TROTTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22259, 11 May 1934, Page 13

TROTTING

... .By .Sentinel.-' ... j > Dundee looks certain to reach dresscircle company. ■ '"■_ \ \ The promising young trotter Prince Harvester is engaged at Oamaru tomorrow, and should be among the favourites. ' - - ■ Space has been booked on the \\anganella, which leaves Auckland oh May 25 for Sydney, for Walla Walla and Auburn Lad. ■ :'. Ringtrue won his. first race. at the recent Auckland meeting, and he followed up this success by annexing the Bruntwood Handicap at Cambridge on Saturday, Toing 7 2-iisec better than he was handicapped to do. He went away smartly and led throughout, giving a fane display of pacing. Ringtrue has two engagements at the Waikato meeting tomorrow, and now that he has struck form he-should be very hard to beat in whichever he is started. " The snapshot of Harold Logan and Walla Walla at the finish of their match shows the gait of both horses. It will be seen that Harold Logan is much shorter and rounder in action than Walla Walla, whose much longer stride is against him in false going. Auburn Lad will go to Wellington to take part in the Invitation Match at Hutt Park on May 19. W. M'Kay, owner-trainer, stated that after the Wellington meeting Auburn Lad and Walla Walla would leave for Australia. Walla Walla would not return to the Dominion, but he would bring Auburn Lad back in the spring to contest the New Zealand Trotting Cup in November. M'Kay, who is greatly impressed with trottiug in New Zealand, added that he would bring with him a serviceable team. Oamaru ha s missed the heavy downpours experienced both north and south, and the moderate rain at the end of last week has, if anything, improved the track at the Oamaru Racecourse. Fine weather has prevailed at Oamaru throughout the week, and unless exceptionally bad,

weather sets in before Saturday, the track will be in well nigh perfect order for the Oamaru Trotting Club's winter meeting. An inspection of the course shows that it lias never been in better condition for the May meeting. The placings at the barrier for the Oamaru Invitation Match are as follows: —Walla Walla, Harold Logan, Roi l'Or, and Ked Shadow. Patrotig at Oamaru will have the last chance of seeing the champions in action. All football fixtures have been postponed, and business premises are closing early on Saturday on account of this special trotting attraction, and with splendid acceptances in the other seven races, a record attendance for.the course is confidently anticipated. A special train will run for the convenience of patrons from the south attending the Oamaru Trotting Club's winter meeting on Saturday, leaving Dunedin at 7.42 a.m.. and arriving at Oamaru at • 10.53 a.m., in ample time for the first race which is timed to start at noon. On the return journey the train will leave the racecourse at 5 p.m., and Oamaru Station at 5.49 p.m., arriving at Dunedin at 9 p.m. The Invitation Match over the mile and a-quarter at Oamaru, will be the deciding one over the three distances between Walla Walla and Harold Logan, the Australian champion winning the mile, and the New Zealand champion the mile and a-half. Roi l'Or is likely to meet with much support, as on the second day at Christchurch he went the race of his life from 72 yards behind, to finish half a length behind Auburn Lad in 4min 14 l-ssec. The fact that Red Shadow finished ahead of Harold Logan at Auckland should also add great interest to the contest. In the mile from a flying start at Forburv, Harold Logan beat Walla Walla .by half a length. Mr P. J. Kelleher, of Hakataramea, has given a gold-mounted.whip to the Oamaru Trotting Club, for the winning driver in the Invitation Match. \Mr- L. S. Martin, owner of Walla Walla, paid a visit to the Oamaru Racecourse yesterday morning, and expressed great pleasure at the excellent condition of the track and at the splendid appointments at the course. He said he was very giad to find that the rain had not been detrimental to the track. Walla Walla is very well and is not suffering from the strenuous time experienced at Dunedin. . He will be given a workout at 8.30 this morning.