TROTTING NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22286, 12 June 1934, Page 5

TROTTING NOTES

By Sentinel. '

Nominations are due to-morrow for the two trotting events on the Oamaru Jockey Club's winter programme. J. Bryce, the well-known, trainer, who is at present in Lewisham Hospital, is making satisfactory progress towards re: covery. ", " r . W. J. Tomkinson, who had to return to a hospital last week, will undergo an operation, which is adeemed necessary to effect a complete recovery from the result of his accident. , ~ Punters had a bad run at Ashburton, as only one favourite in, Teviot Downs got home during the day. This unlucky betting and heavy going naturally did not help, to swell the totalisator returns. It was a fairly general opinion that Prairie King made more than full value when purchased’ at SOOsoys by Mr G. AitCheSon,, but' he is_,now’ a cheap horse with two wins to his credit, as a good dividend went with the win at Ashburton. , • ■ - . . , Harvest Child, who won the principal event at the Ashburton meeting, started in 34 races last season without scoring a win. He managed to get placed three times. His best form Was displayed at the Addington , spring meeting, • when he piit up 4min 24 2-ssec in the Lyttelton Handicap,’ won by Sunny Morn in 4min 27 I-ssee, when-; getting, 36 yards from Harvest Child. The Jack Potts colt Gamble was unlucky in the Sapling Stakes, as he finished fourth after, losing a lot of ground at the start. Those'in front of him at the finish were all out. and could not have improved. Possibly Moana Taina might have done better, but his narrow winning margin .suggests that lie was doing, his best at the finish. Donalda was also unlucky, as he also lost, ground at, the start.. Both Gamble and Donalda are very likely sorts, and with ordinary luck should more than pay their way in the future. Light-harness racing is not a. winter sport, as at this time of the year the weather is apt to be anything but favourable. Two, important fixtures in the Forbury Park meeting and the Ashburton meeting were seriously handicapped’ by bad weather and a consequent shrinkage ip the totalisator, returns. Still, no one would dream of advocating that lightharness racing, should be confined, as nearly as possible, to the spring, summer, and autumn, as is done in the case of flat racing iri 'England. Even the National fixture, held in’ August at Addington, has had two ’ postponements during the same meeting. . Flat racing and races over jumps are not seriously hampered Ir heavy going, but, of course, the jumpers are not “ hitched to a sulky ” and required’ to drag weels as well as themselves through the ground. The ideal conditions for the light-harness sport exist at the New Zealand Trotting Club’s meeting, which , is generally held in fine weather and-under favourable track conditions, but when held in winter, the nncers should wear. skis and be hitched to a snow-rncing sledge as in "Russia and Canada. The sport, however, is very popular with the public no matter what conditons are on hand, and shows more signs of being on the wax’ than on the wane. • , ’ ■, 1 ’