TROTTING YEAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23413, 1 August 1939, Page 7

TROTTING YEAR

. MANY FRESH RECORDS AUSTRALIANS BRILLIANT NEW SEASON PROSPECTS TWELVE LIKELY' PACERS BY ABAYDOS All horses in the Southern Hemisphere will have a year added to their ayes to-day, August 1, which virtually marks the opening of the. now season, although the first meeting will not bo held until Saturday. The past trotting season, throughout the Dominion, was most successful" for practically all clubs, and, from a racing viewpoint, it was the host for some seasons. A feature was the number of fresh records established, and it was significant that the fastest times were registered by Australian horses.

Three Australian pacers, Lawn Derby, Logan Derby and Van Derby, wore visitors during the season, and they took very high rank. Lawn Derby gained the coveted ' distinction of being the first horse in the Southern Hemisphere to break two minutes for a mile, his 1.59 2-5 at Addington in November being the highlight of the season. Ho also succeeded in lowering tlio New lirighton mile grass record of 2.4 1-5, held by Happy Voyage, also an Australian, to 2.3.'

Lawn Derby, a frco-legged pacer, also visited Epsom, for tlio December meeting, and, in company with Van Derby, reduced tho 2.4 New Zealand mile grass record of Nervie's Last, another Australian-bred unhoppled pacer, to 2.1 2-5.

Van Derby, who won four handicap events, made a successful attempt on tho mile grass record at Epsom in February, when ho ran 2.0 2-5. Before returning to Tasmania Van Derby, against time, set a new mile and n-half record of 3.9 3-5 at Addington. Efforts o! Logan Derby

Except for a provincial mile record of 2.8 4-5 in Southland, Logan Derby confined his efforts to handicap racing and in seven starts scored three wins and four minor placings. His successes wero in the Free-For-All and the twomilo events at Forbury .Park. In addition, ho was third to Morello and Lucky .Tack in tho Now Zealand Trotting Cup. The' Auckland-bred and owned Parisienne, one of the greatest marcs raced in tho Dominion, made a world's twoinilo winning race record of 4.15 3-5 at Forbury Park, while Cavan Chief set new figures in winning a milo saddle race at New Brighton in 2.6. Fine Art won at Addington in 3.12 1-5, creating a new mile and a-half record. This time was equalled at Ashburton by Colonel Grattan, who ran third. Tho Ashburton winter meeting was a sensational one for records. A three-year-old trotter, Hush Laddie, won in 3.24 3-5, and Nelson Eddy recorded 3.15 in winning tho All-Aged Stakes, both creating Dominion mile and a-half records for horses of their age. The New Zealand Sapling Stakes winner. Sir Julien, reduced the two-year-old record of 3.21 3-5 standing to tho credit of War Buoy to 3.21 2-5, whilo Three Tens, who was second to Sir Julien, equalled War Buoy's time. In winning the Mayfield Handicap, for advanced trotters. Captain Bolt mado a new grass track record of 3.15 3t5 for trotters, and a little later, in an exhibition race at Addington, ran 3.14 3-5.

Auckland's Good Year

The past season in Auckland was the best from every point of view for many years, the Auckland Trotting Club in particular having a very successful season. One of the outstanding performances was the mile and a-lialf record of 3.13 2-5 established at the summer meeting by Uenuku, whose time was one-fifth of a second faster than that registered by Acuity, who made a fresh track record for Hutt Park. Many Auckland and Waikato trained horses raced with much success and. those who travelled from home were •good stake-earners. The most successful were Navy Blue, Uenuku, Kenworthy, Sandusky, Bayard; Parauri, Our War, Ironside. King's Warrior and Bexley Girl. King's Warrior and Ironside won races in the South Island, while Komvorthy secured all his earnings at Epsom. 1 In addition to their Auckland successes, Navy Blue won at Hamilton and Hutt Park. Uenuku at Hamilton and Ha worn, Bayard at Cambridge, Hutt Park and Haweni, Parauri at Addington. Thames and Hamilton, Sanduskv at Addington and, Tiruaru, Bexley Girl at Addington, and Our War at Hamilton. Contender won the Great Northern Trotting Derby, but in the Great. Northern Trotting Stakes the Auckland two-year-olds were overshadowed by the southern youngster, Highland Scott. The best of the local contingent were Josette and Now Then, who should be useful three-year-olds. Bon-' niedeno And Charles Hex are also promising and they may show a lot of improvement. Prospects Are Bright The prospects for the new season in Auckland are very rosy, and a number of the horses who displayed good form in the past season give indications of advancing to higher classes. Kenworthv is the nearest to New Zealand Cup class, but a recent injury has deprived him of his chance of reaching 4.20 this month. Uenuku, one of the most brilliant young pncers scen for some time, should go on to higher honours, and the consistent Sandusky mav also do better. The best has not been seen of Bexley Girl, and she is a fine stayer likely to add to her laurels. Parauri should also make advancement, and another who may be capable of doing better is Three Bells. Bayard. Bed Flush and ]3old Venture are solid pacers and should be equal to further winning, efforts. The solid form of L.vhn Bey! left the impression that he is becoming more solid with age, and Contender has the makings of a first-class four-vear-old.

Four promising pncers who havo-left tho novice class for the improvers'; scction are Josedale Grattnn, .Our Jewel, Tsana. .and Double Peter, and they should do well this season. Two in the intermediate division, Axminster and Equipoise, appear cnpahlo. of Teaching higher class, especially the latter. If he stands a solid preparation, Equipoise may he capable of taking higher honours.

Appended is a list of 12 pacers whoso form suggests tlioy will extend their winning records this season: —

TROTTING FIXTURES August 5, 0,11 —Metropolitan Trotting Club. August '20 —Auckland Trotting Club. September 2 —New Brighton Trotting Club. September 20, 215 —Wellington Trottlnir Club, ioptoniber rk)~-Mrlhvon Trolling Club. October 7- —Wnikato J rotting Club. Oetobor 7—New Brighton trotting Cub. October 12, U--Mannwntu I roUmi: Club. October 21, 23—Groymouth Trotting Club. October 21. 25—Auckland Trotting Club.

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