TROTTING ROTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23500, 14 May 1938, Page 21

TROTTING ROTES

By Sentinel Voloma A strong fancy in Voloma for the Beach Handicap is, engaged in the Pacific Handicap. Vologda Vologda, who won pulling up in saddle at Oamaru, is amongst the harness horses in the Pacific Hand cap. Perhaps If Jock McGrath behaves himself and holds a correct gait he will take some beating in the Tahuna Handicap. Donor Donor won the Domain Handicap in 3min 20 4-sscc. and is on a 3min 34sec mark in the Southland Handicap, Cyrano meets Donor on 48 yards better terms than when he chased him home by go : ng 3min 21*l-ssec. The Draw The draw tor .position at the post the Pacific Handicap will have some influence on the betting and the result. Embark t2min 8 4-ssec) and Marlene i2min 9sec). who chased Great Divide t2min 8 2-ssec) are again engaged The Favourite There will be a dispute for favouritism between Morello and Cantata in the James Memorial Handicap. Morello will probably be first choice. Three Bells Three Bells was a well-backed horse on the first day at Porbury Park, but wrecked his chance at the start. Where there’s smoke there’s fire, and they don’t put money on duffers. A visitor’s Opinion According to the opinion of Mr R. C. Freestone, a Melbourne pressman who came over for the interdominion championship meeting Lawn Derby would have, required only ordinary luck to have put up an undefeated record if brought to Addington The same scribe said a surprising feature of the contests was the number of New Zealanders who were bad at the post. They stand quietly enough waiting for the release of the barrier, but tangle in their hopples when they move oft.

In ter dominion Meeting Despite the fact that the interdominion championship meeting suffered from three postponements through wet weather, the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club made a small profit over the meeting. The sum of £17,000 was given in stakes, and considerable expense was incurred in bringing six horses from Australia. It is understood that while the gate takings were satisfactory, they were not up to expectations, and the anticipated revenue from the sale of race books also was less than was anticipated. The totalisator receipts for a meeting which was extended over three weeks were surprisingly good, the amount invested on the four days being £185,329. What would havq happened had the meeting been favoured with fine weather on the days it was scheduled to be held is a matter for conjecture, but from the tremendous interest taken in the grand final it is certain that the interdotninion championship would have resulted in a big profit. Five Shoes A recent winner in Perth, Derby Fayette, carries five shoes. As a means to counteract a tendency to skip on the turns, his trainer has successfully tried the experiment of placing two shoes on the chestnut’s near hind hoof. One is a thick aluminium plate of about three-quarters of an inch in depth, over which is nailed his ordinary steel shoe. Derby Fayette has a malformation on his near side leg in the shape of a bunch of muscle nearly as large as a man's closed fist. This, it is thought, prevents the leg from functioning as freely as the off-side one. Continuous massage has reduced the lump, and it is thought that it may subside as treatment progresses. Something Wrong Prize-money for the recent Trotting Derby meeting in Sydney was' £IOOO. usually an ordinary meeting is £7OO. Apart from the annual Derby, the N.S.W.T.C. does not offer any special monetary inducement to trotting men The Sydney Thousand was dropped years ago. The interdominion championships wore inaugurated a year or two ago. Perth and Adelaide seized the chance to hold them and made a great success of the venture. New Zealand held them at Easter. They are now open to any club or State that wants them, as it is generally believed that Tasmania is not in a position to do them justice. So far the N.S.W.T Club has not made a move, but Perth is clamouring for them There Ls something wrong (says the Sydnev Referee) when the biggest State in the Commonwealth is not eager to secure the richest prize in the Australasian trotting world. Perth is willing to offer £BOOO in prize-money.