TROTTING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3861, 13 March 1928, Page 55

TROTTING.

FIXTURES. March 14.—Wyndham T.C. Meeting. March 15, 17. —New Brighton T.C. Meeting. March 23, 24.—Oamaru J.C. (at Wingatul, four events). March 24.—Thames T.C. Meeting. Marcl 24.—Wellington T.C. Meeting. March 28, 29.—Southland R.G. (three events) March 29, 31.—Wanganui T.C. Meeting. April 7. —Tuapeka J.C. (two events). April, 7, 11.—N.Z. Metropolitan T.C. Meeting. April 7, 9.—Hawera T.C. Meeting. April 9.—Beaumont J.C. (two events). April 14.—Taranaki T.C. Meeting. April 21.—Te Aroha T.C. Meeting. April 21.—Ashburton T.C. Meeting. April 28.—Wellington T.C. Meeting. May 3, 5. —Forbury Park T.C. Meeting. May s.—Cambridge T.C. Meeting. May 19. —Oamaru T.C. Meeting. June 2, 4.—Canterbury Park T.C. Meeting. June 9.—Ashburton T.C. Meeting. June 23, 27.—Auckland T.C. Meeting.

TRACK TALK.

By

Adonis.

JUDICIOUS PRUNING. Although, in consequence of the temporary but long-sustained financial stringency which is general throughout the country, the stewards of the Forbury Park Club have been compelled to use the pruning knife on the stakes for the winter meeting, the pruning has been carried out judiciously, and in fio way has the card lost any of its attractiveness. .The big races, the Prince of Wales Handicap and the Victory Handicap, have been dropped from £7OO to £6OO, but the cut has been spread over the three placed horses in such a way as to make it a very slight one. . Each of the mile saddle heats is of 20sovs less value, and the mile harness races of 25sovs less, while the balance of the cut consists of the 20sovs clipped from each of the Renown and Railway Handicaps. The pruning is not, however, a one-sided contract, for where it has been found necessary to wield the knife on the stakes there is also a cut in the acceptance fees. The decision to tighten the mile saddle heats up by Isee will be generally applauded, and if similar steps had been taken in respect to some of the other races the applause would have been greater. The meeting will mark a milestone in the history of the club, for the reason that at it will be raced the first New Zealand Sires’ Produce Trotting Stakes, for three-year-old unhoppled trotters, and it is to be hoped that the club’s efforts in this respect will be more appreciated than they apparently were in connection with the New Zealand Trotting Stakes. The meeting is still well ahead on the calendar, but even at this early stage one is safe in saying that a big list of nominations will be received on April 13.

THE WYNDHAM MEETINGWith the form shown at the recent meeting at Invercargill to act as a guide, backers at the Wyndham meeting to-mor-row will probably experience little difficulty in locating the favourites in the several events. Unfortunately, form is not an infallible guide, and while it is frequently and truthfully said that the uncertainty of any rport or pastime gives it its charm, there are many who would appreciate it more if it were less costly. Of those on the front in the Cup the best looks to be Hushabye, who followed Lady Freeman home in the Invercargill Cup, but she will find. it harder to step into the money this time. Kinney Dillon has been pacing very freely in her work, and this fact, together with the further one that she is honest and can stay, will probably result in her being made favourite. Lady Freeman won the Invercargill Cup easily, but has been tightened up 3secs through Slump and Nelson M'Elwyn, who finished third and fourth to her on that occasion. Slump is not brilliant, but he can stay, and it will also be in his favour that it is a big track. Nelson M'Elwyn has been racing disappointingly. but if he does not stop in the last half-furlong he will be one of the hardest horses to beat. Miss Adonis appears to be held safe by some of those in front of her, but Liberal, if he -goes away to his handicap, will go very close to -winning. It is only in the belief that he will dwell at the barrier that backers will look elsewhere for the favourite, and they may prefer Kinney Dillon, Nelson M'Elwyn, and Slump. Some fairly smart maidens are engaged in the Novice Handicap, and the place-getters may come from Grace Bingen, Harold Lee. and Musical Chimes. Although she did not win at Invercargill. Princess Thorpe paced well enough to show that she is ready to win, and from 24yds in the mile saddle heat she looks to have a great chance. She may find Sonata and Azaleas the hardest to beat. In the balance of the events the favourites may . be: —Gardenella, Exotic, and Jessie M'Kinney in the Ferry Handicap; Jolly Maid. Sea Hawk, and Bricklayer in the Edendale Handicap; Bon Fleur, Gardenella. and Kyra in the Menzies Handicap; Winnie Chrysler, Red Abbey, and Overture in the President’s Handicap; and Needles, Sunfish, and Coldwood in the Final Handicap. CONVENIENT POCKETS. It would be interesting to know how many drivers are “ tempted ” into pockets that offer during the running of a race, and how many regard them as convenient happenings into which they tuck horses that are figuratively marked “ Not wanted on the voyage.” , Seldom does a meeting pass at which a horse’s prospects of a win are nullified by being driven into a bad position on the rails and held there until the race is practically over; and though this in some cases can be put down to the innocence of inexperienced drivers, one would not find in the excuse book a chapter that would bolster up the cases of those who through experience are entitled to be regarded as leading reinsmen. The line of demarcation between “ innocence ” and “ wilfulness ” in the matter of getting a horse into a bad pocket at a vital stage of the race is somewhat shadowy, and it must be admitted that there would be

difficulty in convicting a driver of -being within the realm of the latter, but it might well be dealt with under the heading of incompetence, and entail a penalty of a period of suspension. At anyrate, an official reminder to offenders in this respect that their driving was not marked by judgment might tend to check what seems to be a growing practice with some reinsmen. IN SADDLE AND SULKY. Coldwood will win a mile saddle race before the season is over. Kotuku J ack is coming right, and it will be no surprise to find him among the winners before Easter is over. If there was a guarantee that Exotic would keep to a level gait in the Ferry Handicap at Wyndham to-morrow, backers would not ask for anything else. . The Ameiican rtallion Brigand showed signs of lameness after a recent workout, and his prospects of winning another race are anything but bright.

Tomkinson has Elzear and Young Blake stepping along well, and the fine pair of trotters both look like gathering more money before the season is over. Haere Ra is a better horse now than he has been for some time, and a win for the Harold Rothschild gelding will not come as a surprise. Princess Thorpe should win a mile saddle race before the season is over, and looks well enough placed in the Tois Tois Handicap at Wyndham.

Brentloc is not yet showing any partiality for a journey, but with his tremendous burst of speed there are plenty of wins ahead of him in sprints. Musical Chimes is a likely-looking four-year-old by Cathedral Chimes from Musician. She is in A. M'Lellan’s stable, and the southern mentor should have no difficulty in placing her for a win. School Belle, who is on the front- of the saddle race at the Waimate meeting, is by Logan Pointer from Schoolgirl, and so has breeding on her side to helji her to a win.

Apparently Warepa is more at home on a clay track than he is on a grass one. He is not by any means a high-class pacer, but he looks to have another win or two in him.

Overture may stop in the last little bit of the President’s Handicap at Wyndham meeting to-morrow, but if he runs it right out the back-markers will find it hard to catch him.

Pando Pointer is striding out well, and promises to be one of the favourites in the harness race at the Waimate meeting. The Logan Pointer gelding has the speed to win in the company.

Oak has race-winning speed, but nullifies it in a race b„ breaking consistently. If le could be persuaded to keep to a level gait he would win among the best.

Firebrand added to his handicap each day at Timaru by dwelling at barrier rise, and it was the effort required to take him up to the field that left him without a kick. Nevertheless, he looks sure to win races.

Doncliffe is an improving pacer who promises to pick up a stake before long. He does not stay too well, however, and so will be better suited by the shorter distance races.

So far Jean M'Elwyn finds a two-mile journey beyond her, and until she has a little more age on her side it would be policy to keep her to sprint distances to the end of—which she can get in slick time.

After his disappointing performance at Timaru Danny Boy will lose many of nis big army of supporters. Th e Harold Dillon pacer is speedy, but he wi.l have to learn how to get on the way more quickly than he does.

Providing Coldwood keeps right, he is sure to win again, and very soon. He cleared right away from the balance of the field in the Thomson- Handicap at Invercargill and was only jogging at the finish.

If Grace Bingen is started in the Novice Handicap at Wyndham she will find the company more congenial than was the case in the mile saddle heat on the first day at Invercargill. Everything points to her being a winner before long. Sunfish is a. smart three-year-old, and she looks like developing into one of A. M'Lellan’s best stake-winners. She is quick out of the barrier, and from the front of a sprint race will take some heading off.

Etta Cole, who won the Improvers’ Handicap at the Waikato meeting very easily, is a very promising thrce-vear-old by that good horse Peterwah from Ladv T. ole ;, ? he ls a level-headed mare, and should be a good stake-winner. Jessie M'Kinney must be bordering on the pension stage, but S. Todd is getting good work out of her, and the company I’L S °n P° or i* l the Ferry Handicap at Wyndham to-morrow that she might trot into the money.

t> Viz, 11 ■h'l eur > who is by Bon Homme from Bellflower and is thus a half-brother to Arctotis, showed good form when running second to the latter at Invercargill and a reproduction of that would make him a hard horse to beat to-morrow.

, When Kinney Dillon is harnessed up for the Wyndham Tr tting Club Handicap it wi.l be found that she is a very much improved mare. J. F. O’Connell has never previously had the Harold Dillon mare woiking so well ac she is at present, and she promises to step inside her handicap. The Invercargill trainer J. R. Forbes V- ad . a 'r> ry hkely-looking maiden named Erm s Own m his stable, and she is stepping along in a way which suggests that she will develop into a winner. Erin’s Own is a four-year-old by Erin’s King from *a Young M Kinney mare, <r a i at , tbe back encl of last season that beahawk showed his best form, and it looks as though he is going to’ follow the same line this season. The Great Bingen gelding should finish in a place in the Edendale Handicap at the Wyndham meeting. Gardenella has gone on the right way since running second to Harold Moor at the Invercargill meeting, and she has been

moving nicely in her work. She is an honest, even-tempered mare, and she will be well supported in her engagement at Wyndham. One of the easiest wins at the Timaru meeting was that recorded by Okoura in the mile saddle race on Saturday. She stepped clean away from the field when the winning post loomed up, and her performance left the impression that she might win in a tighter class. In Victor Bingen R. Townley has a very promising young trotter with a bold style of going. He had been beating All Peters in his work before the Timaru meeting, and was expected to show up well in his races, but it was obvious that he was carrying the greenness of inexperience. ,V le fastest Pacers in commission south of the Waitaki at the present time is Liberal, and when he ’is in his full r e z he , a ver y attractive mover. Unfortunately he is not reliable at the barrier, otherwise he would soon be racing in good company.

Bed Swithin will be a better proposition next time out as the result of his racing u - Ll FP aru » and the indications are that she will soon return some of her purchase money She was i nc ]i nec ] f O run a bout a bit m her first race, but on the second day she got down to her work better..

When in the right mood Auditress can step a lively clip, and she was in the right mood on the first day at Timaru. In some of her however, there has been a suspicion that her heart is not in the right place, and so she may not step her wav into the be«t of company.

Great Hope did not pace into a place at Timaru meeting, but he gave more than a glimpse of his old speed, and there appears to be every justification for the stable s confidence that the Great Audubon pacer will win another good race before his track career concludes.

Ihe win of Sadie Huon at Timaru was a. popular one, as her owner-trainer. G. S. Smith, had not been behind a winner for a long time. The Denver Huon mare paced two good races on the openin'- dav, and a pleasing feature of her perform ances was the stamina she showed. Author Jinks did not finish on well in either of his races at Timaru, but he pulled out brilliant bursts of speed in the early stages, and the racing he had should help him to see the journey right out in his next race. There is good money ahead of him.

Nelson M'Elwyn takes the eye in the Wyndham Cup more than he has in any other race for some time past. He may find Slump the hardest horse to beat, as he is meeting the Capitalist gelding on the same terms as when the latter cut him out of third place in the Invercargill Cup. Mrs J. R. Blackie, the owner of Kibiringi, has leased the Our Thorpe gelding to the Invercargill trainer S Todd. Kibiringi has been a big disappointment, having let the stable down on several occasions, but a change .of surroundings may result in his showing sufficient speed to win another race. Vesuvius, who finished second to Shadow land at the Manawatu meeting is a prorniring young pacer by Matchlight from the Australian bred niare Hetty King. He >s one of V. Alborn’s team," and the West Coast mentor should find him a profitable proposition when his speed is fully developed.

Wild Nita, who finished second to Mary Locanda in the Trial Handicap at the Timaru meeting, is a good-looking three-year-old by Logan Pointer from Wild Queen, the latter a half-sister to Logan Chief. Wild Nita, who is owned by the Oamaru horseman, J. M'Lennan. was'stopping over the last little bit, but stamina should come with age.

The card for the Beaumont meeting on Easter Monday carries two events for pacers and trotters—the Dunkeld Handicap over a mile and a-half, in saddle, and the Electric Handicap over a mile, in saddle. The latter event carries a cup valued at £25. Nominations are due on March 16.

Muri, who is on the front of .the Hook Handicap at Waimate, is a smart four-year-old by Denver Huon from a Prince Imperial marc. Her speed is not yet fullydeveloped, but in her track work she has stepped to a gait that would make her a winner from the mark she is on in this particular face.

When Kanukot was trained out Wingatui way by R. C. Reed he stepped some great clips in his work, but in some races he was disappointing and in others unlucky. The Rothschild gelding is in the Morven Handicap at Waimate, but although the field is not a strong one there is nothing to justify his being made one of the favourites.

Streak, who is in the Hook Handicap field at Waimate. is a useful four-year-old gelding by Bon Patch frem a Satinwood mare. At the Southland Racing Club’s summer meeting he won over a mile and a-half in 3.38 2-5 and left the impression that he could have gone a bit better. White Sun, who was in receipt of 48yds on that occasion, finished third to Streak and Sunspot, and his recent winning performance at the Invercargill meeting makes Streak look’well placed at Waimate.