TROTTING NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22367, 14 September 1934, Page 13

TROTTING NOTES

By Sentinel. It w r as announced "over the air” that Gamble rah off the track at Wellington and broke his sulky. The-damage to his sulky was caused by Supertax putting a foot through a wheel. According to the Press, “Gamble has let hig backers down on several occasions, but he is still likely to go out a . very warm first choice for the New Zealand Derby to be run at Addington in November.” ■ It; is rather interesting to- read- of a horse paving his way to the possibility of a big success by letting his backers dow r n on rgeveral occasions.

An- Auckland ; exchange . reports that Chancellor has wintered particularly well, but he may not sport silk until the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s spring meeting. Chancellor is now on 2min 13sec, 2min 47sec, and' 4min 33sec over the various distances, and so ..he wjll find several races to suit him if brought to Addington next November. His visit would prove interesting. ,- ; Many of his admirers, have claimed that he was equal to, if n,ot better, than War Buoy as a two and- three-year-old, but with , the exception of the Sapling Stakes, these two have never met. War Buoy’s win at. Wellington last Saturday brought him back to 2min 13sec, 2min 47sec,,and 4min 34sec on the handicapping table, and so if Chancellor comes south; these two look certain to meet. Chancellor is good, but he will find much easier opposition nearer home.

The fact that . a prize will go to the first, horse- at the; end of - the' first halfmile in a - Free-for-AU oyer, two miles cannot .'be ■ taken as .a guarantee 'that the field'will be driven at . top speed to get it. Nor will the fact that a prize, also goes to the first horses at thd end of the first mile and a-qtiarter be a guarantee that the field will race at top up •to that stage of the race'. Some * may; of course, go for the- sectional prizes, ■ but they are not--likely .to be. -first at the finish.:',; The introduction, of. sectional prizes suggests that-the. principal’ events run over two miles at" Addington have not been true run races. ~ There-is good reason - for holding an opinion in that direction because the pace is seldom'on over the first mile,of, the.;New' Zealand Trotting Cup/ This materially contributed to Harold Logan’s success in .1931. In the heats they drove; to qualify. In the final they went-the first mile in 2min ISse.c, and Harold . Logan won ; in 4min 18- 2-ssec, after , coming over the final- half mile in Imin Iscc and' the final quarter in--57- 2-ssec. The last, mile was cut-out in ,2min 3 2-ssec. That is to_ say,, it was practically. reduced to a mile race. In 1932 Harold .Logan won in 4min, 10 2-ssec, and ; cut out his, final half in 58sec, after a; slow pace set to suit him .in the, early .stages. Last year they ran the, first mile in 2min 14sec and the second in 2min 10 3-ssec, but Harold Logan stuck to, the rails too long and left his run tod late to get up when the.pace wag on at the finish. The going did ■ not help to make fast time, and it will' be remembered that Red Shadow finished wide out; to keep away from the rails. /. .'. .

• The Takanini trainer, F. J. Smith, is having a busy time preparing a large number of horses, .says the Auckland Herald. Wee Machine and Gailton, who were successful at ,Epsom last month, are going along in the right way, and Ganton may again be the stable i-.cpresentative in the intermediate class for .straight-out trotters. Wrecker is still at Glenora Park, and no definite plans have yet been made regarding his next engagements, but if he remains in Auckland he will race in the chief two mile events next month. War Girl/ who at the last meeting sjioilt any chance she had by a faulty' beginning, is shaping up well, while: Rayon d'Or, who did not fulfil his August engagement, is making useful progress. Worthty. Light and Chancellor have been recommissioned, but their tasks so far have been light. Chancellor, who has wintered particularly well, may not sport silk, until the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s spring meeting. Several novice and : juvenile horses are also receiving- attention, and these include Muriel' Bond, Embers, Dark Shadow, three-year-olds by Great Parrish—Halgana, Blue Mountain King—Bonnie Bingen, and Guy M'Elwyn—Carolita. and two-year-olds by Jewel Pointer—Halgana and Frank Worthy—Roma Bingen. A maiden trotter by Peterwah is also making reasonable improvement. With eight starts and as many wins to his name, it ‘is now being,asked when War Buoy will come to the end of his winning sequence. That he must be beaten sooner or later is beyond doubt, but, barring accidents (says “ King Cole”), he will go for some time yet before he meets his Waterloo, although he is now on the border of good com-

pany. It has been claimed that War Buoy has yet to meet and beat a really good horse, but without going into that part of the question, just how well his record argues for his future ia shown by a comparison with Harold Logan, Indianapolis, Worthy Queen, Roi I’Or, and Red Shadow, all of whom, after all, went through the classes War Buoy is now enjoying. Harold Logan was unplaced six times before he started on his winning sequence, and then he was beaten after scoring four wins in a row. As a seven and eight-year-old Harold Logan won six races in succession, which he has never since equalled. However, handicapping was done under a different system at that time; otherwise he may have done better. Indianapolis won two races, was second three times, and third once in his first -six starts, and then won four races in line, his longest winning sequence to date. Worthy Queen won her first three races, was unplaced twice, and scored in her next six races, >vhich places her equal to Harold Logan in the number of successive wins. Roi lOr s best was four wins in succession, one at four-year-old and three the next season. Roi i’Or has never been likely to win many races in succession, in spite of his extreme brilliancy, and that in his last three placed performances he has gone 4min 14 2-sscc. 4min 14 l-ssec, and 4mm 14 3-usec. This season is his seventh since he won his four races on end, and only once in that time has he won two races without recording an unplaced performance between. Red Shadow has always been a consistent horse, and he has twice won four races on end, once as a three-year-old and again at the last New Zealand Cup meeting. , But tor being asked to compete against impromptu, Red Shadow, Harold Logan, Auburn Lad, anj Lindbergh, the Auckland pacer, Worthy Light, may have equalled War Buoy’s record. He had won six races without an unplaced performance . when this impossible and .untimely task was set him. Worthy Light has won in his only start since, and he has a good deal in store for him. Apart from Worthy Light’s record, it will; be seen that War Buoy, in’ winning eight races on end, has done bettor not only in a winning sequence, but alsp m that he has still, to bg beaten at this stage than any of the older and proved champions of the present time.