AUCKLAND TROTTING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21110, 18 February 1932, Page 7

AUCKLAND TROTTING.

SATURDAY'S GOOD FIELDS.

USEFUL PAIR FROM NELSON.

AUSTRALIAN HORSES' WINS.

The absence of Canterbury-trained horses from the Auckland Trotting Club's meeting, which opens on Saturday, due mainly to the curtailment of travelling expenses by many owners, will not seriously affect the racing from the public viewpoint. With so many horaos trained at Epsom. Otahuhu and in the Waikato, the fields, with the exception of the February Trot, are good and should ensure keen contests. The best of the northern performers nre engaged, while the presence of hoises from Nelson and Taraliaki will add to the interest. Epsom-trained horses have been displaying good form in recent track essays, while the Otahului contingent is also well forward. R. A. McMillan's team, consisting of Te Wahia, Royal Triumph, Little Guy and Prince Pedro, and G. r l\ Mitchell's representatives, Enawah, First Flight and Eleawah, have been working usefully at Tamahere, while good reports are to hand concerning the condition of the Claudelands pair, Impromptu and Free Logan. The Nelson candidates, Raydus and Travis, came with good credentials from the A\est Coast meetings, where Raydus in particular showed good winning form. At the Greymouth October meeting the Drusus horse won a double, and, returning to Westport and Greymoutli at Christmas and New Year, scored, attractively at each fixture. Travis, a pacer by Travis Axworthy, also showed fine form at the Greymouth October meeting, winning the Members', Handicap and being second in the Labour Day Handicap. A remarkable featuri of tho Otahuhu Handicap, which has replaced the Otohuhu Cup race 6inco tho amalgamation of the two clubs, is tho success of Australian horsc3 in the last 10 contests. No fewer than seven winners during the decade hailed from the Commonwealth, and the favourite this year. Auto Machine, is also an Australian horse. The run of Australian successes was commenced in 1922, when P.B. Glasheen scored with. Grand Voyage, and in the next three seasons P. Riddle supplied the winner each time with Sheik, Delavan Quest and Orion. In 1920 J. O'Shea won with Machine Brick, sir© of Machine Gun. who was successful in ■ 030, and Auto Machine. Pearl interrupted the sequence in 1927. Terence Dillon won in the following year, but in 1929 Australia returned to the winning list with Glide-away, trained by W. J. Tomkinson. R. A. McMillan then won with Machine Gun, and last year's race, the first after the cup title was changed, was won by Mountain Dell, whose sire. Blue Mountain King, came from Australia. \\ hll e Auto Machine, the favourite for Saturday's race, is a direct representative of the Commonwealth, his most fancied rival. Impromptu, was sired by the Australian horse Pedro Pronto. SMART SADDLE HORSES. GOOD FIELD IN RAILWAY. PROSPECTS OF REY DE QUEST. A race -n the opening day of the Auckland meeting that is creating considerable interest is the Railway Handicap, one mile, in saddle. Events of this kind are very popular with the public. while they also give trotting horsenu-n an opportunity to display their skill. In some cases the saddle races supply tho only means for young reinsmen to be tried out. as the older genera:,ion are in greater demand in harness events. With a limit of 2.19. the back-markers in the Railway Handicap are afforded a good chance of overhauling these in front of them, but some of the front division are improving pacers who look capable of going a good deal faster than their handicap. Of those on the limit, Sntin Bird, Charming Pronto. Realty and Mythorpe have previously won in saddle and the performance of Mythorpc in winning the Hot Springs Handicap at Te Aroha last season in 2.1S 3-5, was impressive. If Mythorpe is produced in his best form he. will be hard to dispose of. Two other* on tho limit. Oliver Thorpe and Poi have displayed useful form in harness. Poi is speedv and with a prompt get-away will take catching, while Oliver Thorpe's smartncsa at the barrier and solidncss when under wny will be in his favour. On 2.18 there is the greatly-improved Kev do Quest and as ho looks the ideal type for carrying weight he should be decidedlv dangerous. Recent form points to him being a shade better than those in front of him. Gaza, on 2.10. is a possibility. ns he is n great beginner and lately has shown a. lot of improvement in stamina,. Our Peter, 2.15. has this season proved himself a high-grade pacer and his prospects must be seriously considered. . The issue is very open and while fancies will fake ii. wide range, those in most demand may include Rev de Quest, Pot, Oliver Thorpe and Mythorpe. TRACK WORK AT EPSOM. MOUNTAIN DELL'S SPEED. Although the dirt track at Epsom was in ''ood order yesterday, very hllle. fast work was recorded. The chief feature was a 'nice effort by Mountain Doll, who ran n sound mile and a-half. Gumdiggcr and Bell Dial also gave useful displays. Mountain Dell (C. G. Lee) hopped away from the mile and a-half post. and. getting quickly into her stride, ran to the halfmile post, in 1.0. Keeping up the pneo. she passed the mile in 2.131 and reached the finishing lino in 3.21. Mountain Del paced frecl.v throughout and her sound effort proved that she is in fine order for her engagements. , Bell Dial Webb) whs not seriouslv troubled to run t mile and a-half at, a shade worse, than a 2.20 gait. She ran evenly for over a mile and increased the speed over the final three furlongs, finishmc very strongly in 51s. ftumdigger (G. Webb) paced solidly over two miles without being fully extended. When allowed to step along over the last six furlongs, Gumdigger registered a 2.18 gait. Great Fame (A. Patten). Dan Direel (A. T. New-dick) and Satin Bird (<>. Coles), in saddle, were associated in a useful work out nvrr a mile and a-half. The first mile was taken steadily, but they came home together over the final section in 1.10,. Mnrcaret. Wallace (P. .Tones) worked freelegged over several circuits, sprinting over the last hip at a useful clip. Margaret Wallace, who races better than she works on the track, bears a well seasoned appearance. Win ITuon (C. G. Lee) trolled steadily on the paiul track for four laps, moving resolutely without being sent, against the. watch. Win TTuon has made a good recovery from the shoulder trouble which necessitated a lengthy spell, but bo far has done tho bulk of his work on tho sand. Worthy Patch (K. Tuke) displayed a good (urn of speed while sprinting in the straight durinc a work-out. over a, mile and a-half. Tho Worthy Bond novice has made a rood deal of progress and will bo given his first, run in public in the Waiheke Handicap on Saturday. ~ ... . Charming Pronto (F. J. Smith) was worked a couple of times over n mile course, but was not, asked to give, of hie best. After running the first one in 2 35. he improved on this by five seconds in tho second outing, sprinting home the last quarter solidly. Grand Triumph (J. Barnett) trolled neatly over a mile and a-half without heins asked a serious question. The maiden hotter, who raced unsuccessfully on two occasions last season, has built up into a good typo oT horse and with more racitin experience may develop into a useful trotter. Explosion is si ill confined to his paddock as a result of the. leg injury received on Sunday. When seen yesterday the trotter was very lame, and at, present his chance of contesting the February Handicap on Saturday is very doubtful. The oulside of the course proper will l>e open for work between 0 find 11 o clock this morning, when trainers will have the opportunity of giving their charges a final work-out. ZANZIBAR'S SOLIDNESS. While there is a doubt in the minds of many about Zanzibar's record of 3.28 2-5 at Claudelands. there is 110 disputing the fact that he put up a sterling performance to win from 108 yards behind. Having achieved such distinction, Zanzibar was not severely penalised and from the 0G yards mark in the improvers' trotting race at Epsom ho can be considered danKeroiiß. He is one of the solid type nno his steadiness and correctness of gait conBtituta an important factor in his favour when pitted against speedy, but breaking, opponents. TROTTING FIXTURES. February 20—Kaikoura Trotting Club February 20, 22—Auckland Trotting CluH. February 27—New Brijjhloii Trotting Club.