TROTTING IN ITALY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25228, 14 June 1945, Page 6

TROTTING IN ITALY

NEW ZEALAND TROOPS

£26,600 ON TOTAUSATOR (NZEK Official War Correspondent) TRIESTE, June 9 A very successful and enjoyable trotting meeting was held today on the Trieste course by tbe New Zealand Division. This was not a picnic meeting but a full-scale meeting carried out as meticulously as a New Zealand Cup meeting. , , Because the course can accommodate comfortably only about 5000, admission tickets had to be rationed out among units, but in glorious weather a crowd of over 12,000, including some British units, a few naval personnel, Americans and prominent civilian trotting supporters, made it a record crowd for Trieste. The totalisators handled over 8,000,000 lire, in British currency £26.600. About 20 New Zealand drivers who had been attached to various Trieste stables for the last three weeks to get used to handling Italian horses drove in the various races. 1 here was only one race with all-Italian drivers and two races were for all New Zealand drivers. In the other five races New Zealanders took one first, two seconds and two thirds. The best-known drivers were T. H. Gunning (Timaru), K. G. Washington (Christchurch) and S. R. Townley (Ashburton). After the all-New Zealand big race of the day General McCreery presented medals to the drivers of the three placed horses. In spite of practically all khaki-dress patrons and the fact that most of them were armed with tommy-gun. rifle or pistol, the meeting still had the atmosphere of a typical New Zealand meeting. The totalisator accommodated win. twin, place, and double pools and handled nearly three times as much as the Trieste club record total. The principal race. 2120 metres, for £l5O, was won by Trionfatore (A. .T. Stowe) by a length and a-half from Carlino (W. D. Scott), with Fuin (J. J. Council) two lengths back third. The other all-New Zealand race. 2000 metres, for £B7 10s, was won by Nacone fG. A. England) by a length from Zattaglia (W. McDonnell), with Bruca two lengths back. LOYAL MESSAGE KING'S ACKNOWLEDGMENT (PA.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday The following telegram has been received from the King in reply to a message sent to His Majesty by the Governor-General. Sir Cyril Newall:— "I send you my most sincere thanks for the kind and : loyal message which you have sent me on -behalf of the Government and peoples of the Dominion of New Zealand, its island territories and Western Samoa 1 and I pray that peace may be established in the Pacific."

NEW ROTARY CLUB

FORMATION AT NEWMARKET The formation of New Zealand's first suburban Rotary club took place last night at Newmarket. The move tor the formation of the new club was started bv the Auckland Rotary Club, which relinquished part of its territory for the purpose. Mr W. Calder Mackay, president of the Auckland club, attended a meeting in Newmarket last night, when 35 men agreed to become the first charter members of the Newmarket Rotary Club. They are all new rotarians. The meeting agreed to form a provisional club and to apply to Rotary International for a charter. The territory which will be covered by the now club will be the Newmarket, One Tree Hill and Ellorslie boroughs and the Penrose district. The folloiviiii; officers were elected: PresiMr C. S. Lees; vire-president, Mr E J. Scnoneld; directors. 'Messrs 0 RercsfnrH B. P. Stevenson. A D McPae. H. L Lewishonorary secretary, Mr O E. Evre- honorirv Mr a H re WiiJon C " S " D ° n '' : h °"°™VZifo7.

MAORI WAR VETERAN MR S. MIDDLEBROOK'S DEATH The death has opcurred of a veteran of the Maori War, Mr Samuel Middlebrook, of Walhi, at the age of 9i Bom at Leeds, Yorkshire. Mr Middlebrook came to New Zealand in the ship Shalimar in 18f>|, and at the ape of IS he joined .the Lands and Survev Department at Tauranga. He served in the Maori War until his cavalry unit was disbanded.

Acting as guide to the late Mr George Yessev Stewart, who selected lands for settlement in the Katikati district, Mr Middlebrook played an important part in the early davg of the district, where he lived until seven years ago. Mr Middlebrook was a brilliant Maori linguist and a keen sportsman. He was burled with ndli tary honours in the soldiers' section of the Waihi cemetery. B «cuon Mr Mlddlebrook's wife died sixyears ago. and he is survived by one son and four daughters.