TROTTING NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22432, 29 November 1934, Page 15

TROTTING NOTES

By Sentinel.

Adsum has speed, but does not carry it very far.

Sage King is a solid type of pacer who looks certain to win good races.

Midshipmaid gives every mdication of being an early winner. Glencree is worth remembering for the minor meetings.

Sir Gowan showed more than a glimpse of his best speed at Forbury Park, and is sure to be one of the fancied runners at Winton.

If Donalda shows anything like his true form he should be hard to beat at Winton.

The New Brighton Trotting Club has received 213 nominations for its summer meeting, which is set down for Saturday, December 8. The Improvers' Handicap has attracted over 50 entries. Katute, by Nelson Bingen—Muricato, is represented by a very promising two-year-old by Matenlight in J. Bryce's stable, and will again be bred to the Four Chimes stallion. It is quite probable that Our Aggie, the dam of Red Shadow, will also visit Matchlight this season.

The pacer Gold Jacket, who won the Auckland Trotting Cup in 1928 and 1929, is still displaying good form in Australia, in spite of advancing years. He has raced successfully in West Australia and South Australia, and this month finished a good third in the Melbourne Flying Handicap, won by Princess Myrtle, off 48yds, in 2min 12jsec, with Civens, limit, second. Gold Jacket, who was a firm favourite, was on 36yds, and ran the mile in 2min 13£sec. He is now 14 years old.

It i s reported from Auckland that Impromptu took no harm from the racing he had at Addington, and he is in nice order to continue his preparation for the Christmas meeting of the Auckland Trotting Club. He will be nominated for the Cup, but there is no guarantee that he will start, as his owner says his pacer would have no chance of beating Indianapolis at a difference of 24 yards, and he may be raced in sprint events and the President's Handicap on the Hast day.

It i s claimed by "'Argus," and he is supported by many others, that the present system of handicapping is a complete success. He instances the case of War Buoy who lias won 10 races on end, in fact was unlucky to suffer defeat in his next attempt. Indianapolis also be added, as it would not have required much luck for him to stand" with an unbeaten record. The system is no doubt a complete success when regarded from that point of view, but what about

the owners who chase them. In my opinion there is a but and a blot attached to the present system. It is a complete success, but it is very apt, and does spoil the betting on a race when a horse completely dominates the handicaps, as War Buoy did at Forbury Park and also in the race he won on the first day at Addington. The blot is supported by the fact that when such horses as War Buoy dominates a handicap and is really the only one with a chance on paper, then others are strongly tempted, and apparently some yield and fall, to let him have an easy race. Any system that completely favours one horse in a '" handicap " is open to criticism and condemnation. It i s certainly a good system to encurage the breeding of high class horses and favours the long-pursed, owner who can afford to buy them on a, trial to prove value, but once a-horses merit becomes quite established a club suffers. This was undoubtedly the case at Forbury Park, but worse still comes the fact that a War Buoy can scare away opposition, as he did at Forbury Park and spoil a race, although he did not even start. The blot on the system is too obvious to call for comment. The present system of handicapping is a complete success, and it has done much to popularise the sport and improve the standard of racing. It offers every inducement to breeders (says 'Argus ); and also to sportsmen who prefer to pay the price for a promising young pacer or trotter rather than endeavour to breed one. The method of adjustments enables a good horse to win £7OOO or £BOOO in stakes, and that is in accordance with the highest principles of the pastime. From a club point of view, the appearance of high-class horses attracts the public, and the increase in gate receipts is some compensation for the loss of revenue that accompanies an outstanding horse's appearance in handicap events. The case of War Buoy at Forbury affords an excellent example. He competed in two races and dominated the market on each occasion. A number of spectators would not accept the small dividend War. Buoy was likely to pay, and a g re ater number would not try to select which of his opponents would finish second. The temperament of backers on such occasions usually ends in them "watching the race. At' Forbury the investments on the two races that War Buoy contested showed a shrinkage in the returns of £1763. During the meeting the sum invested on the totalisator amounted to £33,014 10s, as, against £35,204 10s last year, a total decrease of £2190.

Worthy Queen and Nell Vplo, the two most-discussed trotters in New, Zealand,' will ,be matched at the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club's inidsummer meeting, which has been brought forward to coincide with the visit of the Duke of Gloucester. F. J. Smith, owner and trainer of Nell Volo (3.16), issued a challenge in Auckland to race any other trotter in New Zealand for a side wager of £SOO, to be the best three of five heats over a flying mile. His, challenge was accepted by J. S. Shaw, owner and trainer of Worthy Queen, who has taken a record of 2min 3 3-ssec for , a mile against time, and has gone 3min 14 l-ssec for a mile and a-half. It has been known for some time (says the Sun) that Shaw would take up the gage provided arrangements were made for a stake as well as the side bet, and that the race be confined to the best of three heats. The Metropolitan Trotting Club, it is understood, has offered a stake of £250 for the best of three heats, so that the winner will take £750 if the wager remains at the original amount. On the first day of the Trotting Cup meeting Worthy Queen ran fourth in the Spring Handicap; and in doing so she recorded 3min 12sec from! post to post, the first half-mile in lmin 3sec and, the first mile in 2min 7 l-ssec. On the same day Nell Volo ran third in the Middleton Handicap of two miles, and went. 4min 33 2-ssec. In this event she did not get a good run._ On the second day Nell Volo won the Sockburn Handicap easily in 3min 19sec. On the last day she was second in the Governor's Handicap in 3min 16sec. Before coming to Addington, the American-bred square-gaiter was responsible for a sensational performance in giving her field almost a furlong start in the last mile and winning easily. This match race is almost sure to be the means of establish-' ing new time for a flying mile.