TROTTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21384, 11 July 1931, Page 19

TROTTING

By Sentinel. It is reported that Meteor looks in great order. The Southland-bred pacer ia a brilliant sort over all distances, and he is remaining at Addington, to be raced at the August meeting.

The Victorian Racecourse Licenses Board recently granted country trotting clubs 45 racing-days for the forthcoming season. Last year 60 days were allotted. New clubs in Toora and Tatura were eacli granted one racing day. According to reports, the Australian trotter Sir Voyage looks in fine order, and is doing ,well in his training work. With Surprise Journey, Sir Voyage, and Home Voyage, Tomkinson has a strong team of trotters.

A Melbourne paper states that for many years trotting has been conducted in Adelaide without any provision for betting through legal channels, and an attempt will be again made to secure totalisator facilties. A Bill with that object in view has been drafted, and it is expected it will be placed before Parliament this session.

j Reports from Christchurch state that many trainers are at present devoting a lot of time to the breaking and handling of their young stock, and the latest to attract attention is a yearling gelding by Key de Oro from Becky Logan in F. G. Holmes’s care. He has been in onlya very short period, but shows that he possesses all the qualifications for making a good pacer. R Saunders has purchased the pacei A 1 John. The gelding was previously with C. G. Lee, and though he never managed to win a race he only faced the starter on four occasions. He is by AI Mack—lntaglios, and is therefore a half brother to Free Advice. Only a five-year-old, he may make good, as he showed a fair turn of pace in his races. The rising three-year-old colt by Nelson Derby from Harebell Direct continues to please his trainer, A. Hendriksen, in his work. A patient policy has been adopted with this youngster, and he was not rushed so as to race early, but in all probability he will take his place in three-year-old classic events. The pacer Author Jinks is seen occai sionallv at Addington, but the brilliant ' Author Dillon horse is anything but j sound. He has done little fast work, and j is frequently very sore after steady jog- | ging. There does not seem much chance j of his standing up to a solid preparation, to enable him to be seen at bis best over two miles. T. G. Fox looks as though he has a i good young trotter in the Nelson Bingen , —Carbinea youngster. He was bred in I Southland -(says “Argus”), where' the mare is located, but came here some months ago. He is doing a lot of steady work, with a view to early racing, and is getting through bis tasks in fine style. A younger half-brother, by Happy Voyage, who is still in the south, is highly thought of by his connections. Peter Lin has been leased by D. A. Withers, who has the Petereta trotter moving along satisfactorily at Upper Hiccarton. Peter Lin has not raced with any success since winning at the Metro-

politan spring meeting last season, but lie is in his prime as a trotter, and he has yet time to prove himself a useful stake-earner. Withers met with a great deal of success with another Petereta trotter, Peter Swift, a few seasons ago, when most people thought the gelding past his best. The Melbourne Globe says that New Zealand has produced a three-year-old square-gaiter of class in Todd Lonzia, who on June 3, at Canterbury, covered -i mile and u-half in 3min 26 2-ssec, a mile rate of 2min 17 3-ssec. White Satin, who last year travelled' a similar journey in 3min 27 2-ssec, was the pre vioiis holder of the three-year-old record While Victoria can at least hold its own with New Zealand as regards the average square-gaiter, it has not yet produced a three-year-old trotter capable of recording better than 2min 25see. Lucid’s 2min 25Jsec, established in the trotters : division of the 1914 Melbourne Derby, is still the record for this State. W. M'Kay. who has had such phenomenal success in Victoria recently, is leaving for New Zealand in the course of a few weeks, says the Melbourne Record. His team will consist of Auburn Lad, Warinda Derby, Toora Lass. Terecna (pacers), and Drifting Home and Gay Style (trotters). The champions. Direct Home and Walla Walla, were at one stage likely to make the trip, but neither at present is quite right, and may he sent over later. Tereena* an entire by Dixie Derby, foaled in 1925, has only one win to bis credit, when he averaged a rate of 2.33 J at Bendigo just two years ago. Drifting Home (First Voyage—Charlotte Bronte) comes of trotting parents, and this rising eight-year-old has one race to his credit in the country, his rate being under 2,31. Ho is a halfbrother to Direct Home, the holder of the mile record at Richmond in 2.12;}. and which was incidentally her last win. Over 100 members of the Western Australian Trotting Association gathered at the Palace Hotel, Perth, on June 25 to consider certain amendments to the constitution. The president (Mr J. P. Stratton), vice-presidents Messrs J. T. Willis and J. Tyler, and Messrs James Brennan, W, A. Smiley, T. W. Simpson, and G. J. Folev. representing the full committee of the association, were present. Mr Stratton, a few days previously had issued to members a glowing circular, which was highly regarded by those in attendance at the meeting. ft showed that rigid economy had been practised, which, together with perfect administration, was responsible for a complete recovery in the short period of six months of the financial position of the association. It was .shown that the four meetings held at Christmas, 1929, had cost £2066 13s 8d to carry through Last year the cost was reduced to £1371 1,5 s 6d with efficiency. At a recent meeting of the committee of the New South Wales Trotting Club

i it was decided to restrict the width . of sulkies to be used at meetings at Harold Park. At present drivers are allowed to use sulkies of any size, (< but some are considered to be too wide. “ The committee is to be commended for its action, which is certain to meet with the approval of trainers and drivers in general (says a Sydney writer), Harold Park is a small track, and wide and cumbersome sulkies not only jeopardise (ho chances of horses when there is a struggle for the leading position, but they are also dangerous in a field. Before deciding upon the regulation width investigations are to be made by the secretary 7, Mr F. Howell.” There is not a standard size sulky used in New Zealand, but preference seems to be for the narrow type. Mr R. C. Simpson, of Annidale, and perhaps the greatest trotting enthusiast Australia has known, reports that he expects a full season for his imported stallion, Louis Direct. Louis Direct was imported from America. Costing Mr .Simpson somewhere between £2OOO and £3OOO The horse arrived here (says a Sydney writer) in the latter part of the last stud season, and then served several, mares. This is really 7 his first season in Australia, and every trotting man wishes Mr Simpson the greatest success with his new sire. Louis Direct is a beautiful black stallion standing 15.3 hands, his sire being Braden Direct and his dam Red Chatham. Before leaving America, he paced a mile in the marvellous time of linin 58Jsec. Mr Simpson deserves the support of every trotting breeder, as he has spared no expense to bring to Australia the world’s best trotting blood The horse is standing the season at Mr Simpson’s property at Armidale Besides importing Louis Direct, Mr Simpson has imported from America during recent years Don Pronto and Wilbur Lou. and many of their stock are winning races all over Australia at the present time.