WELLINGTON TROTS

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 30, 5 February 1935, Page 11

WELLINGTON TROTS

HUTT PARK PREPARATIONS

(By . "Rangatira.")

Although the top-class horses have, not been catered for at the Wellington. Trotting Club's February Meeting, to be held at Hutt Park on Saturday, mainly because the fixture is an extra one this season sandwiched between other •■ established meetings, the classes are all tight enough to have drawn good horses, and the fields promise ,to remain exceptionally satisfactory after this evening's acceptance. The main race on Saturday, the Dominion Handicap, will be run over 1£ miles instead of the usual two miles, and its 3min 25sec class is the equiva--lent of a 4min 34sec two-miie class.

The course' at Hutt Park has naturally, become hard with the dry weather, but it is still,well covered with turf and it-is of a-yielding;nature that should ensure. good racing. The only horses working this morning were the local brigade. ..i ■ '■

L. O. Thomas sent his two trotters Guy o' Mine and Derby Thorpe along a mile and a half, and they both gave good exhibitions. The former ran a second to Real Boy at the last meeting,, and the, latter's best recent performance was a third at iWairarapa on Boxing Day.

From the same stable, Purser was too good for Flintlock and. Ideal over a' mile and a quarter. • The first pair claim engagements on Saturday! Purser has not raced since November, but Flintlock was a winner at Wairarapa, subsequently failing to go off the. mark at the Park. .-

Silver Berry^ who is owned: and trained by C. R. Greer, paced a mile and a quarter alone. She. was twice fourth- at Wairarapa and fifth at the last Wellington Meeting in the race won by Rongomai.

•Lord Wrack was accompanied by. a Worthy Bingen two-year-old Sapling Stakes candidate over a mile and • a quarter; These are two more of Thomas's charges, the former having won the Wairarapa Cup on Boxing Day but not starting at the last meet-, ing at the Park.

Jean Parrish and Guy Zolock, owned and trained by J. S. August, sen., and J. F. Cotton respectively, were associated over one and a quarter miles, the former leading early but , the latter finishing in front. Guy Zolock ran second to Mystery Yet at the last Wellington Meeting at his first start, but Jean Parrish finished ahead of him in fourth place at his second start. .

■ The only other fast workers during the .morning were T. "C. Leadbetter's pair, the trotter Blue and Gold'and the pacer Supertax, who went a mile and a half together. Blue and Gold has not raced recently, but Supertax recorded a second at the Wairarapa Meeting on Boxing Day.

As is usual at-the Park visiting horses are unlikely to put in an appearance before Friday, and many of them, especially . tho.se from ■ Christchurch, will not arrive till Saturday morning. Some of the local horses appear very well at present, and some prize-money at least is expected to come their way.

The betting arrangements will be the same on Saturday as at, other meetings this season as the stewards have a rule that the system shall not be changed during the course of.any season. However, it -is possible that there will be some alteration next season, with prospects of the five-shilling machine, which is slower and more costly to work, being deleted in favour of a tenshilling minimum unit, and also of the third dividend being dropped, as the average fields^ at the Park, are hardly large enough for more than two satisfactory dividends.