TROTTING

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 June 1930, Page 12

TROTTING

'* - ' FIXTURES June 14. —Ashburton T.C., Winter. June 21, 23. —Auckland T.C. Winter. June 28. —Ashburton County R.C. Winter (two events). July 5— Oamaru J.C. Winter (two events). LIGHT HARNESS PERFORMERS. First Event: The first race at the Ashburton T.C. meeting to-morrow (Saturday) is fixed for 11.20 a.m. The Big Attraction: The feature of the Ashburton Trotting Club’s meeting to-morrow will be the N.Z. Sapling Stakes, for two-year-olds and decided over one mile and a-half. Reported Sale: The Christchurch sportsman, Mr G. Angus, has disposed of a well-bred mare, six years old, to Messrs M. and H. Barraclough, of Hawera, owners of El Direct. The mare is by The Triumph, from a mare of the Harold Dillon breed. Travis Maxwell Sold: The Auckland trainer J. S. Shaw, has purchased from Mr P. Watson, a particularly good type of gelding in Travis Maxwell, by Travis Axworthy —Nancy Maxwell, a two-year-old who has shown promise in his work.

Nancy Maxwell was a very smart mare in her day, but she met with an accident early in life and did little racing. Athalone: Athalone should find the big track at Ashburton to his liking. Lady Cello: Overdue for a victory, the turn of Lady Cello may come at Ashburton to-morrow. Welcome Return: Gemlight had been off the winning list for over twelve months, but he showed a welcome return to form at the Canterbury and Forbury Park meetings. He is engaged at Ashburton to-morrow, where he may be quite capable of winning again. Travis Axworthy: For winning at Addington off 4.29 Travis Axworthy suffered the full penalty of 24 yards in his Ashburton engagement for which he did not ac-

cept. ASHBURTON T.C’S MEETING. PROSPECTS FOR TO-MORROW. [special to “stap..”] CHRISTCHURCH, Juno 12. The Ashburton track is one of the best wet-weather circuits in the Dominion, and despite the recent rains the going for the Ashburton Trotting Club’s winter meeting to-morrow is likely to be good for this time of year. Chief interest will attach to the N.Z. Sapling Stakes, for which a large field, boasting talent above the ordinary, will face the starter. The big two miles promises well, a favoured trio at time of writing being Wrackeen, Great. Logan and Muriel de Oro. There is good reason to anticipate that the winnei’ of the Sapling Stakes

will come this year frdm the tried division, notably Goldworthy, Arethusa, Red Shadow, Royal Chenault, FlyingCloud, and Checkers. Red Shadow maitnains his position as favourite, but the least improvement on ,the part of Arethusa and the Oakhampton Lodge representative will have his work cut out to avenge his defeat by the Wrack filly. It was at the Ashburton County Racing Club’s autumn meeting that Arethusa, after a slow beginning in the mile and a-half event, put in such exceptional work for one of her years afterwards that she beat Red Shadow comfortably in the good time of 3.31. The honours rested with the winner on account of her loss of ground 'in the early stages against Red Shadow’s good passage with the leading division throughout. Royal Chenault will represent M. B. Edwards, and will be coupled with Crimson Rey. By Peter Chenault —Princess Ann, Royal Chenault represents successful American lines on both sides of the family tree, and his chances will be respected. His best performance in public was his second to Lord Matchlight at Hororata, when the going was.bad. He is the finest stamp of pacer in the field, and even if he is not lucky enough to score in the Stakes he should turn out highclass. Goldworthy was the unluckiest of the four two-year-olds paraded for the Selma Trot Handicap at the Ashburton County Racing Club’s autumn meeting, losing several seconds at the start and then finishing on fast in fourth place. Her uncertainty is against her, but otherwise she would be the hardest to beat. Checkers pro- :

mises to be useful at a later date. Flying Cloud, who will be coupled with Arethusa, gave a good account of herself in the Rakaia Handicap at the Ashburton Copnty R.C’s autumn meeting. It is claimed that her prospects are just as highly regarded as those of Arethusa. Travis Maxwell will race in the interests of J. S. Shaw, who recently purchased the son of Travis Axworthy and Nancy Maxwell from Mr. P. Watson. Wheat King, trained by F. Holmes is evidently above the average, as he was Started in the 3.30 class mile and a-half event on the second day of the Canterbury Park meeting. He lost whatever chance he possessed at the outset but showed speed afterwards. Oro’s Pride, trained by J. Washington, will lack the experience of tlfe others mentioned. It is a much larger field than usual, and the indications are for a good contest between Arethusa, Red Shadow, Goldworthy, Royal Chenault, and Flying Cloud. The favourites on the day may be Arethusa, Red Shadow and Goldworthy.

Unless there is a surprise-packet concealed among the unknown element in the Trial Handicap, Author Willings should dominate ' the issue. Ho is a six-year-old, but has done little racing, and at the Ashburton T.C.’s autumn meeting he gave a taste of his quality by finishing fourth to Derry Pointer, Glenville, and Harold Denver, the winner registering 3.26. Clapham is a promising 3-year-old by Drusus, trained at Addington by H. B. Hubbard, but the one that appeals most outside of Author Willings is Logan Fraser. Ho is partial to the Ashburton course, adn he is likely to strike going with the sting out of it to-morrow. Major Brent is useful up to a mile and a-half and. should be in the picture. Public selections may bo Author Willings, Logan Fraser and Major Brent. Tho limit division of* the Longbeach Handicap boasts nothing of note when an improving elecent is looked i for, unless Enigma and Quineey i

■ Thorpe can be expected to improve to , some tune on recent public efforts. ; Enigma, a four-year-old filly by Nelson Bingen—Guess has a fair amount ; of speed, which has only to be kept under control on race-days to land her in the money. Pattie Bingen is a speedy mare from the south, but unless she has made rapid improvement for C. S. Donald her chances of maintaining a level gait do not appeal. R. W. Townley has the three-year-olds Kilbirnie Dan and Lough Guy, and also Mickey Audubon engaged, and the combination is likely to be well-supported. Esbine has a torrent of speed and in this company he can be excused a mistake or two. The popular fancies will include Townley’s bracket, Esbine and Enigma. Wrackeen is afforded reasonable prospects to come into her own over two miles off the front of the Ashburton County Handicap. Her form at distances up to a mile and five furlongs this season has been of a high order, and it remains for her to stay out that extra ground to take high honours over all distances. On the second day of the recently-concluded Forbury Park meeting the Wrack filly forced Morning Sun to show an extra effort to beat her home in the Birthday Handicap, and although she is now meeting better ciass, she is capable of better than she has yet shown in public. Muriel de Oro was done with a long way from home in the Birthday Handicap at Dfmedin although the time was slow, but that one lapse does not spell her finish. With a fair pacing for the first mile and a-half, the Dey de Oro ■ filly is always a danger. Great Logan

is one that is going to have a say in the decision. On the second day of the Canterbury Park meeting he ran-rings round the sprinters after coming into the straight two seconds behind the leaders. He has not proved an unqualified success as a two-miler this season, but his recent improvement cannot be denied and he is sure to be among the fancied division. The Shew is one of the fittest in the field and will not be without a following. Athalone, with a decent passage, would make things interesting. He will go every part of the journey. Linkman and Sunshower, both on 60 yards, have the Auckland trip in view and their form will be watched with interest. Trampfast will lack nothing on the score of condition, and if he can go with the pacers in the early stages, he will be knocking at the end. Betting is not likely to be confined to a narrow range, but a trio that will be in demand is Wrackeen. Great Logan and Muriel de Oro. There is all the material for a keen nnnfnoi in 4-l-» 'VXT’i-v. 4- —

; contest m the Winter Handicap. Apex ■ has forfeited none of his brilliance, but ' he will probably require the race. , Baynut has reasonable prospects of > success. On the second day of the Canterbury Park meeting he was going well with the leaders in the Pioneer Handicap when the accident happened and cost him his position and a lot of ground. Great Triumph is not reliable, nor is John Jinks, but the latter is too brilliant at a sprint to bo disregarded on account of the doubt about his going away properly from the barrier. Nelson de Oro went amiss after the Metropolitan autumn meeting, and his form at Dunedin did not suggest that he had regained his best. Royal Comrade is in his very best order at present, and had he not lost several seconds at the start of the Farewell Handicap at Forbury Park he would have made his presence felt. Shady Spot raced well without much success at the Canterbury Park meeting, and 1

a quick beginning in this company would have its reward. Rey Logan, in view of his fast records, is well placed in this company. He should be one of the hardest to beat and Will give Royal Comrade, Shady Spot, John Jinks, and Baynut a lot of bother. It, appears to be an open race, but a trio with good credentials are Royal Comrade, Rey Logan and Shady Spot. Although she has been penalised to start off rfG yards in the Acton Handicap for her double success at Forbury Park, Regal Voyage is likely to go out a well-supported candidate for the Acton Handicap. She is plainly a class mare, who stays on well. She is meeting much better class on this occasion in Wild Voyage, Editor, Aleron, and Wakataua, and of this quartet Editor appeals. Wild Voyage won handsomely when in receipt of 24yds. from Editor on the first day of the Canterbury Park meeting, going 3.22, with Editor well up in fourth place. Now that the pair meet on equal terms, the placings might easily be reversed. Aleron will be having his first race for several months, but he .will strip in good order. Lydia has been disappointing of late, and it does not seem likely that she will show sufficient improvement to win. The issue should be tried by Regal Voyage, Editor and Wild Voyage. When Wattle Patch made the field for the two-mile trot at the Oamaru meeting look so cheap he was aided by a false-run race, and the under-estima-tion of his ability by more than one other driver. To-morrow he is again well placed on 12 yards in the

Stewards’ Handicap, but on the same mark King’s Voyage is likely to prove his superior, particularly on a grass track. But good as the prospects of King’s Voyage appear, Fifa, with a mile and a-half record of 3.30 1-5, is giving away only 60 yards, and she should stay two miles. Fifa and King’s Voyage dominate the handicap, and their chief opposition should come from Wattle Patch, Scuttle and Mat Voyage. Those prominent when real racing commences should be Fifa, King’s Voyage and Wattle Patch. The performance of Happy Land , at tho Oamaru winter meeting gave the impression that he will be very hard to beat in the mile saddle. In the Papaka.io Handicap, the 1?, mile saddle event, he finished second to Pro Rata, recording 2.55 3-5 from 2.58 on a soft track. Later in the day he walked all over Denver City when it came to . the finish of the Stewards’ Handicap. On this occasion he travelled the mile and a-half in 3.29 4-5 from 3.35. Tomorrow ho is set to start from 2.19, and there is no doubt that he can beat

those figures off the front. Harold Lee has gone 2.12 1-5 without winning, and his form at Forbury Park was such as to suggest better things over the distance Country King stepped 3.21 4-5 when beaten by Harold Logan at Addington to go on and score well at Forbury Park last week. Now on 2.1 S he must enter calculations. If reserved, Mac Dillon should prove a big nuisance to this trio. Good efforts can be expected from Happy Land, Mac Dillon and Harold Lee.