TROTTING NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22612, 2 July 1935, Page 4

TROTTING NOTES

By Sentinel. Mending in Manners Casanova can go When, balanced, but has been a bit doubtful at'the barrier. Reports now say that an improvement has been shown in barrier manners, and the-fact should-soon bring Casanova into the winning list. Nicoya \i It is reported that Nicoya has joined C. 'K., Yeatman’s stable. Yeatman has ‘also two additions to his team, both four-year-olds, one being a mare by Silk Thread from Pearl Light, and the other a gelding by Great Bingen from Real the Great. The Basic Knowledge • R. B. Berry has transferred his team to a private track. Since Berry abandoned the turf for the trotting track he has been very successful and, like others, the knowledge gained amongst the thoroughbreds has stood to him in building up success in, the sister game. A Remit

The, Methven Trotting Club has put forward a remit to the effect that the 1 onus of placing horses on their correct marks shall rest with the starter. The same club also has a remit reading “on the completion of the framing of the handicaps for any meeting and to include subsequent rehandicaps, if any, the hajidicapper shall furnish to the secretary by first mail after declaration of handicaps a signed official list of his framings?’ Why the starter should be burdened with further responsibilities it is hard to say, but it would seem that if the secretary of a club is going to receive the official handicaps it is his responsibility to carry them to the logical corfclusion in presenting the necessary instruction to the starter. Peterwah Parentage

Captain 'Bolt, winner of., the Royal Handicap at Auckland, is a six-year-old gelding by Peterwah—Medway, and is therefore a brother to Great Way, a fine trotter ■jvheu he does his best. Captain Bolt was bred by his present owner, Mr R. C. Fisken, of Gisborne, Who imported Real Guy and Peterwah from America, and with the litter scored, several sensa-tional-wins. peterwah has left several good performers, including Enawah,, winner of the New Zealand Sapling Stakes, but he '■ was riot an outstanding success as a sire. He is now in Australia. Captain- Bolt is reported to be a very fine trotter, and he may prove a good advertisement for his sire. Of Medway, the dam, little is known, and according to the New Zealand Stud Book, she is an Australian-bred mare by Rock Huon — Red Book.

Apprenticec At a meeting of the Canterbury Owners and Breeders’ Association last week, Mr E. P. C. Hinds proposed a scheme for the registration of apprentices and stable assistants, and after some discussion the matter was referred to the Insurance Committee, who will make full inquiries regarding the scheme and report to the next meeting of the association. The introduction of such a scheme is long overdue,, for while the Racing Conference has a very complete form of apprenticeship, the young men in trotting have no such advantage. Too many of our most promising young reinsmen are compelled to forsake the sport because of the lack of opportunities in race driving,,and possibly in,the future the professions oftraining. and driving will be separated as they are in the galloping sport. Very few jockeys hold trainers’ licenses, but in trotting a man naturally takes out both licensee, A “ Spider ” Fund

For many years there has . existed in Western Australia -what is known as' a “Spider” fund. Each owner pays a fee for each horse and the money is devoted to recouping an owner for any damage to sulkies in a race. - The Canterbury Owners and Breeders’ Association has discussed the inauguration of such a fund, and at last week’s meeting set up a committee consisting of Messrs E. F. C. Hinds, J. S.. Shaw,. F, C. Dunleavey, A. Butterfield, and J. Bryce to make further investigations and sumbit a report to the next meeting. The idea is a splendid one, ’ and the financing and administration of such a fund would not provide many difficulties. Possibly the work would devolve upon the New Zealand Trotting Association, and it would need to operate over the whole of New Zealand. Sulkies that cost up to £4O are often badly damaged through accidents, and replacing them makes trotting a very expensive hobby.

Young Blood A northern exchange reports that four young trotting horses owned by G. A. Williams, of Welisford, have arrived at Epsom Under the care of W. Willetts. The team' comprises the three-year-old trotter Bingen Sun, who has gone into G. Webb’s stable, and a filly by Gumdigger—Nellie Bramley, a three-year-old fiyy by Gumdigger—Lady Doris, and a two-year-old colt by Gumdigger—Nellie Bramley. who will be trained at Epsom by Willetts. Bingen Sun is by Nelson Bingen from Sun Dial, a prolific brood mare by Star Child from an Islington mare, who produced good winners in Gold Dial, Bell Dial, and Gumdigger. - He is the only one of her progeny to favour the trotting gait, and when trained by Webb earlier in the season showed some promise. Since returning to Welisford Bingen Sun has been operated upon,.and he has furnished into a sturdy-1 ooking gelding. The three other horses are pacers and are well forward, having received a sound education on their owner’s track at Welisford. They are much alike in conformation and show resemblance to their sire, Gumdigger, who was by Gold Bell. Nellie Bramley was a speedy mare by Great Audubon from Ima < Dillon, a Harold Dillon mare. Lady Doris was bred in Australia and is by Mambrino Derby from Doris, who also produced the piebald pacer Bicolour, who won several useful races for Mr J. A. Mitchell some seasons ago. Lady Doris is also a piebald.

A Live Body At a meeting of. the Canterbury Owners and Breeders’ Association, held last week, Mr A. Matson presided over, a large attendance of members. The president reEorted on his efforts to persuade the Ashurton Trotting Club to run the Sapling Stakes in divisions. 5 e regretted that his efforts were unavailing, but he hoped that some measure of success would be derived at future meetings. A letter was read from the Trotting Association regarding the New Zealand Stud Book. It was resolved that the president be authorised to reply to the association’s letters and submit suggestions which he thought would materially. assist in financing the issue. The Oamaru Jockey Club wrote protesting against the Canterbury Park Trotting Club’s application to race on March 21, stating that the Oaiftaru Club raced on March 21 and 23, and included in each day’s programme two trotting events, which were equivalent to half a day’s racing. and gave over £4OO in stakes. The secretary was instructed to write to the Oamaru Jockey Club advising that the association would support the club’s protest, as it was not in the interest of owners and breeders for two clubs to clash. The Auckland Trotting Club, in reply to the secretary’s telegram protesting against the closing of nominations on the day of the Ashburton meeting, said that, should owners nominate in classes not suitable, the club would refund the

nomination money. Messrs F. Sutton, E. Hinds, and B. Spiers -were appointed a Programme Committee. Messrs A. Matson and A. S. Gurney were appointed a committee to suggest suitable names for horses. ‘ Unlucky Weather

’ One of these days those most interested in the welfare of light-harness sport will become thoroughly convinced by force of circumstances that it is best served by, fair weather conditions. It has been stated that the Auckland Trotting Club was “ unlucky " in the weather on hand for the recent winter meeting. A club cannot be considered unlucky in meeting with • unfavourable weather conditions when attempting to stage a summer sport in the midst of winter. The principal light-harness meetings should as far as circumstances allow be staged during the late spring, summer, and early autumn months. By no stretch of imagination can light-harness racing be considered suitable when the ordinary weather conditions tend to make tracks heavy. The light-harness authorities might safely and with great advantage borrow the knowledge from England that racing only takes place during the months of favourable weather, and then it gives way to the so-called “illegitimate game” decided over hurdles and fences. Horses expected to travel at a high rate of speed and handicapped on that basis, cannot do so under antagonistic track conditions, and that is why in England they do not tempt Fortune to expect track conditions when commonsense knowledge does not expect the calendar to produce sunshine instead of snow. Once “Jack Frost” comes into evidence then light-harness programmes become very risky, but some clubs do not seem to recognise the fact, even though the only chance of success would be based on the sleigh and not on the rolling wheel