TURF CLUB FIXTURE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19697, 1 August 1938, Page 9

TURF CLUB FIXTURE

HEAVY GOING fS PRINT PIELDS DISAPPOINT (By “Trenton”) The extremely heavy track at Makaraka on Friday and Saturday was a serious handicap to a number of horses that were in good racing trim, but the mudlarks revelled in the going and the public did not fail to take advantage of the fact. The fields for both days, with the exception of two or three races, were good and would undoubtedly have set new figures for totalisator turnover had fine weather prevailed. Although the jumping events did not fill very well, the sprint races each day were the chief disappointment. This, however, was mainly due to the heavy going, as Gisborne is in the unhappy position of possessing several sprinters capable of taking their places in any sprint field in the Dominion, and also a number of “has beens" and moderates, it was, therefore, not surprising to find the good ones when the handicaps appeared with weights that were almost prohibitive in heavy j going. The absence of Peter Beckford, Golden Blonde and Llangollen was particularly noticeable. However, owners and trainers cannot be blamed for not starting their horses when a hard race in heavy going may undo months of patient training and effectively settle a horse’s chances when other sprint races carrying larger stakes are in view. Substantial Margins The judge, Mr. P. A. Pettit, was not overtaxed, most of the winning margins being substantial, although there were several close contests for the minor places. However, the judge’s decisions were always popular.