FLYING STARTS CRITICIZED

Southland Times, Issue 23610, 10 September 1938, Page 10

FLYING STARTS CRITICIZED

AMERICAN SYSTEM OPPOSED MR J. R. McKENZIE SEES MANY FAULTS “They have wonderful owners, wonderful trainers, wonderful drivers and wonderful horses, but they dont know how to run a meeting, said Mr J. R. McKenzie, Christchurch, who has just returned from a visit to the United States, in an interview with The Dominion, Wellington. “It was quite common to see a dozen false starts, so that the public never knew where they were. “It is their system of starting that is to blame. They have the flying start, as against our standing start. What is the result? With the flying start a horse might gain a break of 40 yards on others with a bit of luck. My horse might get going just right and yours would be hopelessly left—the sort of thing that very seldom happens with, standing starts, with every horse on its proper mark. As far as I could see there were two or‘three horses left in every race, so that trotting was a chancy thing for the public in the States. “The moneyed men who are interested in trotting in America concentrate on one thing—time. They want to equal or break records all the time, said Mr McKenzie. “The public does not count; nor are they catered for. They are not catered for anything like they are in New Zealand. You cannot get a cup of tea on a trotting course over there; the best you can do is to get a bottle of ginger pop and suck it, through a straw under the grandstand.” PURCHASE OF MARES Mr McKenzie, in speaking of trotters, said that invariably breeders in this country had gone in for importing stallions, but there was a well authenticated theory that the quality of a trotter was 75 per cent, from the mare and 25 per cent, from the stallion. On this occasion he had purchased two first-class mares, which he hoped would prove an

asset to trotting in this country. From Mr R. B. Plaxico Mr McKenzie bought the fine pacing mare Widow Volo, who had covered a mile in 2.063. This mare raced in the McKenzie colours at Cleveland and put up a good race, although she did not win. Of this mare an American paper said: — “Widow Volo is one of the most attractively bred young pacing horses in the country. She is a daughter of Peter Volo (four years), 2 minutes to the mile, and her dam is Widow Grattan (2 minutes), by Grattan Royal (2.061), one of the greatest pacing sires of all time. Widow Volo has a three-year-old record of 2.08 minutes, which she reduced to 2.061 minutes this year, and should reduce still further. Other foals of Widow Grattan are The Widower (three years), 2.031 min., this season’s star; Wedgemere Widow (three years), 2.o3jmin; and Widow Brewer (two years), 2.081 min. These are her first four foals. Widow Brewer appeared due for a much faster record but died at the end of her two-year-old form.” Widow Volo is still in America. Mr McKenzie left her behind to be mated to the champion stallion Abbeydale (leading pacing stallion) to New Zealand time. As soon as it is certain that she is in foal the mare will be shipped to New Zealand.

The other high-class mare bought by Mr McKenzie is the trotter Esprit, by Guy Castleton —Petrex, bred by Mr David M. Look, New York. Esprit is a black filly. She was foaled in 1934 and as a two-year-old put up the trotting record of 2.15| minutes for the mile. Esprit is a half-sister of those famous trotters Spencer, Rapture and Le Roy, and a full-sister to Glee. Esprit’s sire, Guy Castleton, has a notable stud record, having sired such fast horses as Margaret Castleton (1.59 J as a three-year-old and 1.591 as a four-year-old), March Guy, Glee and Lee Castleton. He is a son of Guy Axworthy. Petrex, the dam of Esprit, is also the dam of Spencer, Rapture, Le Roy and Glee, all wonderful performers against time. WAIRIO TROTTING CLUB THREE-YEAR-OLD RACE SUGGESTED Deputations to the Minister of Education and the Minister of Mines during their respective visits to Nightcaps, suggesting the possibility of an amendment to the Gaming Act to enable the club to adopt some system of betting, were sympathetically received, stated the president of the Wairio Trotting Club, Mr G. W. Gardner, at the annual meeting of members. Both Ministers, however, declared that the heavy programme already outlined for the final session precluded any such amendment for this year. It is hoped that something may be done during the coming year, he stated. Reviewing the past year’s working the chairman said that the annual fixture of the club had shown a profit of £9 10/6 and together with the previous year’s balance, a credit of £43 8/10 was able to be shown. Members’ tickets had decreased from 174 to 138 owing to local industrial reasons but this year's total was expected to exceed that of 1936. The fields at the annual fixture were quite good and the club was indebted to the many donors of trophies and also the Wairio Jockey Club for the use of its course and appointments. It was decided to hold the meeting again this year and the election of officers resulted: President, Mr G. W. Gardner; vice-presidents, Messrs C. Keen, D. C. McColl and A. J. Brown;

secretary, Mr J. Egan; treasurer, Mr J. Purdue; committee, Messrs J. Beck, B. Rushton, jun., J. Hogan, J. J. Lynch, J. A. Steans, F. Boyle, A. V. Prendeville, G. W. Gardner, J. Egan and J. Purdue. A recommendation was made to the committee that a race for three-year-olds be included on this year’s programme.

Members’ subscriptions were fixed at 10/-.