TROTTING FIXTURES.

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 115, 17 May 1930, Page 23

TROTTING FIXTURES.

Miy SI, June 3.—Cantorbury PatX T.C. June 7.—AibbortoD IC.

Next Week. • The Ashburton and Taumarumii Meetings next Saturday are the racing fixtures of the week. ■ ~.«.*. Handicaps for minor events on the lirst day of-the Great Northern Meeting will be declared on Monday, and for the first day of the Otaki Meeting on Tuesday. ' Acceptances for the Ashburton and laujmaruhui Meetings close on Monday. . Acceptances for the Great Northern Meeting, including the Great Northern Steeplechase (run on the second day), close on Friday at 5 p.m. ■ ' Acceptances for the Dimedm Meeting close on Friday. Ponjola's Progress. ' Ponjola added the Wangamri Steeplechase to his credit just as decisively as he carried off the Egmont Steeplechase a j week earlier. ; His jumping was jusf^as perfect* and he put two to throe lengths on the opposition at every fence. This is what has stood to him in his races so far, and he must now be regarded as quite a Great Northern possibility.. At the same time,, it has to be remembered that the opposition was not strong in either race at Hawera or Wanganui, and he will meet - something of quite different calibre next ■ month. The Ellerslie fences should not trouble him, and he appears to be a likely ' tj'pe to negotiate the hill. At present his connections can regard the Great Northern Meeting with no little pleasurable anticipation. " : . Other 'Chasers. ' ! Matu sweated profusely after the;run-' Ding of the Wanganui Steeplechase, and over the concluding stages, when he was in pursuit of Ponjola, and under pressure, he jumped slovenly. Very probably he ■ was getting tired, and his appearance suggested that- he will require some more rousing gallops before tackling Ellerslie. Airtight ran out at his fences again on Thursday, and this was costly in distance . Jost. Brigadier Bill likes Wanganui, and gave a much improved display iratjl. blundering at the hencoop, the last' fence. Kowhatu gave a. somewhat spectacular display for the first two miles of the Wanganui Steeplechase, his rider being iobviously uncomfortable at several fences. Maunga. Some of the spectators were inclined to become facetious at the expense of Maunga » and his rider at Wanganui on Thursday. M.'Nicol took the ride with the apparent idea- of giving Maunga every chance at his fences,-and possibly regain confidence. Maunga' certainly completed the course, : but. he mas jumping the last fence when 'Ponjola was pulling up. Just what the people who invested £305 on Maunga's chance thought of the run they had for their cash i^ not possible for publication. Another Wanganui Victim. The racecourse at Wanganui, owing to - its light sandy formation, has gained something'of a reputation as a good winter training course. . In dry weather it is ■ decidedly treacherous; 'providing false ground which has caused quite a number of mishaps to horses, some serious enough to necessitate destruction of the unfortunate animals. A number of owners, ' ■ because of this and its unsuitable shape for a racecourse, decline to send horses • to Wanganui. The latest equine victim is Diana's Lad, who home to Tren- • ■ tham. yesterday decidedly'lame and likely to be out of commission for some time. ■■- He injured himself behind when galloping on Wednesday morning, and was very lame. In fact it was only with the greatest difficulty he was got bfi the course and' later to. the train. As he was in good fettle and showing more than promise as m haok 'chaser, the mishap was most unfortunate at this' stage of the; jumping season. ..A Versatile' Mare. Some idea may be gained of how easily Aurora Borealis wp'n the Century Hurdle Race at Wanganui on Thursday'by the fact that her rider, H. Dulieu, was leaning forward stroking her neck as they; passed the post. As she was in the- rear of the field early with Mister Gamp and Perle de Leon, some idea could be gained ' of the merit of her performance. She is a great slayer and an effortless jumper. She -went after Elicit approaching the turn, and ran round him without much apparent trouble, to run home the comfortable winner described. For Elicit it must be said he. had been sent "along to head off Prince Lv and' then had to muster up another effort against Aurora ■ Borealis. The latter should have a very profitable season, and she is bred to go in the'mud. Two Stayers. i ■ , ' The finishing efforts of Mister Gamp and Perle de Leon in the Century Hurdles must have pleased the people most concerned. Perle de-Leon headed off Elicit in the straight and beat him for "second money, and it looked as if Mister Gamp would have been third in another -stride or two. It. is reasonable to assume that both will be all the better for the racing they had on Thursday, although both looked fairly forward. Perle de Leon is' . now down in the weights, and if he does not have a recurrence of the soreness that has bothered him in other seasons he phould pay his way. Thankful. Australian critics have had some unkind things to say about New Zealand riders. It is as well they were not at .Wanganui on Thursday. It is'interesting to visualise some of the headlines that ;would have appeared is one or two of the outspoken Sydney journals regarding the performance of one particular horseman . on Thursday. Here it can be left,simply as "handed away/ An Unsatisfactory Position. . Once again the question arose at Wabganui on Thursday of the desirability of 'A. M'Donald accepting .mounts outside those of the stable of his wife when she has horses engaged in, the race. Mrs. .A. M'Donald started Air Force, ridden by Alister M'Donald, while A. M'Donald rode Calithe, trained by D. R. Jackson. A. M'Donald stands very high in his pro: fession, and nothing sinister is suggested here, but as on another occasion there ■was a good deal of murmuring and comment. The position is a most unusual one, but while it obtains it is suggested there should be some provision in the rules. The Rules of Racing impose certain obligations and r&strictions on the wife of a lice3«ed trains*, so that a reverse application is not wtogether unreasonable. Briglrt Glow's «3ood Effort. Probably Bright Glow could have won the Connolly Handicap by a good margin had she been ridden out from the time she took the measure of Admiral Drake, but once she took the lead she commenced to loaf, and when High F l alutin> threw out a challenge on the outside H. Gray, on the mare had to set to work with a vengeance, being only a very short head to the good ' at the post. At the same time Bright Glow had the greatest run of anything in the race, and as'capably handled Admiral Drake would have been a certain winner. It is difficult to compute how many races Admiral Drake should have won this season, but "ifs" and "shoulds" are what make racing fascinating. Won by the Track. . Equitant's smartness and 'nippiness around the turns, combined with the fiecessary dash at the finish, won the Borough Handicap for her at Wanganui,