THE TROTTING TRACK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7910, 15 January 1904, Page 1

THE TROTTING TRACK.

NOTES ON HORSE AND SULKY, (By THE POSSIBLE.) The Vanckve gelding Bill broke down while competing at- tho Southland meeting.- ; ■ ' The imported "mare Lottie Derby is laid, nji -%vith influenza. It will {n-'obably fee some timeijcfore fhe is lit i'o race a^ain. Foxball has gone into Albaugh's stable for training. -Lopp is at present tUa only otlwr member' of Albaugh's to«m. , ' Wildbeny is at present, running out in a paddock 'near the iPlunipton racecourse. His injured leg shows signs of memdihg »lo wly. ' ■ ' : Tlio inquiry, into the ruhjniiig of Pygmalion in the Great Northern-T rotting Han-, dicap' at Anckla-ad resulted in favour of ..tine Canterbury horse. . In November Dan Patch paced a milein 2mia 3iiec at" Birmingham, Alameda, breaking the world's record, of 2min 3£sec for a .-half-mile track. • " When t>. J. Price was in America he trietl to make a match, between Ribbon wood and Clipper, who has a record of 2min 6;ec. Ijititest Ami-erican files report the sak : of -Clipper for £500. ■ Mr A.' Robertson Aras the .last unsuccessful bi-ider at an' auction sale in Ani-srica' for the- two-ycair-old colt The Instiuctqr, by. Direct Hal— Ohimes Maid. The price f realised for him was £500. Felony .• was .suffering' last week from a ssver-a attack of influenza, .following ' ;on strangles. At one time small hopes were ■entertained of saving her life, but I am pleased to Kiy she is now en a fair way to recovery. . . A, Sydney in a report of a.i wcent nie«'-cin.g of tl^ New tSouth VVr.les Trotting ■'Club, casts sircng ..'-ddubts bn tii, genuine^ ntf£. of some of tho contests. Triers are evidently more- the exception than the rule, if this writer is to be credited. Never- . theless, the sport is going-, ahead 1 , and with capilbl-e management it tnay reach a higher standard yet. ; . There is' som-e; talk of a, uiov€;inont being made by trotting entlmsir.i;ts in; Sydney 'to apply for the right to make. a- speedway on Centennial Park (says the "Stock and Station Journal"). The institution of a track- of this kind on Sydney's greatest park would doubtless create a. great measure of public interest. On such a. track, it is safe to anticipate, some grand exhibitions of liarne«s-work would; be inliuonced. and there can b£ little doubt that the public would assemble in strong force- to .wiineEs these; smart displays. •' ■ The two trotting events ai the Hororata. Racine Club's' •.meeting' failed to provide niuch "excitement. In the .(rlendore Handicap Doppleganger "and Ivellie D soon made their way to tlie front, but any chance of a contest was lost when Nellie D 'broke, Dppplegangcr going on and winning easily. Ciffs was t -ravelling well over the last mile, but .had no chance with tlie winner. Nellie P showed plenty of pace in patches, but went, very unsteadily. Lsifitr Link also shaped well in parts of tlie race, and should seo.a better day. In the Second Trot Ciss to the front, but half a mile from, home broke up, Doppleganger assuming th-s lend. H-s entered ibA straiclit- well clear of' tho field, but tired in the-. run home. Cisa dvethaul-ed him gradualLy, aiid got her head in front a few ■ stride® from the post, only to break again, and leave Poppleganger to \nn by two lengths. Tlie others were strung out ec-m-e distance away. -..''Lou Dillon put up 11 fine speed performance on the New York speedway on November 5. Hitched 1 to a waggen, and with 0, galloper and a pacer as pacemakers, she wars cent a quarter against time. Tie three went -off together and in. a few strides Lou Dillon was down to. busine-ss, and Kteppo j over the -road at lightning qx-ed. The first quarter was trotted, in '29scc and the last quarter was covei-e-d. in 30s-«e, or 59sec for the half-mile-. Lou did- not like %l-.e loo^e footing, as the soft loam broke under her flying feot. Jtff Billings decided to give bei' a, chance over tho lower stretch, whkh afforded a firmer footing, arid the cliaanpiqn and li-er pacemakers, were: jogged down to th-o lower stretch and given the word. The '■Queen simply flew over the. ground- at a high rate of running-hoi^© speed. Half r way down she forged ahead of the runner, left the -other pacemaker far behind, and finished tko distance strong. „ Thos? who had their watches on the trial could hardly believe their eyes Flags Avere dropped so that perfect accuracy in the timing could be ensured, and numerous watches were held. They showed :..2sgsec— a lmin 43sec gait—- and those whivheld. them w-ere fairly dumb witii amazement. Mr Billings let her.finisL-out the half, and' she reached it, eased up, in " ; 58i.sec. Mr Billings Was delighted with the performance. It was the first time Lou was ever driven toiher limit for at quarter , arid tb-e result ? so eitarordir nary, demonstrated that' it will -be- easy for her to set her record %yell below Imin 58i&ec next Reason if no bad luck ! b efillla ncr -