CHARGED WITH WATER

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 7, 10 January 1938, Page 13

CHARGED WITH WATER

TRENTHAM TRACK

COURSE IN GRAND,ORDER

'TTheJ attention.-.that' has been given .. t<* the 'course proper at Trentham during the last ten weeks is now proving • its worth. -Though it has been a dry summer, with'1, the periodic showers failing to ease' the ground for more .than a few hours at a;, time,, the ? Tfentham track has been kept charged with water by means of the club's eight automatic sprinklers, and it is -now in wonderful order for next .week's meeting, firm yet like a cushion. ■■ and with a fine sole'•■'of grass.:■ ■ t: The sprinklers have been in con--"stant 'operation since early November, wet.weather and fine weather. Past experience, has" taught that it is not sufficient' to water; the tracks only in •dry weather. .The water is. put on at night; in two'shifts;:frpm ■ 8 p.m., to It p'.m; and fronirmidnight to 3.a.m.. During' this.^'time the equivalent of \ for.ty.;.points ;of fain (two-fifths, of an •■.inch>^l&' received, by. every ? portion "of the course proper that will bemused during the meeting... Such an amount of water does not sodden' the*-ground. It is so evenly ■regulated that-it drains - through; the •soil'as quickly as it .is put on, and "the result''is that;the track is watercharged from the. surface down and yet porous and SfSongy.-: If heavy rain should dome before the meeting it will actually be drained off faster and better than if the ground had become baked, and -subsequent' hot sunshine will not .harden..the,track, .. ~ .. : .'. : ;■ .' . The .sprinklers ■ have... proved, their value "many times'over'since they were secured three years ago. The several, • track records- established at the-Octo-ber5 ■Meeting are: "siiffici.eht illustration of the '.'■" improvement .'-that:. has been effected- in. the course proper- since artificial was; first systematically taken in hand.;: ■ r.7-..'.,:';TKjK<?KV^IME I -RECORDS. '.". .' "An • interesting" addition -to the race book for the coming meeting will be the inclusion;of.actable of,track, records^for all distances ruri'at Trehjtham. Most bf*the courses in Australia -Ifeep ■ their- owri' records; -but. in the past'in- New,' Zealand, track ..records 'have been mainly a,case of'memory. .-.... Fastest times on ;tne track are valur able information for racegoers- who'desire to measure the merit-of particular performances. For instance,- fa h"6tise ~who;'cari; go near. :the tracl?:.;reeord for'acertairi distance is, one; Well worth -following. At the: last meeting ■ Cecne^Abbas,. JRoyal - Chief, Patagonia, and Amigo broke or equalled the track ■record-*in faces, andi-allvhave subsequently -won 'important' events . else- . wher.e. ; . -.• - • >.-. ■:. :'.'. ',-.■!■ ■ ''"..'. '■:■/'■''. ' 'It "is"'hot anticipated tliat the. galloping this? week will- be particularly elucidating towards the solution of - next: Week's big-events.-, Most of the -visiting -horses -will Atft- -be; arriving till the weekend or even,on.Monday, ,-and- almost ail of rthenvhad sufficient racing during the holidays to-fit them up for some time-with-nothing more than steady, .work or short sprinting. ' The Wellington". Meeting this year,. too, .with its concluding day on January 22,.'comes.closer on the heels Of the holiday period than it ordinarily does. CUDDIiJE'S PROGRESS. , '•'■ Though; she* has not been nominated Yfor -the Wellington Meeting, Cuddle -has resumedswork: and was back on the tracks- ©ft Saturday morning. Dur- ■ ing -her5 let-up -she" put on -weight fait, and';it maybe.anything up to a .couple "of months-be|6re^sh;e'will;"be jreMy"46 ..race again,' ' -Her ; owner; Mr. R, : J. • Murphy,;has> his- eye. on .Sydney,; and as.JSaster falls.late this year the-mate may' be--set .on*1 a- preparation fcfr ;the . ;Randwick'carniVal.'Meahwhile; there is r~stifl "a doubt about her "..splint. .. V ; T R. George lias, a newcomer in his stable in the five-yeac-old Garter Blue —Chemise gelding/Blue Sti jr.t, who has -been "taken over oir lease, by Mf.Kei.th ■•'Watsbn,-- 1 of,' -Wellington; >;' Blue-. - Shirt snowed' a lot "of promise as -a.- three-year-old;,' but:.he: has--failed to' strike form 'smceV He figures .among5 ;tKe "hacK Entries*'-at- the" Wellington Meeting. - - - ■■■ ■ •'- •■" v- -i «•-'-..-■.' ■ ' JSbral two-yean-ord -Half-si'ster'"?by-Robespierre to■; Silver"Rang, - developed zshih-soreness '; ;on -her; -trip to the Manawatu Meeting, which proi)- ■' ably -accounted, for her to 'begin, and she has since been.lightly • blistered and;.set aside. .■••■•.- - ■■'>'.. ■■ ■ Peerless lightened up on her* north1' crn tripy'or rather she looks to Have "done sor though, as she js slim.barFelled, appearances may be a little.-.de^ ceptive with.her.. She,is to be brushed up this week, and if she shapes satisfactorily she will- take her place" in j the.two-year-old -fields at. the1 .coming meeting.. ■„.'.■?■' '■: ". :,: ' vv ,-;, .--;", ; '" - The J'hilamor two-year-old' Phil,, who showed, a lot of" promise irivhis, two initial -ou'tingsVat Woodville, injured ■ a fp.6fe m ; -his isecond race,; and 'he is -nowi-to.:be.put %side'till next season: On Saturday morning he.was gelded, -Md^he: will-be-turned out this week ' wftK-the two" horses- Mr.; W: Higgins -hasvimpprted. recently from England. '<■ E. .-Simpson has; brought Liane and Girl' Pat/back "from their .spells,. and. -they wiHvbe sef under ;way at once -•■fbr'facirig'^tW:.aut.umh.- Boith; fnares haveli done'..well;duririg: their rest. Each i haS'fetufned.Afery big.-so-- that it-may be some time before either is in thor-ough--racing trim again. Simpson's tw.o^tearVold -gelding Gaylord (Philamor—Degage) ; is progressing -excellently and-,deyeloping. into, a wellmoulded youngster. Though he may requires a--iittte' Jime; ;he promises to turn out'be^tyet of Degage's-offspring. In appearance.ihece.is...much of the Son-in-Law stamp about him, as •JUdiged-through-the Beau Peres.- •