RACING & TROTTING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20013, 22 January 1935, Page 8

RACING & TROTTING

On And Off The Track. •\ BUDGET OF NEWS AND VIEWS FIXTURES Racing: Jan. 22, 24, 26—Wellington R.C. Jan. 22—Ashhurst-Pohangina R.C J m. 26, 29—Takapuna J.C. Jan. 31, Feb. 2—Wairoa R.C. Jan. 31, Feb. 2—Wanganui J.C. Feb. 2—Matamata R.C. Feb. 6 —Tapanui R.C. Feb. 7, 9—Poverty Bay T.C. Feb. 7, 9—Taranaki J.C. Feb. 9—Canterbury J.C. Feb 9, 11—Rotorua R.C. Feb. 13, 14 —Egmont J.C. Feb. 14, 16—Dunedin J.C. Feb. 20. 21—Gore R.C. Trotting: Jan. 26 —'Timaru T.C. Jan. 31, Feb. 2—Forbury Park T.C. Feb. 9—Wellington T.C. Feb. 16—Kaikoura T.C. Feb. 16, 20—Auckland T.C. Feb. 23 —New Brighton T.C. Mar. 1, 2—lnvercargill T.C. Mar. 2—Wellington T.C. Mar. 9—Timaru T.C. Wellington Cup to-day. Ashhurst races to-day. Acceptances for the Timaru Trotting Club’s meeting will be received until 9 o’clock to-night. Provided he can make 6.12 (31b over) E. A. Leckie will ride Severe in the Wellington Stakes. If Silver Streak runs up to his best form at Trentham. it is possible that he may go to Australia for the big autumn meetings. Winooka, who was expected to show that he had regained form after his American trip, has had to be eased up owing to a split hoof. L. J. Ellis rode two winners at Wairio. leaving him six up on W. J. Broughton at the commencement of the Wellington meeting. Some trotting men who did the Coast circuit during the holidays aver that Racketeer is better than Bingen Palm. If that is correct the grey should be a good one to follow. Glenrossie, while not quite top class j and not remarkable for consistency, is a brilliant pacer at his best, and seems to be a brainy horse, able to inspire his admirers when he feels that he has a good race in him. The handicaps for the Timaru Trotting Club’s meeting, which are framed by an official in Christchurch, were not handed to the Press Association agent on Sunday night until after the telegraph office had closed for the transmission of Press telegrams.

The arrival of the Duke at Addington coincided with the opening of the totalisator on the Royal Handicap, and crippled speculation on that race. The club was repaid fourfold, however, by increased gate receipts, as the attendance in mid-afternoon was probably twice as large as the average at a summer meeting.

Through some error, two different sets of conditions were advertised for this year’s Wellington Stakes, but penalties must be computed under the original conditions on which horses were entered. Galilee has incurred a penalty of 101 b, having won over £IOOO. Some computations have placed her earnings below four figures, but these have omitted a £SO breeder’s premium which, though not going to her present owner, is legally part of her winnings.

At the Waikouaiti meeting, R. Townley was fined £2 for easing Colleen Chenault up too soon and missing a place. The Trotting Association has referred an application for remission of the fine to the club. The driver’s ground for the application is that he mistook the starter’s stand for the winning post, which is now situated round the commencement of the turn. Two or three years ago two riders on gallopers threw races away by stopping at the old winning post.

One reason why Indianapolis’s chance of stepping two minutes later on is favoured is his perfect balance and level style of pacing. Even when flat out he appears to be doing his work with ease, and in this respect is so deceptive that nobody watching him on Saturday, without a watch to tick off the sectional times, could have realised that he was breaking a record. To the eye he scarcely seemed to be producing a 2.5 gait. Another pleasing feature was that, even when tiring at the end. he showed no sign of faulting. Whatever he may do on other tracks, he is true blue at Addington.

Dunmure, who won the steeplechase at Wairio with top-weight, is owned by Miss A. Langford, and is trained and ridden by her brother, V. Langford. He was not a success in hack races, but won a hunter’s plate and a hunt steeplechase last autumn at the Birchwood meeting, a double over country at Riverton, and ran very consistently through the Southland and Dunedin winter meetings, ending the season with four placings. His win at Wairio marked his first start this season. While he may never be a real stayer, Dunmure is a fast jumper with distinct possibilities.

One of the slowest races seen at Addington on a fast track for some time was the Imperial Handicap won by Willow Wave. Usually races with a 4.35 limit are carved out in anything between 4.21 and 4.24, but Saturday’s winner took 4.33 2-5, the first mile being run at a very leisurely gait. Willow Wave was by himself on the limit, but his driver obviously was not anxious to make the pace, and when Taxpayer got to the front his pilot was doing his best to slow up the field. Willow Wave’s vagaries at the post proved very costly for a time, but latterly he has atoned for earlier misdemeanors.

The participation of the Duke of Gloucester at race meetings in New Zealand has given a picturesque touch, and has given the. non-sporting journalists detailed to : *ver the tour an opportunity to indulge in some picturesque description which has caused much jollity among the racing fraternity. One of the latest efforts dealt with the send-off of the Sussex Handicap at Addington:—“The Duke had been set no small task, for there were fifteen horses in the field, and the big crowd watched with breathless interest to see how the Royal visitor would acquit himself under this exacting test. Ever at home with horses, however, he was never at a loss and a cheer went up when he sent the field away to a perfect start.” The humour of this lies in the fact that the Duke had never been to the trots before in his life, and that all he had to do was to depress a lever when Albert Hastings said “Now.” It is true that the start was a perfect one. All the drivers cooperated. and even the trotters appeared to know what was desired, as the horses were sent off without a tacgle at the first line-up.