NEWS AND VIEWS

Evening Star, Issue 26184, 20 August 1947, Page 7

NEWS AND VIEWS

fßy Observer. 1

Fixtures August 23. Egmorit-Wanganui Hunt Club. August 23, 30.—Metropolitan Trotting Club. August 30.—Waikato Trotting Club. August 30.—Foxton Racing Club. August 30.—Taranaki Hunt Club. September 6.—Otago Hunt Club. September 6.—Avondale Jockey Club. i September 6.—Wanganui Jockey Club. September 6.—New Brighton Trotting Club. September 13. —Ashburton County Racing Club. September 13. Avondale Jockey Club. September 13.—Wanganui .Jockey Club. September 13. Carterton Racing Club. Lightly Raced. Imperial Grattan, who has not raced since the early part of last season, when in four starts he won once and was three times second, is engaged in the Heathcote Handicap at Addington on Saturday. Owned and trained by P. Gallagher, his last win was at Forbury Park in the King George Handicap last October, when he beat Gold Peg, both starting from the same mark. Gold Peg’s form later in the season adds merit to that performance, and Imperial Grattan should be an early winner this season. Trotters in Form. Dame Durdin, a sister to Jason’s Quest, created a favourable impression when she won a maiden trot at a matinee meeting at Methven last Saturday. It was her first appearance in a race and T. H. Gunning should not be long in winning a race with her at a totalisator meeting. Jason’s Quest showed that he is in good order for his coming engagements by winning a race at the same fixture. Displayed Speed. Golden Amazon displayed race speed for a trotter in the intermediate classes in his races last season and would have reached a much tighter mark had he remained at a level gait for the full journey. In the two races Ito won he took the lead soon after the start and gave nothing else a chance. The, Quite Sure gelding may settle down with age and his showing on Saturday is likely to be watched with interest as. he would be capable of footing it with the bast trotters if lie did not break under pressure. Hunt Club Nominations. Judging by the list of nominations received by the Otago Hunt Club for. its meeting on September 6, there are some large teams of horses in training ip Otago and Southland at this stage of the season. The tracks have been in unusually good order throughout the winter and young horses are much more forward than usual. A most pleasing feature of the card for the Hunt meeting is the large number of entries received for the Hunters’ Steeplechase, a race for amateur riders. Apart from the Hunt Cup at the Christchurch Hunt meeting, it is the only race of its description in. the Dominion, and it has done much to foster hunting in Otago, besides improving the standard of homes following the hounds at the weekly meets during the winter. Returned to Form. Keening, the winner of the sprint at the combined hunt meeting at Hastings on Saturday, showed great promise as a two-year-old in winning the Wellesley Stakes at Trentham. He met with an accident at his next start in tiio Welcome Stakes at Iticcarton, where he fell, suffering injuries which threatened to end liis racing career. He returned to racing last season, but he failed to regain his two-year-old form and in 18 starts he collectedt a third and a fourth. Now a four-year-old, Keening appears to have made a complete recovery and further success should come his way. He is a chestnut gelding by Coronach from Jolly, by Arausio from Marion’s Birthday, by Psychology from D’Oro, a sister to Desert Gold.