IN SADDLE AND SULKY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3854, 24 January 1928, Page 55

IN SADDLE AND SULKY.

The record for the Dunedin Cup is 4.29 1-5, which is the time Logan Chief stepped to in 1925.

The first time Liberal gets away to his handicap he will win again. He has furnished into a smart pacer.

Diamond Child, who is on the front of the mile is reported to be one of the most improved mares at Addington.

Dundas Boy. one of R. B. Berry’s team, is spoken of as an early winner. He is on the front of the Southland Handicap. Fairlight is a fairly smart trotter when travelling at an even gait, but goes to bad breaks for no apparent reason. Lingfield is very genuine, and never runs a bad race. She has done well since winning the Gore Trotting Club Handicap.

Nelson M’Elwyn is a better horse now than he has previously been this season, and he look like gathering a stake at any time now.

Of the 14 acceptors for the Cup on Fri-'.iy Downcast, St. Maura, Dalnahine, a"' 1 6m Devon lined up with last season’s field. St. Maura may spring a surprise in the Cup. She has for some time past been showing promise of winning a good twomile heat.

Acre has been pacing attractively in his work at Addington, and the Author Dillon four-year-old should not be long in winning another stake.

Beta Corona is an improved trotter, and she has been shaping as though she’ will add to the money she won at Gore. She goes well for J. M’Lennan. At the Dunedin Cup meeting last season Logan Park won the Southland Handicap in 3.51 4-5. At this week’s meeting he is in the Cup and on a 4.28 mark.

Arctotis has never been properly right since going into C. Hadfield’s stable, but he is shaping that way now and may before long return some of his purchase money. Logan Hanlon looks an improved horse since racing at the holiday meetings, and may step into the money this week. He has not been the luckiest of pacers, but when he i s right he is more than useful. The Forbury Park track is too small for the knee-knocking Some Wilkes. The bigger the t'rack the better so far as he is concerned. . He travels all right on the straight stretches. _ Red Swithin. who won the Commissioner’s Handicap at Winton, is a shapely five-year-old by St. Swithin from Red Diamond, and takes the eye as one that will eventually step to a fast clip.

Four Bells has been very disappointing in his rac r> s, but it is a long time since he did such good work as he is doing at present, and if he paced up to it he would soon be among the winners.

Doncliff is among the regular workers at Forbury Park, and is showing improvements. He railed Mountain Chimes very closely in a work-out over a couple of circuits recently.

Although Stockade Junior is not among the Acceptors for Friday he is in steady work at Forbury Park, and looks ready to race. His next outing will probably be at the Invercargill meeting in March. Ilhon Denver will only need to leave at the right gait to get some of the money attached to the Electric Handicap. He is capable of stepping to a good mark over a mile in saddle.

Nelson Fay paid a heavy penalty for winning a small stake at the Vincent meeting, and he is now on a mark from which he will find it hard to lead another field home.

Mountain Chimes has been moving nicely in liis work, but he does not appeal as a prospective winner at next week’s ipeeting. He is giving away starts to some slick milers.

Lady Bingen, who ran second at Gore and won at .Winton, is a very promising trotter, and looks sure to develop into a good stake-winner. She is only a four-year-old, and so she has all her track career in front of her.

Lingfield is in capital condition, and has been pacing well. Huon Denver, however, beat her at Oamaru off the same mark as he is on in the Electric Handicap, and will do so again, providing he moves away with the field.

Mountain Chimes is being worked without the straps at Forbury Park, and is pleasing his new owner, Mr W. Hall. The Four Chimes gelding will be ridden by J. Clearwater in the Electric Handicap, but he will probably find it beyond him to give away the starts he is asked to. Major Domo surprised track-watchers at Forbury Park yesterday morning by the speed he showed when hunted over a couple of furlongs with J. Pollock in the saddle. The Wildwood Jun. gelding is, however, a horse of another colour in a race, and does not go well in harness. Since winning the big race at Winton, Tennessee’s Child has gone on the right way, and it will be no surprise to find him stepping good races at Forbury Park next week. The Harold Rothschild gelding is a game, genuine pacer, and runs a twomile journey right out. Concliff has been doing impressive track work, and the perfect-actioncd chestnut may yet prove that there was some justification for the booming that came with him from Australia. He will be coupled with Logan Park in the Cup, and the bracket is sure to be heavily supported. Of the backmarkers. in the Southland Handicap Nelson M’Elwyn looks the most likely to get up and cause trouble to some

of those on the limit. Tn the Domain Handicap at the Forbury Park winter meeting last season he won in 3.48 4-5, and is now on 3.51. His owner-trainer has him looking well. Quickfire and -Peter Fashion, who finished first and second in the New Zealand Trotting Stakes last season, are down to meet again in the Vauxhall Handicap on Saturday. The latter is the more solid trotter of the two, and wherever Quickfire is the First Fashion gelding should be in front of him.

Mariwhariti has no immediate engagements, but the chestnut gelding is ready to race at any time. He was spun put over a couple of furlongs at Forbury Park yesterday morning, and did them in 34 easing up. Providing he goes on the right way. ho will be nominated for the Otahuhu meeting.

One of the most promising young trouers trained at Forbury Park for many seasons past is Ruby Bingen, a five-year-old iaxe by Ndlson Bingen from a George M. Patchen mars, She never shows a semblance of a break in her work, ana J. Patrick, who trains her, should soon get her on the winning list. She will b e dnven by J. M’Kewen in the Vauxhall Handicap. The last two furlongs of a two-mile journey find Avalanche out, and that is generally where he loses his races. In the Brighton Handicap at the Forbury Park spring meeting he was so far in front at the end of 12 furlongs that it looked as though he could not be beaten, but a little further on came back to the field very quickly and finished very tired in third place. Hal Huon, who is owned and trained by H. Jones at Hastings and figures as an entrant in the Hawke’s Bay Cup, was a fairly consistent performer last season, being four times placed out of six starts. The son of Hal Zolock—Huonette won a 12-furlong heat at Wanganui, registering 3.34 from a 3.40 mark. Hal Huon was unplaced in the South Wairarapa Cup off a 4.49 mark, but is expected to do better on his home track. Some perturbation has been caused at the lack of interest shown in trotting in South Australia lately, says the Syclpey Referee, and unless an early impetus is given to the sport, the immediate outlook is not too promising. Attendances have considerably fallen off, and the position is not at all reassuring. It is hard to account for the apathy as harmony now rules among the controlling body, but public interest is showing a conspicuous waning.