TRACK TALK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3854, 24 January 1928, Page 54

TRACK TALK.

By

Adonis

THE DUNEDIN CLP

There have been many fine contests for the Dunedin Cup, and the field of 14 for this week's fixture is such as to prompt the belief that it will go down into history as a great race. One or two of the runners may find the distance beyond them, but the pace they set over the earlier stages may result in the record for the race (4.29 1-5) being sent toppling, especially if the track is in the fiery condition it is at time of writing. Five horses stand their ground on the limit, but the favourite is not likely to come from them. Harry Audubon and Jolly Chimes have had a long run of outs, and do hot look at home in the clasu, while Logan Holme, brilliant sprinter though he is, has yet to prove his ability to see out a soundly-run two-mile race. Downcast ran second in each of his big heats at the Forbury Park spring meeting last season, but since then has not been finishing on well in his races, and consequently he does not appeal as the probable winner. William The Great is an improving pacer, but as yet he lacks that little touch of brilliancy that so frequently means the difference between winning and losing. Apart from that, in the Park Handicap at the Canterbury Park meeting, Dalnahine and Silk Thread finished well ahead of him when standing him 72 and 12 yards respectively, and the 12 yards allowed to him in each case is not likely to bridge the gap. Of the three on 12 yards Golden Devon will probably make the pace for most of the journey, but when the flails are flying others will head him off. Silk Thread, fit and well, would be among the most fancied ones, but the fact that a splint has been troubling him will lose him some supporters. The American-bred pacer stepped a nice race to win the Gold Cup, and at the Canterbury Park meeting finished third to Dalnahine and Pan Yan after having led most of the way. St. Maura is generally regarded as being merely a sprinter, but she has been showing promise of winning over a journey, and looks like being one that will trouble the back-markers. Three good ones in Terence Dillon, Concliffe, and Bonny Logan are on 36 yards, and the firstnamed (bracketed with Dalnahine) will probably carry more money than any of the other runners. In the Forbury Handicap at the Forbury Park spring meeting he ran second to Dalnahine when in receipt of .24 yards from his stablemate, and for that he is allowed another 24 yards. The Author Dillon gelding stood Bonny Logan 24 yards in the same race, and now that they meet on level terms he looks to have it well on her. Since winning the Waikato Cup last season in 4.30 3-5, soon after his arrival from Australia, Concliff has not lived up to the reputation that preceded him, but his recent work, coupled with the fact that he would have beaten Bonny Logan iu the Mace Memorial if he had b«en

more, patiently handled, raises the belief that.he will tramp a great race on Friday. Logan Park (coupled with. Concliff) and Machine Gun, on 48 yards, should on recent performances, be in the front bunch when heads are turned for home. The former won the Canterbury Handicap brilliantly in 4.28 when in receipt of 48 yards from Dalnahine, and. with the 36 yards between them in the Cup most backers will prefer the Logan Pointer gelding again. Machine Gun finished a gopd. nurd in the Auckland Cup, among those finishing behind him being Concliff, both of. them being started from the limit. •J. n > ? Summer Cup on the second day the latter was in receipt of 24 yards from the Machine Brick gelding, and beat him tor second place by half a length. There is now 12 yards between them, and that should about balance the difference if Auckland form works out right. The back- -” lar b ei , alnal ” n ? has retained his form r™ ™iW since winning the Oamaru bld’ nn h lf b le '. v . eather is wet he mightcesses t<? r® J? rowin ® H st of micil, Th? lnt V,eations are, however, and if fh g f°T g WIH be ?“ the hard side > M VC.’ Machine Gun. • Terence Dillon, v Logan Park.

THE INVERCARGILL MEETING. The programme for the two-day card of on March Ca 2 g »nd C^ b ? T ta be held i larch 2 and 3, has been issued and a pleasing feature of it i s that the stakes in season i Carry V ,crease over last MuHhik-n W C d- SS6s ° the Mo n™ai and u Handicaps, for unhoppled trotteis, have been tightened up 3sec, and die WeU have baen Wheel to mo s t of the other events. Trotting is firmly established in the southern city, and there trot.U.r SUffiClent i nU f nber O . f Smart P acers and tiotters in and about the province to ensure good fields with even a generous tightening. Then there is the further fact that ' hT SC t fl ’°r m n fu J ther afie ld are likely to be attracted that way. The Invercargill Cup is, of course, the feature of the meetng? a " d carries a stake of 275sovs and •> Pa. Y a iled at 25sovs. It is open to horses that can do 4.50 or better. The Trotting Club Handicap, the big race the second day, carries a stake of 215sovs and has similar conditions attached to it Round «>®e two races an attractive programme has been built up, and the nominations, which close on February 17, will undoubtmeetin >■ SUC “ aS t 0 ensure a niost successful

THE OTAGO CUP HANDICAP. Second in importance to only the Dunthe Otago Cup Handicap, and the field of 11 includes Trampfast, one of the best trotters in commission, and Cannonball. one of the most promising. Bine Ihorpe, last season’s winner, is out on the Jimit> but it is a long time since he did anything that would justify support for him on Friday, and he will‘not be one of the favourites. Duke Bingen won over two o - at j be New Br ’ghton meeting in 4.4 u Z-o, £ nd came at the right ena to win from Our Lady, who now meets him on 12yds better terms. They both look like finishing in front of Blue Thorpe. Pet roleuse, who has recently joined R. Berry’s stable, won in 4.414-5 at the Otahuhu spring meeting, and nothing on the front looks better than she does. If Clonmel would only trot solidly all the way, the others would find him hard to beat, as he proved at the Canterbury Park meeting by winning the Hornby Handicap, but he seldom controls his speed. Engagement is what is known as a “ good breaker,” losing no ground when she lifts, and she has run some of her best races at Forbury Park. At the winter meeting she won the Peninsula Handicap in 4.403-5, and is now on 4.38. When he dead-heated with Herbilwin at the Forbury Park spring meeting Little Logan tramped the two mile s in 4.381-5, and he is now on 4.37, where he looks a bit close to those behind him. Cannonball on the sam 0 mark, won the Middleton Handicap at the New Zealand Cup meeting from Nighborn and Clonmel, to each of whom he was giving 24yds, but in his recent races he has not been finishing on well. Elzear and John Mauritius, on 60yds, will carry heavy support, and providing the former keeps to a level gait she will hit into the money. She pulled out a brilliant burst of speed to win the Dominion Handicap after losing a big stretch of ground. A win for the back-marker, Trampfast, would be very popular. At the Canterbury Park meeting he finished second to Logan Park in 4.28 1-5. and from a 4.30 mark he should beat most of the others. The finish may be fought out by Elzear, T rampfast, John Mauritius. THE BALANCE OF THE CARD. Big fields stand their ground in the balance of the events, and in most cases the public will probably experience difficulty in locating the favourite. Recent race and track form, however, point to the following horses running well in their respective races: Peter Fashion, Hawkesbury’s Pride, and ituby Bingen in the Vauxhall Handicap ; Locanda General. Marines, and Four Bells in tho* Electric Handicap; Randolph, Sea Queen, and Sarsaparilla in the Musselburgh Handicap; Don Derby, Dundas Boy. and Nelson M’Elwyn in the Southland Handicap; and Tennessee’s Child, Logan Hanlon, and Liberal in the King George Handicap. THE HARNESS SPRINT.. Since mile harness races were instituted at Forbury Park meetings they have become popular with public and owners alike, and an acceptance of 12 for the Flying Handicap is very gratifying. Of those on tho limit. Lord Bingen looks the best. At the New Brighton summer meeting he finished a length away from Kotuku Jack in 2.17. . Event, on 12yds, would have a chance if he would only step up to his track work, but it is a long time since he did that, and Desert Star and Jean M’Elwyn, on the same mark, seem to hold him: safe. The former is a great beginner, and will be nicely placed when the field Bettles down, which is a . big factor in mile a races; Bob Logan has been stepping close to the money for some time, and he takes tho eye as one that will fight out the finish. Donside was considered good enough to

take all the way to the Canterbury Park meeting, and he ran second to Harold Burwood there in 2.13 1-5. There was only a head between them, and now that they meet at a difference of 12yds, the southern pacer should reverse the positions. Brentr loc is a brilliant beginner,- but in his recent eye as one that will fight out the finish, few furlongs as to leave himself without a finishing effort. Logan Park will probably be started in the Cup, and so the favourites may be Bob Logan, Donside. Desert Star.