TROTTING ITEMS

Southland Times, Issue 23380, 11 December 1937, Page 10

TROTTING ITEMS

TRITOMA IS LIKELY IMPROVER

POLA NEGRI WILL HAVE HER CHANCE Rey Spec’s chance of getting to the post in the Auckland Cup is extremely doubtful. The Southland bred mare Anna Wong is engaged at Ashburton on Boxing -Day. A high opinion has been expressed of her and die manner in which she has been supported in her races is further evidence of this. A habit of tangling has proved her undoing. The stock of Grattan Loyal has won eight races this season and been five times second and seven times third. They have won £1264 in stakes. Adioo Guy’s total is £1679, and Jack Potts, at the head of the list, has £7152. He has been represented by 21 winners, 17 in second place and 19 in third place. Wrack has had winners of £5395 and Rey de Oro £4999 15/-. Pola Negri has not won a race since she was transferred from Southland, but the pony pacer will have a royal chance of getting her name on the winning list at Reefton today. The turning track on the Coast should suit her down to the ground as she has much more ability than the vast majority in her class.

The field for the AsTiburton Trotting Cup, of £BOO, a 4.29 class to be decided on Boxing Day is as follows: Gamble, Parisienne, Gallant Knight, Aide de Camp, Evicus, Cloudy Range, Big Author, Llewellyn’s Pride, De Soto, Pot Luck, Reporter, Graham Direct, Plutus, Village Guy, Gunfire. Waikato Prince’s defeat of a field of pacers was one of the features of the New Brighton meeting. The Dominion Handicap winner has previously scored against the strapped brigade, but his performance on Saturday was by far his best. On the score of breeding he has not a great deal in his favour. His sire Florizel has rarely been heard of. He was got by Harold Dillon from Floranz, by Franz. The dam of Waikato Prince is given as a Finwater mare, but this is probably meant for a Finland mare. In spite of his short pedigree Waikato Prince has proved himself one of file best trotters in commission, if not quite up to the standard of the best of recent years.

Kay Francis, who is engaged at the Reefton Trotting Club’s meeting today is a three-year-old filly by Wrack from Princess Pointer, by Logan Pointer from Princess Poole, by Prince Imperial from Miss Wild Poole, by Wildwood. She was bred in Southland and educated by the Winton trainer, F. Langford. She is a plain looking filly but is bred to win races.

Tritoma, who won his first race at Gore this season, promises to live up to the good form he displayed as a three-year-old. When he won a race at that age, the Frank Dewey gelding looked like winning his way through the handicaps in quick time. Last season, however, he fell far short of these expectations, but there was a reason for this. The previous winter he was under veterinary care for a time and had apparently not fully recovered. The Gore pacer may develop into a useful stayer and his form at near-at-hand meetings may be of some interest.

The only surprise entry in the Auckland . Trotting Cup is the Australian horse, Speedy Boy, who was recently given a New Zealand mark of 4.26. The notable absentees are Red Shadow and War Buoy. In addition t; Speedy Boy, Lawn Derby and Evicus will give the race an Australian flavour, and on latest form, states an Auckland writer, the most likely one to match the deeds of the Commonwealth representatives, Man o’War, Minton Derby, and Blue Mountain King, is Lawn Derby. The best of New Zealand’s pacers are engaged, and the response is justification of the club’s enterprise in promoting a 4.25 contest with a stake of £l5OO. Indianapolis, three times winner of the New Zealand Cup, and winner of the Auckland Cup in 1933, and Roi I’Or, who won the following year in the record time of 4min 15 3-ssec, and who holds the Epsom two miles record, 4min 14

l-ssec, represent the highest grade. They are on 4.20. Roi I’Or is a veteran but he showed by his defeat of Indianapolis and other cup horses in the Free For All last month, when second to Supertax, that he is not a back number. Although Indianapolis has won three races at Alexandra Park, he has not given of his best on the right-handed course. When he won the cup in 4min 26 2-ssec a mix-up marred the chances of Pegaway, Jewel Pointer, and Kewpie’s Triumph, while the next year, after winning the New Zealand Cup in the record time of 4min 15 4-ssec, he ran unplaced at Auckland in the Cup and President’s Handicap, but won the Champion Handicap. Olive King won the Improvers’ Handicap at New Brighton on Saturday in approved style; but it appeared that the finish might have been much closer had Lightning Lady received an opening earlier in the run to the post (states The Press, Christchurch). When she did get clear she made most of the others look like second-raters, and it is quite evident that she inherits the family speed of her sire. Jack Potts. Lightning Lady’s dam is a mare by Peter Chenault, a well-bred son of Peter the Great, imported to New Zealand by Mr J. R. McKenzie, in 1929.