TROTTING NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23340, 4 November 1937, Page 17

TROTTING NOTES

By Sentinel

Returned Mr J. B. Thomson has returned from a trip to England and the Continent. At Addington The new totalisator at Addington cost £35,000, and has 42 selling windows, and the same number of payout windows. Evicus Track reports about Evicus continue to be of a very favourable nature, and the Australian pacer will be in better form next week than at any previous time since arriving in New Zealand. Indianapolis Indianapolis was sent a solid workout over two miles at Addington on Tuesday morning, and should be in the best of condition when produced at Addington next week. A Strong Team F. J. Smith has arrived at Addington with a first-class team, comprising Eling's Warrior, Bonny Azure, Ironside, and the Derby colt, Sandusky. All are in capital order, and should win more than one race during the carnival. De Soto De Soto is now at New Brighton to conclude his preparation for the Trotting Cup. He returned from Wellington perfectly sound, and has since been getting through good, useful work on the track. De Soto started six times last season, and won four races. He won the August Handicap on a slow track in 4mjn 45sec from a 4min 28sec mark. Grand Mogul beat him in the King Edward Handicap in 4min 23sec. De Soto went 4min 21 l-ssec. De Soto won the Speedway Handicap in 2min 9sec, and the National Handicap in 4min 20sec. Then came a win at Oamaru in 4min 21 2-ssec, and he finished with an unplaced performance on the last day of the Addington spring meeting. At his best De Soto represents a better than 4min 20sec horse on a 4min 24sec mark in the Trotting Cup. Big Money It will be possible for a horse to win £SOOO at the Inter-Dominion Championships to be held by the New 2'ealand Metropolitan Trotting Club at Addington next Easter. Everything is being done on a lavish scale, and if the world champion Greyhound makes his appearance the Programme Committee will, no doubt, hang up a substantial purse to any horse capable of bettering two minutes! The Metropolitan Club has adhered to the points system used at the previous championships held at Perth and Adelaide, but on a more generous scale to the winner. It will be remembered that Logan Derby went through the Perth Championships undefeated, yet he was beaten on points by Evicus, who put up the fastest times.

The Trotting Crown "Peter Manning lost his crown to Greyhound to-day at the trots, the grey gelding trotting in lmin 56sec, to become the sole custodian of the trotting crown," says the Horseman and Fair World of September 29. "Conditions were propitious, one of those most perfect days with no wind and a track that was the last word. It was a perfect piece of speed-setting and the result was that the 15-year-old record of the son of Azoff went by the board. The champion was accompanied by two runners, driven by Fred Egan and Will Fleming. He was at the quarter in 29isec, the next quarter was covered in 28Jsec, making the half 57£sec: then he eased around the third quarter in 30sec, the three-quarters in lmin 27£sec. The two runners moved up to him and he came on to trot the final two furlongs in 28Jsec, the mile in lmin 56sec." A Come Back

A year ago Do Soto broke down when winning the President's Handicap at Oamaru in a style that seemed to put the Trotting Cup at his mercy. A grave risk was taken in starting him on the third day of the Cup meeting when still lame, and he went into retirement with future prospects rather gloomy. The Rey de Oro gelding was resurrected in August, but lacked condition to see out a fast race, and he was beaten again at New Brighton. Since then (says the Timaru Herald) he has won twice in something like his old fashion, and if he gets to the post fit and well he is certain to be favourite for the Cup next week. There was nothing sensational in last week's performances. The system left him on a very lenient mark for a horse with his brilliant speed, and it was merely a question of soundness and fitness for him to win both races. He will face a bigger contract in the Cup, but he is capable enough if well enough. At Oamaru last October he won easily in record time for the track after losing a lot of ground in the early stages, and there is no reason to doubt his ability to stay the course. The Cup Trial The New Zealand Cup Trial resulted in a complete triumph for De Soto (says a Wellington writer), who gave Bonny Azure 24 yards and had a lot of ground to make up over the last halfmile to get through and beat her by a neck. Bonny Azure ran to the front after a furlong, with Glenrossie trailing her. She dropped Glenrossie with half a mile to go, and De Soto made a brilliant dab on the outside at that stage to reach second, place within the next furlong. Bonny Azure drew away slightly from De Soto on the home turn, but she came back to him at the distance, and after they had hung together for half a furlong De Soto gradually gained the upper hand to squeeze home narrowly. De Soto went without hitch on the hard track, and pulled up sound. He is very forward at this stage of his Cup preparation. Bonny Azure just failed after setting all the pace in a strong gale. Lucky Jack, always well placed, collapsed three furlongs from home, and was eased up before the finish. Glenrossie did not impress, and Rollo, who broke up at the start, was not persevered with. Village Guy came from a long way back, and left Supertax and Llewellyn's Pride to it at the business end. Guy Junior was patchy. De Soto was fresh from his victory over eight other Cup horses in the Weston Handicap at Oamaru, and was starting under a 12 yards penalty. By Rey de Oro, he is out of Entice, a Bribery mare who did not race. De Soto is owned by Mr C. Johnston, and is trained by T. Logan, who is over 70 years of age. Speed The season just closed in America has been a record-breaking one in every respect, and more horses have bettered two minutes than in any previous year. A cable message reported a wonderful mile by the three-year-old Dean Hanover, in lmin 58Jsec, and on October 1 he won the Kentucky Three-year-old Stakes in 2min o|sec, 2min and 2min OJsec, the fastest three-heat race ever won by one of his age. Now comes a report of another sensational performance by the three-year-old pacer Billy Direct, who won three straight heats in 2min OJsec, 2min ljsec and lmin 58sec. Of this record an American writer, under date September 29, has the following:— "To-day was a speed day Ion" to be remembered. Billy Direct, the crack three-year-old pacer of the Vic Fleming stable, won the Tennessee Stakes for three-year-olds, the first,two heats in 2min ftisec and 2min ljsec, the first half of the first heat in 58Jsec. In the final, Fleming decided to send him for a record, and what a mile it was! He was at the quarter in 30.}sec, then the steam was turned on and he reached the half in 59|sec. He paced the third quarter in 29sec. the three-quarters in lmin 28jsec, and far in the lead he came through the stretch alone, the final quarter in 29Jsec, the mile in lmin 58sec, equalling the pacing race record of Directum I, made at Columbus in 1914. It smashed all records for three-year-olds, and is also a new world's third heat record, replacing the lmin 58isec of Cold Cash, made at Syracuse in 1934." Tra*k Work Indianapolis was the highlight at Addington on Tuesday mornin?, where he paced two miles under a strong pull in 4min 35sec. He did his work on the centre of the course, and the extra ground he covered was equivalent to nine seconds for the two miles. At no stage of the trial was he allowed to do his best. He paced with the utmost freedom, and pulled up well. He is improving with every work-out, and two more sharp assignments will equip him for his big task on Tuesday. He began from a moving start, and the sectional times were two furlongs 35sec, half-mile in lmin 7 2-ssec, mile 2min 21sec, mile and a-quarter 2min 53sec. mile and a-half 3min 29sec, mile and three-quarters 4min lsec, and the full distance in 4min 35sec. The conditions were ideal (says the Star-Sun), and the track, which was watered and harrowed early in the morning, provided excellent footing. Aircraft was responsible for a pleasing effort over a mile and a-half in 3min 24sec. He went without hopples, and travelled two sulky-widths from the inside rail. Reymere paced the same distance in 3min 42sec. Gyrate is none the worse for his race at Wellington. He is under the care of W. Crookston, who gave the gelding judicious work, the concluding half-mile being done in lmin 9sec. Golden Cross covered two miles in 4min 35 l-ssec. He went alone, and covered the first mile in 2min 22sec. He has never been in better condition, but two miles seems to be too far for him. and he may pay a dividend over sprint distances. Doris Derby and Shrewdie hit out in an attractive manner while covering two miles in 4min 36 3-ssec. Doris Derby is now in J. J. Kennerley's stable, and has enough ability to win a race, although temperamental at the start. Shrewdie is a very reliable pacer. They did the first four furlongs in lmin 16sec, the mile in 2min 25sec, the mile and a-half in 3min 30sec, the mile and three-quarters in 4min ssec, and the full distance in 4min 36 3-ssec. Golden Ea»le made the pace for Great Admiral for a mile and seven furlongs, where Great Admiral trotted up to his companion and beat her to the winning post. The extra ground they covered was equal to nine seconds for the two miles. The watch read 4min 57 2 i - ec, the first mile being left behind .a 2min 36sec. Harlequin, Evicus and Sage King were responsible for a smooth exhibition over two miles, and while they were not tested at any stage of the trip, they recorded 4min 41sec for the full distance. They travelled in single file all the way, and did the first mile in 2min 23 l-ssec. The three horses are members of J. Young's stable, and are in the pink of condition for next week's engagements. Tempest was pacemaker to Bittersweet in a bout over two miles. They also covered a great deal of extra ground and registered 4min 53 l-ssec. They took 2min 35sec to negotiate the first mile, but went fast over the last two furlongs, which occupied 30 4-ssec. Cloudy Range pleased the critics by the resolute manner in which he paced two miles in 4min 42sec. The first four furlongs occupied lmin 12sec, the mile 2min 23sec, the mile and a-half 3min 32sec, the mile and three-quarters 4min Bsec, and the full journey 4min 42sec. He covered a lot of extra ground, his performance being equal to 4min 33sec.