REDUCED TIME-LIMITS ?

NZ Truth, Issue 1175, 7 June 1928, Page 13

REDUCED TIME-LIMITS ?

Auckland and Rowe Cups May See Early Curtailment ,. ! (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.) 1 The iirait of the New Zealand Cup has been reduced to 4.26 ' and on that account it is predicted that the limit of the Auckland

' Cup will be curtailed. JUST whether the Auckland Trotting I Club will decide upon such a move • ° . is at present a matter for conjecture only. However, it is hardly likely that the ' chief two-mile northern event will be tightened up to such an extent. Still, it is on the cards that the conditions attached will be materially altered. The 1927 Cup. was worth £2200 and a trophy valued at 100 guineas for horses that had done 4.31 or better at time of nomination, limit 4.25. To bring the Auckland* Cup to the same standing as the New Zealand Cup, several decent perform-, ers would be cut out, included among them being the straightout trotters Peter Swift, Peterwah, Native Star, Trampfast and Escapade. „ As square-gaiters of this calibre are not too well catered for, having to compete with the hoppled fraternity or else concede impossible starts m races for trotters only, no great attraction would be held out to bring thenv to Alexandra Park. Of course, they would have a couple of other events m which they could compete, but for. lesser stakes. The Auckland Trotting Club will.no doubt reduce the time record that competitors will need to have against them to become eligible, but a reduc 4tion m the limit from 4.28 to 4.26 may not be ' m the best interests of the sport — not perhaps ( at- present. «IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIII!llllllllllllll|ll|llll1llllll|IIIIIHlilllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!lllll!

However, they have a glorious opportunity of framing an event for straight-out trotters only. By materially reducing the limit of the Rowe Cup, which last year was 4.36, a decent field comprising some of our best would eventuate. ,We hear such a lot about the remarkable improvement from a time point. of view that, our pacers have made. Well, what about the trotters? This season has seen faster times recorded—that is, speaking generally — than any other. If the strapped-up brigade are so deserving of consideration, so are the square-gaited crowd. , "NiZ. Truth" is led to believe that the next Auckland Cup will be for horses which have gone— or been handicapped to So — 4.28 or better, the limit being .4.27, while the Rowe Handicap for straight- out trotters will be reduced from 4.36 to 4.35. If this is correct, satisfaction will no doubt be expressed as to the conditions of the Gup, but the Rowe Trot could be tightened up still further. A 4.34 — if not 4.33— class would not only meet with the approval of the majority, but shoura eventuate into a dashins' contest. ' Let us hope that before deciding on a 4.35 limit for-.thp big northern trot, the Auckland Trotting Club gets down to tin -tacks and has on its next season's programme an event for trotters, the fastest class of its kind m New Zealand; iiiniiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiHiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii