TROTTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21544, 16 January 1932, Page 16

TROTTING

By Sentinel,

Koro Peter ig reported to be shaping well on the track. Handicaps for the Forbury Park meeting are due on the 18th. Aqceptances for the Timaru Trotting Club’s, meeting are due on the 18th. Three West Coast horses in Nicoya, Etiquette, and Bonny Drift figure amongst the nominations for the Forbury Park meeting. A special meeting: of delegates , to the Hew Zealand Trotting Conference will be held in Wellington l next Thursday morning. The possibility of Harold. Logan making another assault against time will help to stimulate the interest in the Forbury Park summer meeting. Once again the principal events at Forbury Park are ■ filled with horses exclusively from Canterbury stables. It is to be hoped that another shrinkage in stakes will not be necessary or they may lose their drawing power. The Australian horses Princess Mauritius and Wilbur White are booked to race at the Wellington Trotting Club’s meeting; .... Great Bell, an aged mare by Great Audubon from Myrtle Bell, created a good impression a few seasons ago by winning five ; races in seven starts, but since that season 1926-27, she has failed to fulfil expectations. Although she has now been absent from the race track for a considerable period (says the Press), she is likely to be given another chance at Forbury, where, according to her line mark, she has forfeited five seconds to enter for the Otago Haiyiicap. A small but very select field will be seen out in the Wellington Trotting Cup. Eoyal Silk won in 4.28 2-5 when recording, his third win at the Auckland Trotting Club's meeting, aijd is the popular pick for the Wellington race. He will require to have something up his sleeve to steer clear of Free Advice, who went 4.21 at Addington, and Wrackler, who put up 4M9 1-5. Both Free Advice and Wrackler went good races when they finished close to Harold Logan and Kingcraft in the final of the New Zealand Cup. The marks established at the Addington spring meeting were Harold Logan 4.181-5, Wrackler 4.19 1-5, Free Advice 4;21, Glenrossie 4.27 1-5, Regal Voyage 4. 28 2-5, and Carmel 2. 42 2-5 (4.23 at Auckland). Dilworth was handicapped at 4.28. . , There is no reason for horsemen to feel at all discouraged because price averages at the thirty-seventh Old Glory were the lowest the famous vendue baa seen since 1924 comments a writer in the Trotter . and Pacer, dealing with America's big annual sale of trotting stock. There were more horses sold than at any of the auctions since that of 1927 (when the average wag only £l2 above that of this year) and never before had any auction held as large a percentage of yearlings. This over-supply of untried youngsters can account in large measure for the average of £ll2, as against one of £152 last year and of £l5O in 1929. Many aged horses did not bring the px-ices expected, but the small amount of European money present had something to do with that. , The £4OOO for, Calumet Chuck shows that a horse that looks like a winner here can still command a large price. And the £2700 for Calumet Dick, tieing the record for a yearling, is another indication that the right horse can cause pocket books to unbutton mighty fast. Regret will be felt in light harness circles throughout the Dominion in the news of the death of the former Auckland trainer, W. Kelsey, who for some years prior to his death had resided in Launceston, Tasmania. With tragic suddenness he died on Tuesday, December 29. At the week-end he was attacked with a sore throat, and was in bed for a day or so, but he decided to get up and drive his horse, Firebrand, in the harness race at Mowbray. From the back mark, 60yds, he drove a fine race, and Firebrand won brilliantly, registering 2min 214eec. He fancied his horse and had a good win. Immediately after the race he became so unwell that he was taken home, and he returned to bed, but nothing serious was suspected. Next morning medical advice was _ sought, and the doctor ordered his immediate removal to a hospital He collapsed and died about an hour after admissiop. Mr Kelsey had never had a serious ‘ illness previously, but had a heart affection as a result of his activities in his young days, as lie was a fine athlete. While letters to the press on the subject of handicapping are numerous in New Zealand, Tasmania and other Australian States, one never sees one in the Sydney press (comments My J. S. Walford, in the Australian Trotting Record). The method adopted by the New South Wales Trotting Club is the mose simple of any, and gives all-round satisfaction. An occasional anomaly may rise, but that only goes to prove the general satisfaction that the system gives. Trotting trainers are not the most easy-going people in the world, and are every ready for a grouch, but to a man they approve of the system, and one never hears a complaint. The system i 8 simplicity itself. A horse for a win goes back 12 yards, unless it does faster time than its handicap, in which case it is handicapped on the time put up. Second or third does not carry any penalty. Experience ha 8 shown that the more complicated a handicapping system may bo the more complaints it loaves itself open to. The Sydney system would no doubt be considered a dud by New Zealand, Tasmania and other Australian States, but the fact remains that while others are at one another’s throats over inequalities that arise from the complicated systems of handicapping, New South Wales owners and trainers are on the best of terms with the authorities, and a complaint as to the handicapping of a horse is seldom or never heard.