TROTTING

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 615, 18 March 1929, Page 12

TROTTING

By "AUAVDOS” MANAWATU TROTS FORM REVIEWED NOTES AND COMMENTS iSpecial to THE SUN) PALMERSTON X.. Sunday. The annual meeting of the Mana watu Trotting Club at Ashhurst on Wednesday proved quite a success, but despite the fact that the totalisator returns showed an increase over last year, the aggregate amount was not as great as might well have been expected when the size of the crowd is taken into consideration. While trotting has a big hold in the South Island and also in Auckland . meetings are all too few and far be- ! tween at the Southern end of the North j Island for the majority of the public to become acquainted with the performers and there was quite an apparent reluctance for patrons to take chance* on their fancies on Wednesday. Favourites Fail To make matters worse, favourites experienced a most indifferent innings but two scoring during the day and in one of those cases it was only following an inquiry by the Judicial Committee which brought about the promotion of Wild Lad and the disrating of Laurier The driver of Alton Brook was also drawn in and he was mulcted £5 fu* allowing liis horse to gallop. All three horses involved were guilty 0 f going up in the air on occasions, and to many of the onlookers the amendment of t.he placlngs did not appear justified. Nelsonian Improves | Patrons received a heavy body blow in the opening event when Amblcsidi who had been sent out a very warm favourite, broke badly at the entrance to the straight and ruined his chances which had appeared to be particularly bright at that stage. . The Author Dillon gelding was travelling very fast at the time and Nelsonian had to better his time by 10 2-ssec to win. Such was an early indication that the track was fast. Good Combination

Laurier. who is trained by the onetime Palmerston North mentor. Phil Green, at Wanganui, recorded an excellent performance when he scored in the Linton Handicap, for the Massey gelding trotted an even gait throughout and was not seriously pressed at any stage of the journey. Although he did not better his time, he was rehandicapped 12yds at his second appearance and then won, only to have the laurels taken away from him. May Do Better Haviland, a Havoc gelding from Havvera, trotted quite a fair race in the Linton Handicap, although he had not any chance of getting to Laurier in the run home. He showed a tendency to fight for his head and the necessity for his being steadied on each occasion no doubt cost him ground

Schoolmate Goes Fast Although the back markers did not fare over well during the day, Schoolmate was one exception where the back marker did score. The Harold Dillon gelding was up with the limit horses early and he won nicely by a length from the locally-trained Hill Top at the finish. Handicapped to do 4,52, Schoolmate ran the two miles in 4.43 2-5

Richore Goes Solidly The Cup race saw the fortunes of several candidates rise and fall with unexpected suddenness, and at the turn for home Zella looked all over the winner so quickly did the Huia Dillon mar© hit the front. However, within a furlong Richore had in turn smothered Zella and then strode on to enjoy a hollow victory by five lengths without being asked a serious question, with Cora Tacks attending Zella home. Richore clipped seven seconds off his

Good Thing Beaten Several of the Cup candidates mad© later appearances in the President's Handicap—the concluding event —and Zella should have made good therein, but for carelessness on the part of her driver. At the distance he appeared in racecourse parlance to be a moral, but Alexander, who was in the sulky, was employed studying the challengers when his charge went up into the air and before he could steady her tb© race was lost.

Not Unexpected Tamatakura. a Match light gelding brought up to the meeting by J. Bryce, of Canterbury, turned the mistake on Zella’s part to profit and gave to th© Southern mentor his one success » or the day. Tamatakura had run a very fair sixth in the Cup race and he cam© in for increased support at his second essay over the sprint distance Aucklanders Beaten

T. Richards, a former mine host of a local hotel, brought Tiger Salve down from Auckland for the fixture, but the Rock Huon gelding found his handicap of 96yds all too great and never threatened danger at any stage of the Journey. His owner occupied the seat the sulky and he came in for a amount of support by the public. - fellow Northerner in Carmel, who «•' off the 60yds mark, ranked favouru" for the Cup but, after being * placed early, failed to go or with it One for the Locals

The Longburn Handicap was a com paratively tight class and the succej of the locally-trained Hill Top Pf°* . quite a popular one, for the public n installed the Huia Dillon their first elect. He was early up the leading division and won nnai . three lengths from the Lower representative, Drift Wave, incidental* bettering his time by sscc

Consistent Form White Cura Tacks has proved to bt* speedy sort, she does not always too well, yet she ran a great race tho Cup. -At one stajje ot the ings she was tilling the role ° j? maker, but she retired some distancj from home and eventually * - third. Making a second the President’s Handicap the \ a 0 f nado mare came with a great speed over the linal pinch to take minor dividend. „