. There has been a good deal of comment recently on the team driving that took place at the recent Auckland Trotting Club's' Meeting. Two horses that were stated to have been victims were King Pointer and Kohara. The former won his first race despite the alleged trouble that' he met with throughout the racs, but was not so fortunaw subsequently. Kohara was not so lucky, and he had to put up a place. Kohara raced very unluckily at the big meeting in the North. .. At a meeting of the Owners and Breeders' Association in Christchurch yesterday, the matter of team driving as commented on by some newspapers was discussed. Members were unanimous that the assertions were without foundation. They . considered ' that the undue inteference that sometimes happened in a race was due_ in most cases to minor mishaps in running for positions in the race, or to lack of experience, Some driver-mem-bers thought that the driving in races was as clean as in any racing in the world.

Tom Thumb. Tom Thumb showed a. good turn o£ speed in a mile and a quarter event at the'recent Canterbury Park Club's Meeting. He is evidently fast coming back to his best'form. When he is on the top of his form he is a good two-inilcr. He is engaged in the Gold Cup at the Wellington Meeting. Improving Quality. Quality looks as though she should soon be returned as a winner. She is improving in her manners at the barrier and has paced some solid races of late .without getting a good stake. The Denver Huon mare, like most of her sire's progeny, is at her best over a two-mile course, and now that she is beginning much faster in races will be hard to beat. Hinl'.ler for Australia. , 'J.'liu three-year-old gelding Hinkler, by N'ulsui) Bint'en from ■ Sympathy, will be i LuUcn. to Australia by W. J. Tomkinson in AiiU'ch. to contest the Melbourne Trotting Ui'iby. Hiukler, who is owned by Air. U. J. JJiirton, of IJuuedin, is a rapidly inipruvinjj youngster,-whose last two successes Imvo been noteworthy by tlie ease in which they were accomplished. Kinkier, who is engaged at Hutt Park, was responsible for a fine performance in the Great Northern Derby, and, although unplaced, he give an indication of his quality in the early stages of the race. Sinco then he lias improved out of nil knowledge, and if he strips in the same fettle when .he runs i'or the Australian classic, Hinkler will give the opposition all they can do to keep tlie stake in. Melbourne. '■•■ Miscellaneous. Away. was very lame after ■working at Addington on Thursday. He managed to notch a win at the recent Canterbury Park Meeting, and with a decidedly unsound horse, probably E. C. M'Dermott waa fortunate. Mercury, who is doubly engaged at Hutt Park, is mentioned as a very much improved pacer. Lincoln Pointer, who raced with some success at the Westport Meeting, ranks as a half-brother to the notorious Willie Lincoln, who figured in a sensational ring-in case at Invercargill some years back, when he was raced as Lookout. Lincoln Pointer may be useful with age. Pageant and Logan Park arc reportedto be doing good wqi'k at Addington. This pair, with Rose Marie, Hinkler, and JSI--zear, are mentioned as Tonikinson's team for Hutt Park. The Auckland district will be better represented than usual at the approaching Wellington Meeting. Among the newcomers is C. G. Lee with Nelson Dillon and that good trotter Tiger Sake. • i