TROTTING NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22295, 22 June 1934, Page 13

TROTTING NOTES

Br Sentinel.

There will:; be two. trotting, events on the Ghristchurch Hunt Club's programme for August, 4. The postponement of the opening. of the first-day of the Auckland Trotting Club's meeting until to-morrow supplies, another instance that light-harness racing is not a winter* sport.

•H. M. Parahajl, a leading Amcricau trainer, with ■' headquarters at Urbaha, Ohio, has more than 100 horses in work. Vo fewer than 24 from- this, stable will be raced; on the Grand Circuit, which extends from June 23 to July 7. The Match P.ace.betwecii Calumet Crusader and VanSandt will .take place on July 4. The race is for 2500 dollars, and will, be decided on the best "two out of three mile heats. In each day's racia: on the Grand Circuit a,handicap event will conclude the racing, and while all the big events are run over a mile, these races vary in distance .from six; furlongs to nine furlongs. Most of these handicaps are claiming races. The idea is to put a price on a horse,, and anyone may purchase: at the' amount advertised. The smaller the price the better,the horse is handicapped. If he is nominated for 700 dollars he starts off scratch, at 1000 dollars he starts froni .40 'feet behind, and at 1200 dollars he is asked to concede .80 feet start. Others may start.Ju. the race, without: a claiming fee>; but in this case a penalty.of 120 feet is imposed.' The races: are decided on thetwo-heat system, but the winner, of the first is penalised 40 feet in the socond.

•The'present light harness .season just coming to an; end i marks the most progressive one ever identified with the sport in New,Zealand; For"the first time-in our" history visions of a two-minute horse loomed up on the horizon and came:within an ace of fulfilment. If Walla Walla and Auburn Lad had arrived here in the spring instead of the autumn they would have stamped their names on our records in much bigger type than they.did, and also provided a much greater stimulus to our cracks ; to assault the Watch. When a horse can: approach a two-minute gait in the autumn :it is: fairly, safe to: say that under the atmospheric conditions obtaining at midsummer the watch would have been "marking' something; unachieved away froin the mile tracks-in the United States. Next . season .-will • probably herald the first two-minute horse. in. New Zealand,-' and it is. to be hoped: that ambition: will be'satisfied by the. recbrdbeing achieved'by one being bred and born in our country. :, There is &• vast difference in the bridging of. the final couple ot seconds and the margin'.it marks on the road to attainment, and the fulfalment can only come under the most favourable conditions. : Experience of fast times, put. up at Riccarton and Addingtoh show that the midsummer months lend, the greatest assistance to. ahorse beating the watch, and when they "pitch a make a record next season let. it be made when track and atmospheric conditions help to : keep the watch busy. New Zealand is up against a big hurdle by the fact that it does not provide a horse witu a mile track to gather and hold • an extreme*'flight of speed, and the only compensation in that, direction-; is to make thiniis as favourable as possible jn some other direction... , .'. • ; . , •