TROTTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21735, 29 August 1932, Page 4

TROTTING

By Sentinel. Wee Parrish is back in training after being absent from the trades for some considerable time. Sansavfeno paid a good dividend when he won the Wingatui Trot, but his supporters were lucky to collect, as Little Clair had the race won when she broke close to the post. ... Love Parade caught the leaders in the Brockville Trot inside a furlong, but then broke up badly, and again when at the far turn. His pace should make him worthy of note for the future. Since joining F. G. Holmes’s stable War Girl has shown a good deal of improvement in both condition and in the way she has been completing the track work allotted her. The Westland Racing Club’s Easter fixture was ■ the occasion of her first and only win to date. The name Eureka Boy is on the tip of nearly every enthusiast’s tongue, the big question being: Can he stay? Since his two hollow victories at the August meeting Eureka Boy has trained on exceptionally well (says “Argus”), and at New Brighton, where he lives and does his work, there is a unanimous opinion that he will stay two miles. His trainer shares that viewpoint, but until the gelding is tried over the distance nothing definite will be known. J. D. Smith, who owns and prepares Eureka Boy for his engagements, does not intend to leave the question of stamina in abeyance until race day, and will take the earliest favourable opportunity of sending his pupil over two miles. Not until then can a reliable opinion of the gelding’s capabilities over a distance be arrived at.

The annual meeting of the Ashburton Trotting Club was held last week, Mr F. Kobilliard (vice-president) being in the

chair.,/ The statement of receipts and expenditure showed that the year commenced with a credit of £667 10s 5d and closed with a credit of £134 16s 4d. The principal items in the receipts were; Subscriptions £lB5, nominations £2332 10s, totalieator proceeds £4855 4s 9d, admis-; sion fees £938 Is 3d, rebate New Zealand Government £250, New Zealand bonds matured £7OO. The payments included: Stake money £5260, Government taxes £1977 14s lOd, salaries and wages £599 5s 6d, and amount placed on fixed deposit £IBOO, Assets exceeded liabilities by £5229 13s lOd. The annual-report stated that, the club was favoured with fine" weather' for its three meetings, all ot-which-proved highly successful. The, owners, and the public accorded generous support, and some high-class racing was provided. The committee., again followed a ! progressive policy, and catered for thebest class of horse when it instituted the Ashburton Gold Gup Handicap, for 4mm 26see class horses, at the autumn meeting in April. This race was a pronounced success, and it was hoped to make it a fixture on the programme. The New Zealand Sapling Stakes was again a tea-: ture of the winter meeting, and a great contest resulted. Record entries had been received for the 1933 event. The financial result of the year’s operations, after allowing for depreciation on plant and funiturc, was a net profit of £485 2a sd, which must be considered very satisfactory./ The club’s assets exceeded its liabilities by £5229 13s lOd. Thq'sum of £5260 was distributed in stake money, as against £5600 last year. The committee hoped to effect some improvements at the racecourse x during the coming year. This may include improved accommodation in, the outside enclosure. Since Direct Abdullah was registered on March 29, 1924, as a rising four-year-old, Mrs E. C. Gibb, of Geelong, has figured as the owner, and the horse has won at least 20 races: In 1927 Direct Abdullah, winning at Kyneton, paced nine furlongs at a 2.17$ rate, being driven by the late J. Lynch, who also scored with the stallion at Richmond a couple ot months later, when he averaged 2.20 J for 13 furlongs in a Richmond Handicap. He subsequently came into the hands of R. S. Henry, who first scored with him in the. Hawthorn Handicap the same year. Direct Abdullah (18 yards), averaged 2.17| for 10 furlongs, beating Silent Knight (60 yards) and Park Rose (72 yards) by a head. It was not until July last (says “ Backmarker”), when driven by H. Shinn at Richmond in a Hawthorn Handicap, that he equalled his record 2.17 J. Prior to this he had. scored the. first of his four consecutive victories at Geelong, averaging 2.20 J for nine furlongs. Favoured by the, heavy track on j July 25, Direct Abdullah won the Flying : Handicap from the 2.18 limit, having to go ho faster than 2.20 J. For this he was penalised 12 yards at Ascot, but this did not stop his winning career, and he set the fastest average for Ascot with his - mile in 2.13 f. He was m receipt of 12 yards from Almont Wilkes,, and though the latter is a brilliant stallion, he failed by four yards to catch his opponent. , Directway, the imported and defunct sire of Direct Abdullah, was a great progenitor of pacers. His mares particularly were speedy. One is Adelaide Direct, winner of the 1917 New Zealand Cup m , 4.27 4-5 (two miles), and still holder ot the Australasian record for mares with her mile against time in 2.8 2-5. Direct Home is another of his cham- * pions, this mare winning the Sydney ■ Thousand. With Walla Walla she divides the mile record of 2.12 i at Richmond. ■■ Direct Abdullah is Directway’s fastest en-,, tire son over a mile. Directway was im- • ported by the late Mr Robert Matchett. of Bendigo, and died in 1926. He to; got by Direct, a double-gaited stallion with a record of 2.5 J pacing and 2.18 t trotting, and at one time was the worlds ■ champion pacer. Director, the sire of Direct, was a grandson of Hambletoman . 10—" the father of all trotters.’ Elect- ~ 'wav, the dam of Directway, was a full -j sister to Klatawah, another world renowned performer. She was got by Stem- ; wav a grandson of Hambletonion 10, i from Katie G., a daughter of Electioneer, he being one of Hambletoman 10 a; greatest producing sons. Dpral, the dam of Direct Abdullah, is quite a famous • brood mare, and has also produced Dalla - Derby and Dixie Abdullah, both recent winners at Richmond. Mr F. Shunto ; has two full entire brothers' to DallaDerby at his Yendon stud.. Doral, a Stud Book mare, is by Mambrmo Abdullah from Doreen Huon (dam of Delavan Jim and other good ones), a daughter ox Huon Junior and Dora, by Vancleve On breeding it is no wonder that Direct Abdullah is proving a good one, and as fi sire he should be just as big a success* So far as it is known he has never been represented on the tracks.