TROTTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22258, 10 May 1934, Page 7

TROTTING

By Sentinel. Rollo was benefited by the race he had on the first day at Forbury Patk, and stayed on well at the finish of the Farewell Handicap. Hakatere might have seriously troubled Sea Gift at the finish of the Peninsula Handicap if he had not become unbalanced at the home turn. Chenwood caused trouble in the Farewell Handicap, and perhaps made a different placing to what might have been placed on top by the judge. Ivan de Oro and All Thorpe collided after going about three furlongs in the Royal Handicap but without doing any damage beyond wrecking whatever chance they had in the race. The 10 per cent, of the pool at Forbury Park yesterday saw dividends of 6s, 12s fid, 5s 6d, and 18s paid out for a £1 invested. This means that the many lost where the very few have won. Everyone was pleased to see Mr L.

S. Martin bring along Walla Walla, and now everyone wishes him the best of good luck if he ever ventures on another campaign in New Zealand and particularly at this cud of the world. Sea Gift carried £34 in the Bayfield Handicap run on the first day at Forbury Park and finished sixth. In the Peninsula Handicap she started favourite with £4BO and finished first. , The cream-coloured Blondie showed ft lot of pace in the Royal Handicap but put in a couple of bad breaks. He has it in his favour that he starts a racing career at the same colour as the famous Carbine. Triangle was again a well-backed chance when he went out for the Peninsula Handicap, but again failed to figure amongst the money. In fact, he did not figure in the first half dozen during the race and was unable to act to expectations. Morello ranks as one of the best three-year-olds of the season and on occasions has threatened to wreck the supremacy of War Buoy. He went out a good favourite for the Southland Handicap but wrecked his chance at the start. J. Fraser, pin., was fined £5 by the Judicial Committee for a breach of Rule 269 by failing to weigh in with Black Jester in the Pacific Handicap at the appointed time, the horse having to be scratched by the stewards. Punters were on the right track in connection with the Tahuna Handicap. They went for Sister Mary and she won all the way, although covering a lot of extra ground in the middle of the track, where the going was much drier than nearer the rails. Most of the field in the Tahuna Handicap kept wide on the track in order to obtain the advantage of the good going. Triangle, Journey’s End, Kilbirnie Dan. Mataunga (who raced near the rails) and Hakatere made mistakes during the race. Dundee was a good thing beaten in the Royal Handicap. He broke at the start and did not get going until well "after Ronald Derby and must have given the latter four seconds instead of receiving three. Dundee made up his lost ground too quickly and was left without a finish. Waress was the popular pick for the James Memorial Handicap, carrying £207 more than Avernus. Ayrmont Chimes was a good third favourite, and anything else was showing a good price. Waress was always handy to the leaders in a good race, but had no chance with Raydus in the run over the final quarter of the journey. Raydus made a one-horse finish of the Janies Memorial Handicap. He was

always well placed, and inside the final half-mile took charge from Worthy Queen. Inside the final quarter Raydus came away from the rest of the field. The winner comes all the way from Nelson, and the success was well deserved after such a lengthy journey. It might be a good idea for the Oamaru Trotting Club to run the Invitation Match on the big circuit, and not on the trotting track. The big track would minimise the luck of the draw for position at the start, and the long stretches would give each horse a much better chance of getting a good run than what might be the case on the trotting track. It might be worth while placing the idea before the drivers interested, Jvnd they could form an opinion after an inspection of the two tracks. The spectators would obtain just as good a view of the match on the big track as on the small one, and there is no question as to which would supply an equal chance to each horse. . ... A meeting of the Trotting Association was held on Tuesday last, when the board resolved to confirm the action of the Ashburton Trotting Club in fining M. «■ Edwards £lO for careless driving, and that he be called before the Licensing Committee and severely reprimanded tor his conduct in the race. A slight drizzle set in before Walla Walla and Harold Logan came out for their match. The going became a bit greasy, as the surface was already a bit on the damp side prior to the ram setting in again. The going was against the long-striding Walla Walla, and strength is lent to that opinion by the easy manner in which Harold raced past his opponent. Walla Walla looked particularly bright and well, and so did not fail on the score of lack ot racing condition. No excuse could be offered on the ground that Walla Walla went too fast in the first half, as Harold Logan was always within striking distance. They were both racing in the middle of the track, about 30 teet from the rails. ... . The Takanini trotting trainer and reinsman, F. J. Smith, bids fair Bus season to establish fresh figures for New Zealand. With five more days trotting to complete the season in the Auckland province and an extra day at Wellington, Smith has trained and driven 42 winners (says “Abydos”), while horses from his stable have been in a minor place on 32 occasions in the proportion of 17 seconds and 15 thirds, _ the team winning a total of £5265 in prize money. The list of winning horses is:— Worthy Light 9, Donum 5, Chancellor, Pegaway, Anita Fame 4 each, Nell Yolo and Lislea 3 each, Kuini and Rustle 2 each, Worthy Chief, Rare Roy, Le Chenault, Kcwpies King, WYecker, and Kewpie s Guy 1 each. On one occasion Worthy Licht was driven by C. Smith, but F. J. Smith evened his total when he won with Bingen Chief at Thames. ihe placed record of Takanini horses, reads:— Worthy Chief 6, Jester 5, Anita lame and Kuini 4 each, Kewpie s Guy 3, Worthy Light and Chancellor 2 each, Kewpie’s King, Wrecker, Rare Rey, Le Chenault, Pegaway, and Bell Heather l each. C. S. Donald, with 45 wins in the 1929-30 season, holds the trainers record, and with 36 winning drives the same season held the reinsman s record until last season, when Smith scored SI wins.