TROTTING NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22835, 20 March 1936, Page 13

TROTTING NOTES

Bv Sentinel.

Blue Spark - Blue Spark appears to be getting more solid and losing the tendency to break at his own shadow. Brisk Business The totalisator in use at the West Australian Trotting Club’s course is said (o be aide to handle £3OOO in a minute. The Failure of Favourite# The downfall of favourites at the Windham Trotting Club’s meeting was no doubt largely responsible for the shrinkage in the totalisator turnover. The All-aged Stake# The All-aged 'Stakes introduced by the Ashburton Trotting Club has conditions viewed with anything but favour by some owners. It is held to favour three-voar-olds rather too much.

Paul Bingen Paul Bingen, who won a double at Wyndhain, is an aged gelding by Nelson Bin"en from Zenobfa, by Franz, a broth r to Fritz, the best trotter of his day.

Valdor Valdor, the winner of the Wyndham Trotting Club Handicap, is a three-year-old bv Maxegin or David M E wyn from Ruth Column Guy, an imported mare by General Watts, a son of Axworthy. Ruth Col man Guy prior to her importation produced Shirley (2min 4*sec) in America. Good Going According to a recent visitor to the Perth meetings, the race track is perfect Aided bv a special grader selected by the president (Mr J. P. Stratton) while on a recent trip to America, it resembles a billiard table surface before racing begins, and no matter how much racing takes place during a night it appears to

be just as even and fast at the conclusion. Proof of this was given when New Derby appeared at the completion of six events and ran a mile in 2min 2Asec. The fact that he had competed in the Grand Final of the Interdominion Trotting Championship only little more than an hour previously further enhanced the effort. Stipendiary Steward# Active - The stipendiary stewards have been very active in Australia during the last few weeks, and at the Harold Park meeting on March 5 G. and W. Townsend were each disqualified for 12 months and A. J. Hucker w T as suspended for two months. Four days later activities transferred to Victoria Park, and J. E. Ellis, H. J. Cohen, and S. Barnes were each suspended for a month. The charge against Ellis and Cohen was “improper practices ” during the running of the race, ft appears that when the barriers were released one of thfi strands knocked Llhse whip out of liis hand, and he started without one. He was driving Victor Derby, who is a lazy pacer. To the five furlongs post he drove without a whipj but he finished with one. And Cohen, behind Towrang Boy, was without his. The Championship# A visitor to Perth says that never in the history of Australia bijve such gigantic champions struggled for supreinacy._ As full reports were published progressively, he did not propose reviewing performances except to pay due homage to those great horses* who have*made history for trotting in this land. Logan Derby was undoubtedly the public idol. He was considerably quoted on theVourse, train, and street, and not once did he fail to justify the great opinions formed by his admirers. New Derby (2min 24860) also enjoyed a great popularity, and it was a disappointment that he met with slight interference in the Grand Final. There is great speculation as to what might have been the result (Logan Derby excepted), although Evicus (2mm 3sec in the mile test) demonstrated the wisdom of the Grand Council when selecting her as the grand champion. The points system is one which commands great commendation, because it affords facilities tor potential and accepted champions to race side by side without eliminating any due recognition of their respective greatness, but he was prepared to. suggest that m future the progressive points awarded for times and performances should be calculated separately for the purpose of declaring the grand champion. Fortunately for Perth a variation of allocation of points would not have affected the result, although a careful perusal of the system will reveal what could have happened.