TROTTING NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22566, 9 May 1935, Page 14

TROTTING NOTES

By Sentinel

Casanova The Wrack two-year-old Casanova, who is engaged at Oamaru, has a private reputation for speed. Air Flow The imported filly Air Flow figures amongst the acceptors for the Oamnru meeting. She went 3min 36 4-ssec at Forbury Park, and io on 3min 42sec at the White City meetingIn Excellent Condition The track at Oamaru is in capital condition, and if the weather holds line the going on Saturday should be really good. Well Gaited

The imported American trotter Air Flow, who won so impressively at Forbury Park, is well gaited, and has a very smooth style of eoing. She should be hard to beat at Oamaru on Saturday. A Double Engagement Rocks Ahead has been accepted for in two races at Oamaru, and is sure to be in favour. She is a better pacer than her form at Forbury Park would suggest, and she likes a grass track. A Consistent Pacer

Great Logan has been showing consistent form in his races, and that fact entitles him to consideration for the big race at Oamaru on Saturday. A Return to Form

Craganour is now* returning to the form that he showed earlier in his career and he should win more races before the end of the season. He is in two races on Saturday, but makes the greater appeal in the Enfield Handicap. A Good Looker

The two-year-old Fine Art created a good impression when he appeared at the Methven meeting. He is a good-looking gelding by Jack Potts from Golden Bond, by Worthy Bond from a Petereta marc. Meeting Again

Craganour, Taxpayer, and Great Logan, who filled the places in the King George Handicap, are booked to meet again at Oamaru. Taxpayer meets Craganour on 12yds better terms, and Great Logan meets Taxpayer on 12yds and Craganour on 24yds better terms.

Rehandicaps Mr George Paul has declared the following rehandicaps for the Amberley meeting:— Kowhai Trot Handicap: Beverley King penalised 24yds, now 60yds bhd. Teviotdale Trot Handicap: Beverley King penalised 36yds, now 72yds. bhd. ior the Oamaru meeting the rehandicaps are as follows:—lnnovation Handicap: Walter Wrack, penalised 24yds, now 60yds bhd. Advance Handicap: Play On penalised 36yds, now 36yds bhd. An Accident

It is reported that L. S. Martin, owner of the champion pacer Walla Walla, has secured the sire Tennessee Direct for his stud. Tennessee Direct has sired a number of smart horses in Victoria, notably Tennessee Wood, winner of the Goulburn Champion Stakes, and the Harold Park Handicap earlier in the month. Mr Martin was at Harold Park to see his horses run, but he could not drive for, at the ehow (says an exchange), while training Walla Walla, he met with an accident, and broke his right hand. Walla Walla ran unplaced in the Flying Handicap, and Wallagalong, who has lost, form, was unplaced in the trotters' division oi the Derby. Wallawill, however, paid expenses by winning a division of the I rotters' Handicap.

A Suggestion It has been suggested that the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club should stage two tight-limit mile and a-quarter events at its August meeting. IMB would prove popular with owners of higuclasa horses. Usually, at that time ot the season, there is little to engage horses assessed on tight marks, unless they are giving away substantial starts. With the New Zealand Cup in view, owners do not care to risk receiving a penalty over the longer distance, and a tight mile ana a-quarter class would draw the best. It the Metropolitan Club could see its way cleav to work on these hne a (says the Sun) it would be advisable to have its programme issued at an early date, so that owners could have every opportunity to study the classes on offer and. to have their horses prepared. This, being usually a slack period for some, of our beet horses, they are often jost in from a spell to begin their preparation tor November racing.

Sapling Stakes The New Zealand Sapling Stakes, to be decided at Ashburton next month, now engages the attention of many interested in the light harness sport, and while the juveniles in. work are regarded as better than ever before and the held will probably number more than has.previ6usly contested the race, not a single two-year-old winner has been recorded up to the present. It might be added (says the Press) that not one has shown even good form in public, if matinee meetings be excepted. The Oamaru meeting next Saturday may show one above the average, for at this meeting last year Moana Tama, who later won the New Zealand Sapling Stakes, was a starter, while at the Ashburton County Racing Club's meeting Ironside showed promise. There will be several opportunities for owners to race their Sapling Stakes candidates, but at the present time the. preference is for the Roydon Lodge gelding, Double Great, while Frisco Maid, Fine Art, and Gaillard have admirers.

The Sydney Derby Although his success wag at the expense of the favourite, there was a generous reception for Lord Daley when he won the trotters' division. The New Zealand filly, Princess Onyx, was always at odde-on, a reputation for fast trials beine responsible (says the Sydney Morning Herald). When the start was made she would not settle down, and lost at least four seconds before she consented to trot at all. Thereafter she moved very sweetly. Lord Daley, however, was never at fault. He trotted cleanly, and at no stage did he cause his driver, H. J.

Maloney, the slightest concern. Yet, with two furlongs to go, it seemed that the New Zealander would win, for she had not been called on for any special effort, her driver, E. N. Kennerley, having exhibited great patience after his early experience. Then, when she did sprint, Lord Daley was ready for her, and he stalled her off, to win by a length. He trotted the mile and a-half in 3min 33sec, a remarkable performance, considering that the record was 3min 41 2-ssec, put up by a really smart trotter, Barney Alto, who has won among unhoppled pacers. Yet Princess Onyx was unlucky, for, making allowance for her failure to get going with the others, she must have gone at a rate better than Smin 30sec to get where she did in the finish, and for a three-year-old trotter this time is exceptional. Her driver had an eventful day. He was unseated when Suevic fell in the Approved Handicap, and later finished third in the Harold Park Handicap on Emilius Way. A Match Suggested

Tennessee Wood, the Victorian pacer, who is trained by W. M'Kay, owner of Auburn, Lad, has been hailed throughout Australia as the best three-year-old produced for many years, but Mr E. W. Campbell, of Western Australia, is willing to test that claim with Donald Winwood (says the Australian Trotting Record). Tennessee Wood has earned fame in Victoria and New South Wales as a real racehorse, and that he is equal to beating matured horses in open company over a distance of two miles speaks for itself. Both his grandsires were celebrities. In America, Napoleon Direct had an unhoppled lmin 59:lsec race record, and is also a two-minute sire. His son, Tennessee Direct, was imported to Victoria about 10 years ago, and later mated with an unraced daughter of Admiral Wood produced the wonderful Tennessee Wood. There is a suggestion of a match between Tennessee Wood and Donald Winwood, the Western Australian champion, the race to take place in Perth. There is a possibility, however, that there will be a third competitor in the New Zealander Graham Direct, who has claims to be regarded as the best of his age in New Zealand. If Graham Direct is sent to Australia he is not likely to make the long journey to Perth, but the match will then probably be arranged for Victoria or New South Wales. In any case, there is a chance of Graham Direct meeting the winner, if a match race is arranged in Perth, later in New South Wales.