TROTTING

NZ Truth, Issue 772, 21 August 1920, Page 7

TROTTING

(By "Silenus.") ' ' '"': The idea of starting at 11 a.m. is an excellent one, the last of the eight races finishing right on schedule time— 4.3o. As usual m the amateur event the field was strung out for a furlong when the winning post was reached. In the King George -Handicap, Author Dillon was lucky not to be called off. He certainly went before his bell and then the limit horses made It easier for him by dawdling on the way. Agathos made some' ' sensational , runs In the August Handicap but finished up a long way back. He is not ready. Young Free Holmes drove a welljudged race behind Sherwood, the winner of the August Handicap. General Link got the worst of the start m the August Handicap. He did not relish the mud and moved unkindly. On the opening day at Addington the ; drivers were absolutely unrecognisable! when'they returned to the birdcage, theirfaces and jackets being- plastered with a | coating of mud half an Inch thick.' j Royal Step won his double at the "Met." i like a good. one. He was pushed ail over ] the course m the Trial * Handicap but i got up and won. On the middle 'day he j started a good favorite m the Belgium I Handicap, and though Legacy had him doing his best the bay gelding lasted long enough to get the money. A classy field It was that went out for I the International 2.14 mile last week, i Each of "the six starters, except Lord ] Minto, carrying 2000 tickets or over, j Author Dillon, from scratch, and Albert Cling had the race to themselves over ' the last half, the former scoring the most popular win of the day, although he was j the outsider of the field but one. Emllius is not- ready yet and he will be a much improved horse by November. Ramitiari let his supporters down badly last week; Though only half ready, Maorllander showed great pace for about nine furlongs m the Speedaway Handicap ' and when a bit more seasoned "Scotty" Bryce j will win two or three races on end with ! the Australian-bred one. •• "Manny" Edwards seems to have made a good bargain when he 'secured Home- ■ eigh Dick m Sydney. The aged gelding j is a very fine trotter and he gave a won- | ■ lerful exhibition of even stepping while ] liis condition lasted on the middle day > at the "Met.".. . ■Trainer Arthur Cox is very popular with the crowd and his dual win with Theseus was very well received. When going extra well m the Canterbury Handicap, Sympathy, put m a bad break at the home turn and lost a lot of | fjround. He finished on well m second .olace and his victory In the Islington Handicap on Jttonday was' well anticipated by the "heads." That capable horseman, J. McLennan, «*as seen to advantage on Captain Stanley m. the Dash Handicap, while, he was also successful on Merry Bingen and Legacy on the concluding day. ' Author Dillon - was again the hero at the "Met." and the champion won a race each day. -

Canterbury sportsmen are fast coming to the opinion that Bryce, Jnr., drives as well as his father. The efforts of Junior Bryce ■ behind Chid -and Moneymaker were reminiscent of • "Scotty" ' at his very best. . "v^V Ho . lmes - vho is now known as Father" to distinguish him from Free, •ST"*^®^ 86611 * at nis best when he won with the Dunedin-owned Parkfield. The bay gelding went kindly all the way and nit 1 " »♦« flna i 8 ? furlon ss never looked like getting beaten. That arch deceiver, Succory, failed badly on the two first days at Addington, but he made some slight amends by getting second to Merry Bingen m the openI ing event on Monday. , Legacy was a bit unlucky m the Belgium Handicap and seemed to have to cover a lot of extra ground after which he was only beaten by a length by Royal step. On Monday R. Logan's charge came out and won nicely. Legacy always goes fairly well m mud. For the third day's racing on Monday postponed from Friday, the weather brdka clear, though cold, the track at the outset being heavy. The "attendance was again large. Merry Bingen, the favorite, ran away with the Midwinter Handicap, m saddle ! Succory and Patard, who went honestly all the way, filling second and third places. ♦», T^ c u h «f, ers that greeted Author Dillon's third brilliant win from scratch, m the National Thousand, could be heard five miles away. The little champion picked up four seconds on the field m the first half. He made three characteristic runs along the back and down the straight snatching victory from Kmllius by a very narrow margin. Big money' was won ovev the success of Onyx m the Heathcote Handicap Some good Onyx. ■ For once m a generation, Christchurch trotting conditions reminded southerners of home. Lapit week drifted by ■ 'midst an orgy of slush and a riot of mud. Two postponements m one week will go down to hfstory as illustrating one of the most remarkable set of adverse circumstances ever encountered by a club. That the meeting was a successful one, despite the disheartening conditions, goes to show how strong a grip trotting has on the inclinations of the people. Galloping enthusiasts cannot even raise a cheer for the winner of the Grand National Steeplechase. ' The lusty cheera that greeted the performance of Author ! Dillon, when he won the two miles and i the classy mile off scratch, must hava I come as a revelation to those who swear j by the "sport of kings." ' : George Witty's joke: "We have heard j a . lot to-night about trotting • being a j 'clean' sport. Those who saw the horses i and drivers coming m on Monday "might I -be inclined to think otherwise." Drivers m the first day's harness events have not got the mud out of their system yet. ■ • • The Metropolitan Club is deserving of the heartiest commendation for its determination to inflict the severest punj Ishments m cases where drivers anticipate their bells. " t l!iere. has been far too much of this taking the risk on the off-chance of getting away with it. One notable instance of a driver's sense of responsibility was 'furnished by A. G. Wilson, m the trotters' race, second day. Reta Peter (from scratch) moved m too fast, and, m order that there should be no risk of her beating her bell, Wilson pulled her up dead. Having to move off thus, from * standing . start, undoubtedly cost this brilliant mare the race. The wonderful recuperative power's of the Addington track were illustrated last week., On Monday the track was a sea of mud; on Wednesday, with little wind or sunshine m the meantime, the going became quite good before the last race j was run. - ■ ! The annual re-union of the Canterbury i Owners, Trainers* and Breeders' Assoclai tion was a highly successful affair, a representative gathering which included visitors from every part of the Dominion, being assembled. The Association is fortunate m the possession of a very capable and energetic secretary; Mr. G. S. Simpson, and it was largely due to his organising ability that the function ! gave such pleasure to all th?t were present. At the re-union, Sir James Carroll gave an eloquent address, taking as a text: "Keep the sport clean." If there were any "intriguers and' cunning sportsmen" m the room they must have winced under Sir James's verbal castigation of their ,kind. The sport is gaining an everIncreasing measure of public confidence, and it is to be hoped that Sir James's text will become the slogan of everyone taking a- prominent part m trotting.