TROTTING

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 112, 14 May 1934, Page 16

TROTTING

"WELLINGTON MEETING

NOTJS FROM HUTT PARK

(By "The Eagle.")

. The' unfavourable weather lat>t week prevented local tiainera giving their charges fast work at Hutt Park, but with the 'change to bright conditions at the weekend the training tracks are again in first-class order, and the coining week will see -the candidates for the special mooting of the Wellington Trotting Club, to be held on Saturday next, getting in as much fast work as possible. Should the present fine weather continue, the course proper, which 'has never carried a better swaid of grass than it does at present, will be in great trim for fast timemaking in the match race between the Australian visitors, Walla. Walla and .^"b""! Lad, and the New Zealand cracks. On Saturday morning all work was carried out on the cinder and clay tracks. ■Logan's Pride (Nyhan) and Guy Zolock (Lotton) covered a mile and a. quarter together, both under a strong pull. Foster . Cotton's pair look in nice order. It was a keen disappointment to his trainer, after getting the unsound sou of Lean lointcr ready to race at the Autumn -Meeting in March, to have Logan's Pride meet with an accident in his paddock on the very eve of the meeting, which prevented him starting. It is to be hoped he will have better luck on this occasion. The square-gaiters Karl Bingen (Gough) and Native Leaf (Twomey) worked together. Both these trotters shaped well', iiarl Bingen .was a consistent performer on the recent Wanganui-Taranaki country circuit, scoring three seconds and three thirds iv ten starts, without, however, securing ;l major placing. Native Leaf, who is ( by Native King, is so far uniaced, but js showing promise. Super Tax had the better of his etablemate Alas Havoc over a mile aud a quarter. Super Tax secured a win aud a second on the country circuit. Glcnrpseic (Pringle) 'covered three circuits at a strong pace. lie paced in a resolute mannerr and should give a good account of himself on Saturday. The eon of Matchlight, who is one of those carded to meet the Australians in the Invitation l.ace, was very fit after his Easter racing at Addington, and an easy time recently will, i£ anything, have a beneficial effect. Lola Bingen, Barn Gold, and luist Judge all worked, freely. ." On his return journey from the recent Auckland Meeting, where he competed in the match races, Lindbergh was left by his trainer at the Hutt, in L. 0. Thomas's charge, until the Wellington Sleeting, where he is to contest the match race against Walla Walla.

L. 0. Thomas's successes on the northern trip with Mr: F. S. ■ Hewer's pair, Flintjock and A'lhvorthy, were weir received at the Hutt. Although the latter appears to have met one too «ood for him on in J. T. Paul's Travis Axworthy colt Kingtrue, it must be remembered that Allworthy had his first race at the recent Wellington Meeting in March when he won the Taita Novice Handicap in good style, whereas his victor has been racing since the spring. When Norma. Bingen, in receipt of 4Syds from Prince Harvester, beat the latter by a length in the Allentori Handicap at Ashburtou on April 14, it was generally considered that Prince Harvester was unlucky to lo.se. The pair met again iv the Innovation Handicap at Oamaru on Saturday, fch-it, time Prince Harvester conceding' only >r2ydb% • but- the mare- won again, by three lengths.; Prince Harvester figures on the limit of- the 3.45 clasrf Preliminary Handicap at Wellington on ■_. Saturday next, and as lie recorded Sinin 30 2-ssec in running second at Ashburton and 3min 36sec at Oamaru, he must bo'considered one of the candidates in the fine field;of trotters engaged in the opening event.

When Billy Sunday ivas tafcen on tour I by'Jlr. E.F. C Hinds, it ivaii the general' opinion that iio was going more as a, mate ] for Harold Logan than anything else, and a rather, poor opinion was held of him in the south. However, association with the; gveat evidently had a good effect on the trotter, and at the Thames Meeting he showed/the way home to Ohinemutu and Waskasn in the Parawai Handicap, going 3min 38sec from a 3.50 mark. This record he improved upon at Oamaru on Saturday^ when lie won the Waik'airfU Handicap in -3min 32 4-ssec? from 3.44 Billy Sunday, who is an aged gelding by Nelson, Bingen from an Emilius mare, has been little raced so far, and there is no reason why he should not develop into a good one. He is engaged in both trotters'events at \Vellington, and even with a penalty thrown in, will carry good support. * There is no gainer or more consistent pacer than Raydus, and the successes of the five-year-old son of Drusus and Lady Raymond for L. 0. Berkett at Dunedin and Oamaru were very pleasing to all followers of the trotting sport. Both Eaydiis and Master ...Roy,: who beat him in the President's Handicap on Saturday last, are engaged in' the Dominion and Fare-' well Handicaps at Wellington this weekend- To come out after only an interval of one race, as Haydus did after running second on Saturday, and beat fresh, horses in the Enfield Handicap, is a. tribute to the gamencss of the Hope-owned pacer. Recent: meetings in the north have brought to-notice :l most promising three-year-old trotter in Te Kahu, by Nelson Bingen—Lottie Audubon, therefore a fullbrother to the crack Auckland pacer Pegaway.- This youngster, who is trained by his owner, Sir. J. T. Youug, at Te. Awamntu, made his debut in the Eltstow Handicap at Te Aroha, when, driven by Martin Tims, he was a little-fancied •candidate, but this did^ not prevent him running a sterling'race into second place behind ■ Ohinemutu. Having his second start at the Cambridge Meeting, driven by J. T. Paul, Tc Kali", who was a solid favourite, won easily, but had to go.only 3min 44 3-osec, owing to ■ all his opponents ■ making -mistakes. Handicapped on 3.47 in the Progressive Handicap at Waikato on Saturday, the Nelson Bingen gelding was allowed to start third favourite, but J. T. Paul again had an. armchair drive, the three-year-old winning easily from Hose Marble in 3mm 34sec. It is a long time since such a promising sJquare-gaiter has ieen developed in the north, and he should have a good winning sequence before the handicap finds him out. Great interest is being manifested in the Invitation Match Race to be run at Hutt Park on Saturday next, when Walla "Walla will.make his last appearance in New Zealand. Without wishing to detract in any way from the fine performances of the Now Zealand champion, Harold Logan, in winning under all kinds of conditions at jVorbury Park and Oamaru, it must be conceded that Walla: Walla was hardly up to concert pitch laat week. On arrival at Dunedin it was found that the Australian borpe had developed a cold, the effects of which had not altogether disappeared at the weekend. In addition to this, the enforced spell after his severe grueHiug in his race against time at Addington would 'leave Walla "Walla at a certain disadvantage when racing against horses who had been kept up to the collar .since Easter. Taking all things into contidcration, and given oidinury- luck, there in every icaspii to expect a -very different Walla Walla to be produced at Hutt Park on Saturday next, and one capable of giving a display more in keeping with liis record-breaking efforts at Aldington at Easter. The grass track at Hut Park lias never been in better order, and with a continuance of the present fine weather no one will be surprised to see record figures for a 1 mile and a quarter on a grass track hoisted >on the board. While all New Zealand followers of trotting devoutly wish' to see the Australian -champion produced in his very best form, what a scene of excitement and enthusiasm there will be if old Harold Logan makes his-winning sequence four on end against Walla Walla! . The old son of Logan Pointer has practically throughout his career had to contend with unsoundness,'and after every race now one ..of his forelegs requires: attention^ but once on the track all his disabilities are forgotten, and the gallant old battler gives of his best, even though his dicky forelegs have been feeling the strain, ,as waa obvious when he went to a slight break js-hen finishing both at Addingt.on and Forbury. Endowed with the equable temperament of the real champion racehorse, Harold Logan is (mite -unperturbed whether amid the excitement and bustle of tlie race track or travelling by boat or train, and

never misses a feed. 'And what a model of equine intelligence, the old stager presents at the barrier, standing at attention watching for the tapes to be released! Apart from the two leading characteis in Saturday's* match, there is no doubt that Red Shadow has not so far this autumn shown tho brilliance he displayed in November, and judging on his performance on Saturday last a return to that form is possible at any moment, in which case tho chestnut would be a fit opponent for i any horse soiith of the Line. The other Australian, Auburn Lad, may not be quite up to tho standard of those mentioned, but all the. game is a,brilliant pacer, and (quite capable of effecting a surprise. The .local champion, Glenrossic, was responsible for. a brilliant effort over a mile aud a quarter at his last public appearance, when in the Final Handicap at Addington at Easter he lost anything up to 48yds at the start, and then finished t.econd, beaten a head by Lindbergh, in 2min 42 3-ssec. However, besides being uncertain at the barrier, Glenrossic appears to put in his best efforts when ho sees the whole field in front of him. Lindbergh, though a solid finiSher, hardly appeals in Ihi.v class.