TROTTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21648, 19 May 1932, Page 2

TROTTING

By Sentinel. Mr H. F. Nicoll is sending six of his mares to Wrack next season. Notices of motion to come before the Trotting Conference must be in not later than Tuesday, May 31. Mr A. J. Nicoll has had bad luck with his two-year-old gelding Bros, by Wrack from Nell Pointer. The youngster, who is a brother to Grand Canyon, struck himself while working a few days < ago, and he will not be able to fulfil his engagement in the Sapling Stakes next month. Amy Etawah, winner of the principal trotters’ race at Thames, is a five-year-old sister to Wah, being by Peterwah from Amy Dillon. She has had a most consistent record this season. Although her winning efforts have been few, she has on many occasions filled one of the minor places. Auckland has never been really strong in straightout trotters, and this season the province is weaker than ever. This fact was apparent early in the season (says “Orion”), and clubs soon realised that they were not warranted in putting on substantial stakes for the squaregaited horses. As a matter of fact it would not be surprising to find next season only one race on each day’s programme for trotters, instead of two as at present. W. Willetts, the Auckland trainer, although he never has a very large team in his charge, has been meeting with a fair measure of success in the north. Kewpie’s Guy, trained by him, won the principal event at Te Aroha recently, and on Saturday he was successful with Mazda and Oliver Thorpe at Thames. Willetts’s early association with lightharness horses was in Waimate, where a few years ago there were quite a number of trotting horses in work on the local tracks. A trotter who showed some form at Oamaru was Silk Coat, who was one of the outsiders in the_ mile and a-half event, in which he finished fourth. He is by Matchlight, who does not produce many trotters, from Belle Audubon, by Great Audubon from Palm Bell, by Brookholn from Puella, by Berlin, so on his dam’s side he is bred on sound trotting lines. Silk Coat is only a five-year-old, and he may develop into a good trotter next season.

Although Great Patch secured third money in the Waikaura Handicap at Oamaru a pretty dear penalty was paid by him, as he has established a mark of 4min 58sec for himself as the outcome of filling a place in a class faster than that of his handicap mark. As he was previously to the race eligible for the front mark of a smin Bsec class, he has automatically placed himself on a 10 seconds faster mark.

A. Davey produced Worthy King in excellent order at Oamaru, and the improvement he has. recently worked in the five-year-old is remarkable. Previously of a wayward disposition, and a bad horse at the barrier, he raced like a really good one, and he won his two races at the right end, beating the others for speed over the concluding stages. Worthy King, if he has settled down (says the Press), which he appears to have done, may make a good two-miler next season, as he has improved in stamina considerably. When Mr Goosman placed Nell Yolo on 108vds behind in the 3.50 class trot run at the Thames meeting her owner, Mr F. Smith, who imported the mare from America, was astounded and immediately wrote to the Trotting Association. In America Nell Yolo took what is known as a breeder’s record, that is, in an exhibition trot to beat 2.30 she recorded 2.26 J. But that was done merely to be included in the Trotting Record Register, and all horses are given records. It counts for nothing, as there is no prize, and neither is it a race. Smith pointed this out to the association, and received a reply that a mistake had been made by ’the association in allotting her a line in the assessment of handicaps, and that in future she would be treated as a maiden performer. The handicapper, Mr Goosman, was not at fault, ns lie handicapped her according to the line allotted her. The letter also mentioned that it was too late to rectify the error for- the Thames meeting.