TROTTING NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22630, 23 July 1935, Page 7

TROTTING NOTES

Rv Sentinel. The President Mr J. B. Thomson has been re-elected p-esident of the Invercargill Trotting Club.

Strong Support , The strong support that light harness racing can give to a hunt meeting ia shown by the fact that 60 of the 166 nominations for the Christchurch Hunt Club’s meeting went to the trotting events. This means that the light harness owners will supply the bulk of the stakes for which they race.

Todd Lonzia Todd Lonzia is again an active member of J. Henderson’s team at Oamaru, and, all going well, will be seen out at the Grand National meeting. Graham Direct Graham Direct is reported to have wintered well and is in good shape to train on for the coming season. Some good judges hold the opinion that Graham Direct has championship honours awaiting him. He was got by Rey cle Oro from Becky Logan, by Logan Pointer—Miss Beekv. by Electioneer —Becky, by Vanderbilt—Lady Grey, by Berlin Abdallah. The Winners Roi TOr. with 19S5sovs to his credit, is second on the list of trotters for tue season just concluding. Other winners of over £IOOO were: — Worthy Light £I7BO Tempest 1610 War Buoy 1666 Wild Guy 1457 Taxpayer 1249 Elvo 1246 Iraq ' 1056 Sea Gift 1049 Blue Mountain .. .. 1040 Silver do Oro 1025 A Strong Stable According to statistics compiled by “Overcheck” for the present season, Air G. J. Barton is the principal winner, his winnings for the season being as follows; — £ Black Jester 32 Bracken .. \ 644 Chenwood 50 Compass 20 Grand Mogul 80 Huon Voyage 100 Indianapolis 3190 Mountain Dell 755 Tempest 1610 Teviot Downs 101 Triangle .. 192 Rongomai 268 Total £7132 A Red Post A few years ago, in order to make racing more attractive at its meetings, the New South Wales Trotting Club, which races at Harold Park, Sydney, decided to erect a red post a certain distance from the winning point. The idea was that when the winner passed the judge an electric bell started. Horses who had not then reached the red post when the bell ceased ringing were ordered to stand down for three meetings unless their connections could supply a reasonable excuse. Since the new system of handicapping was introduced it is very rare for horses not to finish inside the “ distance ” post, and it is understood that the red (or distance) post will be abolished in the near future. Lawn Derby

Among those present at the Victoria Park Trotting Club’s meeting recently was M. B. Edwards. Edwards was much impressed by Lawn Derby, who won the Unhoppled Handicap at the meeting. He scored from 132 yards behind, and won easily in Smin 25 l-ssec. “ Lawn Derby is a particularly good horse,” remarked Edwards to a Sydney writer. ‘‘lf taken to New Zealand, he would be certain to win races.” Like J. S. Shaw and others in Christchurch, W. J. O’Shea, who trains Lawn Derby, also has gallopers in hand, and he won the Novice Handicap at the Menangle Park galloping fixture recently with Bnl Lite.

Saddle Horses Four of the six races recently decided at Victoria Park were won in harness, but the number of saddle horses at meetings on this track is steadily increasing. A few months back it was unusual to see more than a few during the day, but at

this meeting (says the Sydney Referee) 27 were ridden. Many consider it an advantage for a horse to be ridden on a iqugh dirt or grass track, and results in Sydney confirm this view. The N.S.W.T.C. wjjll not allow any other than harness horses to compete at Harold Park. Apart from the advantage a saddle horse has on the small Glebe track, the club considers that the sport should be regarded as a harness sport only. Such a view may be extravagant, as it is really the pacing and trotting that counts, and not the gear. _ If the N.S.W.T.C. considers it inadvisable to allow saddle and harness horses to compete together, that view should not prevent it placing an event on its programme confined to saddle horses. An innovation of this character would be very popular.