TROTTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21742, 6 September 1932, Page 11

TROTTING

By Sentinel. Acceptances for the Wellington Trotting Club's meeting are due to-day. The Trotting Association declined an application from Rangiora for the registration of a trotting club. Cragaiiour scored a comfortable win in the Belfast Handicap, in which he won in 3min 28 4-fisec from a 3.40 mark. Raclaim broke up early in her race at New Brighton and again mixed after running up into third place. Eureka Boy broke up at the start of the Burwood Handicap, and when he settled down shaped disappointingly. Considering that only two favourites scored at New Brighton the totalisator return's compared well with last year's figures in showing a drop of £1337 10s. The five shilling totalisator, which has become a popular feature in the outside enclosure at Epsom, was very heavily patronised at the recent meeting of the Auckland Trotting Club. Reports from Hutt Park state that David M'Elwyn is well advanced in his preparation, and is expected to make his

reappearance in a race at Hutt Park next Saturday. Mr J. R. M'Kenzie has entered .11 yearlings for the New Zealand Derby, 1934. Seven are'by Silk Thread and four by Great Bingen. Among them are relatives to Taxpayer and Impromptu. Despite the fact that he had a good pull in the handicap at New Brighton, Wild Guy did not go better than 2min 14 2-ssec, although he went 2min 11 l-ssec at Ashburton. New Brighton is, however, not so fast as Ashburton. After finishing fourth in the Burwood Handicap, Kelp came out and scored in the Wainoni Handicap. Kelp has been close to the money on several occasions when he ran good, but unlucky races and the win would be popular. The secretary of the Timaru Trotting Club has reported that the Minister of Internal Affairs had further replied that the club's application to hold a charity meeting had been held over until it was ascertained whether a spare permit was available. " There is often a cry of ' too much racing,'" remarked a member of the board of the New Zealand Trotting, Association last week, "but it is doubtful whether this remark was ever intended to apply to trotting." At last week's meeting of the board of the New Zealand Trotting Association the deaths of the following horses were reported:—Anne Boleyn, Appleshaw, Devon Child, Franzalena, and Imperial Ann. Mr J. M. Samson, the newly-elected member of the board of the New Zealand Trotting Association, was welcomed last week by the president, who stated that Mr Samson had had a good' deal of experience in trotting administration. He also proposed a hearty vote of thanks to Mr, H. C. Harley. a previous member of the board, who had done invaluable work as a member of the Licensing Committee. A change to Canterbury appears to have benefited War Paint. She went a good race at the National meeting, and beat a fairly good field at New Brighton. War Paint looked more robust in condition than usual when racing at Addington. She won in 4min 36 2-ssec from 4min 40sec after going 4min 31 4-ssec at Addington. At a committee meeting of the Timaru 'Trotting Club held last week the chairman (Mr J. Hole) made eulogistic reference to Mr F. J. Carter, who had resigned from the committee on account of being transferred from the district. Mr Carter had been an enthusiastic and strong supporter of trotting, and his absence from the district would be a great loss. The resignation was accepted with regret, and the secretary was instructed to write a letter of appreciation to Mr Carter. In proposing the election of Mr J. H. Williams as president of the board of the New Zealand Trotting Association, Mr H. W. Kitchingham referred to the sterling service he had rendered while holding that position for so many years. Trotting clubs throughout New Zealand had had the opportunity recently of making a big change in the personnel of the board, but the voting had shown that they were well satisfied with the present administration. Mr Williams had put his heart and soul into the sport of trotting, and had shown a whole-souled interest in everything connected with it. The election of Mr Williams was unanimously supported. At last week's meeting of the board of the New Zealand Trotting Association the following officers were elected for the year: _Presideiit. Mr J. H. Williams; vice-president, Mr 11. W. Witchingham; lion, treasurer, Mr W. Hay ward; Licensing Committee—Messrs W. Hay ward. J. R. M'Kenzie, and H. C. Harley; Appeal Committee—the president, vice-president, Mr 8.. M'Carthv, and Mr W. Hayward: Foreign Horse Committee—Messrs W. Hayward, J. B. Thomson, W. Kelly, and II C Harlev; foreign horse examinersMessrs W Hayward and ,H. C. Harley (Christchurch), T. J. Buxton and A. G. Mabee (Auckland), S. W. Kelly (Wellington), J. M. Samson and C. R. Caffin (Dunedin), and J. B. Thomson (Invcrcargill); association members to Stipendiary Stewards' Committee, the president (exofficio) and the vice-president; auditor, Mr Randall L. Hicks. The New Brighton Trotting Club is the oldest trotting club in New Zealand, for, though trotting meetiugs were held before the club became established in the year IS9O (says the Press), all other trotting clubs racing previously to that have gone out of existence. The first meeting under the auspices of the New Brighton Trotting Club was held on September 25, 1890, and the totalisator investments for the dav amounted to £778. Winners ot the different races were as fol ow: Maiden Trot (saddle), one mile: U Leitchrs' Canary, lOsec (Harvey); time, 3min l'osec. Handicap Trot (harness), three miles: T. Frce's Young Irvington, 30sec (owner); time, 9inin 20sec. Handicap Pony Trot (harness), two miles: J. Walton's Taradale. 40sec (Turton); time 6min 47sec. Handicap lime lrot (saddle), one mile: B. Edwards s JanNell, osec (owner); time, 3mm Asec. Time Trot (saddle), two miles: W. Bells Tatta, 15sec (Harvey); time, smin 57see. Time Trot (harness), two miles: J. Buggey's My Dream, ssec (Munro): tune, Cmin.' Pony Trot (saddle), two miles: E. James's Chuznce, scr (Edwards); time, 6min 25sec. Like every other club in New Zealand, the New Brighton Trotting Club has had its good and its lean years but it has come through with credit, and now, 42 years of a-e, it is stromr, and the meetings are very popular. Mi MTlwraith, the first president of the club, had a capable committee assisting him and the president to-day (Mr Walter Thompson) is fortunate in having with him a body of keen officials with the interests of the sport at heart. In reply to a communication from the board regarding a reduction in fares to trotting meetings, a letter was read at last week's meeting of the board of the New Zealand Trotting Association from the general manager of the New Zealand -Railways stating that the letter had been forwarded to the Government Railways Board, which body could see no reason

for making a further reduction in fares. Mr W. H. Kitchingham expressed dissatisfaction with the reply received, and instanced the consideration shown when other sporting fixtures were held. For a football match in Christchurcb a charge of 10s return was made from the West Coast, and this induced hundreds of people to travel by rail. The Government had evidently lost sight of the fact that visitors to a race meeting provided extra revenue to the Government in the way of taxes on gate takings, totalisator investments, etc. If cheap fares could be provided on the occasion of a. football match why could not the same be done in the case of a race meeting, which was intimately connected with Government revenue?. It appeared that the department had viewed the matter only from a railway point of view, and had not taken into account the matter of increased revenue. It was decided to take the first available opportunity to interview the members of the Railways Board and to place the association's views before them.