NEW BRIGHTON TROTTING

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 272, 21 December 1914, Page 3

NEW BRIGHTON TROTTING

COUNTRY BELLE IN FORM. Though there was nothing particularly exciting about the racing at New Brighton last week, it was sufficiently interesting to keep students of form in a state of perplexity. In no branch of sport does form change so quickly as with the trotting horse. The duffer of a few weeks agone is ofttimes the hero of to-day, and once he strikes winning form it is surprising how quickly he goes on improving.

In some of the slow class events at the recent fixture the fields contained so many green ones—a number of whom undoubtedly would be better employed in earning their oats in some humble sphere of life—that one could not help but wonder at the bounteousness of the supply;- There is no getting away from the fact that far more light harness horses are'bred in Canterbury at the present time than was ever the case previously. The majority of them can boast of attractive blood lines, and as a whole they show a great improvement in every respect on their predecessors. One cannot help but wonder as to where the stakes are to come from, even to pay their feed bills, let alone training fees and other incidentals. Of the many hundred owners of trotting horses in New Zealand, I don't suppose one half make their sport pay for itself. A DERBY CANDIDATE. More than an average number of promising juveniles was seen out at last week's fixture, several of whom are bound to figure in winning list before the season is much further advanced. Most, prominent of these was Emilias, the three-year-old brother to Eiumeline, owned and trained by the Ashburton sportsman, Randal McDonnell. The son of Rothschild and Imperialism is Certainly one of the most nicely-pro-portioned and quality-looking colts seen out for a long".while. When he made his racing debut at Geraldine last October he showed the possession of much speed, but at that time he raced like a novice. Since then he has come on nicely, having developed both speed and stamina of no mean order. In Saturday's race he did not begin any too well, but once under way he reeled off the first mile at a 2.20 gait, and by the time half the distance had been covered he had the race in safe keeping. Emilius claims an engagement in the New Brighton Trotting Derby, for which he looks just as good a prospect as did Edith A this time last year." Still there is always the chance of another Admiral Wood "coming to light," and if rumour is to be believed there are others just as speedy as Emilius due to sport silk in the course of the next few weeks.

Another Derby candidate that showed up in a favourable light was the Harold ■Dillon—Fatality colt Boycott, who added to his Hororata honours by appropriating the Ladies' Bracelet. There was not a great deal of merit in the win, "and Mr Westerman's representative will have to make vast strides to foot it with Emilius. Even so, it was pleasing to see Mr Westerman have such a turn of Fortune's wheel as has come his way during the past fortnight, through •the agency of Dollar Princess and Boycott, for there is no straighter-goiug patron of the sport in New Zealand.

■COUNTRY BELLE'S FREE-FOR-ALL, Quite the star attraction of the meeting was the 1 free-for-all New Brighton Trotting Gup, but as a contest it hardly came up to expectations. As in most of the similar events decided in Canterbury, the start was of such an unsatisfactory nature as to make the eontest anything but a true test of ability. During the very first score, Country Belle came down on her head, but though the fall must have shaken her up, results proved that it had little effect on her speed. Time after time one or other of the four competitors misbehaved in the run-up, the biggest offender in this respect being Denver Huon, who had the pole. Instead of bringing his opponents along at a good "clip," the Australian representative invariably "mixed it," with the result that the others could not- be kept in line with him. In the circumstances, the starter would have been quite justified in following the American method of giving the pole to the second-place drawer. It is very essential in flying starts that the pole horse should be. well behaved, for if he goes unsteadily the others cannot be expected .to keep in line with, him. Scoring',is entirely a matter of. education,; and with American horses comes ! j\bt;. as batural as any othei- part of the business. There they are taught to score as soon as they visit the race tracks, and a bad starter stands a poor chance of winning races. This scoring business is going to be the big stumbling-block in the way of "free for all" racing in New Zealand. It is not to be expected that horses accustomed all their lives to standing or walking-up starts will take kindiv to such a drastic change, and the best class of horses are all too far developed to appreciate such a. vastly different method. One might just as well expect a field of American cracks to adapt themselves to a standing start. A GREAT PERFORMANCE.

After half-a-dozen attempts, Mr Reynolds was fortunate enough to get the four competitors off in good line, but before going a quarter King Cole started to tail off, and from this out he never held winning prospects. Einmeline acted as pace-maker from Denver Huon, who was not going at all smoothly. Soon after passing the haltmile post, Country Belle started to improve her i>lace, but going round the far turn she left her feet so badly as to cost her quite a dozen lengths. Getting to work again, she was on terms with Denver Huon at the stand, and, heading Emmeline half a mile from home, she soon placed the result quite beyond doubt. All things considered, it was a remarkable achievement on the part of the winner, eclipsing in merit, if not in time, her second to Win Soon in the New Zealand Trotting Cup. Country Belle was bred by her ownertrainer, Mr W. Morland, at Rakaia, and the condition in which she was turned out did him every credit. Emmeline rau a good race, but the repeated scoring probably did her more harm than any of the other competitors. The disappointment of the race was Denver Huon, who, although looking really well, quite failed to repeat his form of 12 months ago. That the pace was solid all through is shown by the intermediate times, . which read: Half-mile 1.6£, mile 2.14 A, mile and a-half 0.23g, two miles 4.i#2g. THE TROTTING CONTINGENT.

Quite a number of straight-out trotters were seen during the fixture, the most successful of whom was Master Raymond. In the Jessie Palm Handicap he put up a rattling good performauco by getting to the end of two miles in 4142, but it was only after a battle royal with Mayfield that he prevailed. The winner gave a fine exhibition of trottincr. whereas most of his opponents

mixed then- gait at all-too-frequent intervals. Other trotters that made their efforts in mixed company were Muricata, Electrocute, Flamingo, and Michael Galindo, none of whom could be prevailed on to do their host when in opposition to the pacing brigade. TEMPLAR.