RECORDS BROKEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27572, 14 December 1950, Page 12

RECORDS BROKEN

Thrilling Races At Tahuna Speedway

Records are made to be broken. This adage was proved at the Tahuna speedway last night, when patrons who had anticipated some fast times and thrilling races with the first meeting locally of Trevor Redmond, of the Christchurch track, and Ron Johnston, the Dunedin champion, were not disappointed. In the first race, the first pairing trial, Redmond, although a little slow at the beginning, was soon in the lead, and went on to win by about two lengths from Johnston. Redmond’s time was 74sec, 3-ssec faster than Johnston's clutch-start record, established last week. Johnston’s time for second also broke the record, being 74 l-ssec. In the third trial, Johnston was first out from the barrier and won in 73 4-ssec, thus breaking the record established earlier in the night.

Johnston and Redmond met in five races and honours were more or less evenly divided, Johnston winning three times and Redmond twice. In the final of the Dunedin Handicap, which was expected to be one of the most interesting contests of the evening, Redmond was unlucky, as he made a faulty beginning. He raced well for third, however.

In the pairing trials, which were to help the selectors in choosing the Otago team for the northern tour. Aston Quin and Redmond tied for first, with 10 points, and Johnston scored 8. Quin rode particularly well, winning two of the trials and finishing a close second to Redmond in another.

Geoff Leith won the third heat of the first round of the JAP Trophy Handicap and is now level with T. Johnston and A. Quin, all of them having three points. The junior rider, J. McLeod, had a successful evening, winning a heat and the final of the Tahuna Handicap and also the Junior Short-limit Handicap. The evening’s programme was marred by an unusually large number of accidents, none of which proved serious, however. Results:—

Possibles v. Probables Pairing Trials.— First trial: T. Redmond 1, R. Johnston 2. J. O’Kane 3; ’time, 74sec (track record). Second trial: A. Quin 1, T. Johnston 2, W. Vinnicombe 3; time, 77 l-ssec. Third trial: R. Johnston 1, T. Redmond 2, T. Johnston 3; time, 73 4-ssec (track record) Fourth trial: J. O'Kane 1, A. Quin 2, B. Duckworth 3; time, 79sec. Fifth trial: T Redmond 1, A. Quin 2, W. Vinnicombe 3; time, 79 4-ssec. Sixth trial: G. Leith 1, J O'Kane 2; time, 78sec. Seventh trial: R. Johnston 1, T. Redmond 2, J. O’Kane 3; time, 75 4-ssec. Eighth trial: A. Quin 1. G. Leith 2, W. Vinnicombe 3; time, 78 4-ssec. Tahuna Handicap.—First heat: J. McLeod (scr) 1, S. Healey (30yds bhd) 2; time. 85sec. Second heat: T. Johnston (90yds bhd) 1, A. McHardy (60yds) 2, E. Baker (scr) 3; time, 83 4-ssec. Final: J. McLeod (scr) 1, A. McHardy (60yds bhd) 2, S. Healey (30yds) 3; time, 84 2-ssec. Consolation: E. Baker (scr) 1; time, 84sec. JAP Trophy Handicap (first round).— Third heat: G. Leith (70yds bhd) 1, B. Duckworth (70yds) 2, W. Vinnicombe (70yds) 3. Time, 80sec. Junior Short-limit Handicap.—J. McLeod (scr) 1, B. Duckworth (40yds bhd) 2. Time, Dunedin Handicap.—First heat: T. Redmond (140yds bhd) 1, A. Quin (75yds) 2, J. McLeod (scr) 3; time, 81 4-ssec. Second heat: J. O’Kane (75yds bhd) 1, S. Healey (scr) 2, B. Duckworth (50yds) 3; time, 81 l-ssec. Third heat: R. Johnston (140yds bhd) 1, A. McHardy (scr) 2, W. Vinnicombe (50yds) 3; time, 80 l-ssec. Final: R. Johnston (140yds bhd) 1, J. O’Kane (75yds) 2. T. Redmond (140yds) 3; time, 80 3-ssec.