FIRST STEPS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22775, 8 July 1937, Page 9

FIRST STEPS

RACES FOE NOVICES TWENTY-FIVE SUCCESSFUL LARGE FIELDS NEXT SEASON

BT ABAYDOS

The Auckland trotting season just concluded was marked by renewed activity among novice pacers and trotters. There were no for them * at tho last Egmont meeting, bat pacers had 21 races and trotters 16 at II meetings. Fields in the pacing section were largo and on occasions would have warranted divisions. Excluding half-a* dozen two-year-olds, who raced only in the North Island Challenge Cup, only 14 of the 80 maiden pacers started ,• lost their status. In nine races at Epsom eight novices were euccessful— King Country, Superfine, Derby Lu, True Trust, Musketeer, Our Peggy, Crocus and Molly Direct. Five events * were contested at Hamilton, Spessiva, Nawton Parrish, Claudelands and Gloster registering an initial success, and Bold Venture seized the opportunity at Thames. At its first meeting the Cambridge Trotting Club put on three races with maiden limits, but the back-marker 3 had a field day, Tollgate and Kewpie's Crest, 36 yards, and Baron Grand, 48 yards, being successful. At the second meeting Frank Best lost his novice . status and won tho second loose-limit event from 60 yards. , Reaching Higher Gr^de

Several maiden, winners reached a higher grade. Musketeer, Our. Peggy, Frank Best and Spessiva won three races and King Country, Derby Lu and „ Nawton Parrish were successful twice. •, Transfer, who won his first race at '• Wanganui, also won two later events, scoring twice at Thames. Musketeer, Our Peggy, Frank Best and King Country raced outside the province, but Our Peggy, who scored at Wellington, was the only winner. ' - Six Auckland pacers left the novice

ranks on the West Coast circuit, Accel being successful at Wanganui, Tangaroa at Hawera, Cash Down and Roman Chief at New Plymouth, and Grattan Girl and Sandusky at Palmerston North. None won again, but Tangaroa ran a third. Sandusky ran second to Kewpie's Crest at Hamilton, and taken to Ashburton, he_ put- up a sterling effort in the New Zealand Sapling Stakes, to be narrowly defeated bv Twos Loose.

Of horses winning from the back mark, Kewpie's Crest made the most progress with three subsequent successes and is now back to 3.27 from 3.40. Tollgate and Frank Best reached 3.30 and have not won since. Handicapper and Baron Grand both Avon at Hawera and end the season on 3.32. Trotting Section

Eleven maiden trotters won. Vain Lad, Pura Bingen and Listowel scored at Auckland, Native Princess, Stalky, Nelson Glory, Great Sonoma and Ladv Bunker at Hamilton, Reception and Babv Triumph at Cambridge and All Special at Thames. Vain Lad made good progress and

three wins put him into the 3.36 and i 4.50 classes. Reception also came back to the intermediate grade after scoring Z at Hawera. Two wins at Wairarapa and a place at Epsom, when giving away time, put Great Sonoma into the big two-mile events. Pura Bingen and Stalky added another success. Swordsman won at Hutt Park and was sis N ; times placed during the season. Waskasu made improvement, but the best form was credited to Franz Derby, who won four times at Wellington and has • reached a 3.32 and 4.44 line. With so many novice horses retaining their status and a large number of unraced candidates receiving education, fields in the pacers and trotters slowclass events next season will be very large