TROTTING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8004, 6 May 1904, Page 1

TROTTING.

ffOTES QN HORSE AND SULKY; \ (|y THE POSSIBLE.) Sacramento is <the only horse M'Millan took with him to Australia, on Friday. Vaunt has been turned out for a spell. , H. Knight has arrived from/ the West Coast witb Fichu amd'Te Han, and the pair -will in future be .trained in Chrisfcchnrch. The ohampionsrliip at the Bathurst Agricultural Show for trotting stallion showing anoefc speed, style and action, was won by Mambrina Abdallaih- with Huon le Due second. ;.. > • :'■ -.' . . ■ ....' . . ■■'. Frederick hasbeen bought by r - a Wellington sportsman, and is again in Al•b*ugh's hands. Albaugh has also taken up a Huon filly, the property of a Peninsula breeder. . ■ . • . ,■' • Victor Huon, whoi failed in. each, of his three engagements at Taibuna Park, last week, . , should 'develop , into a decent horse with time. Be has. plenty of pace, but is rather erratic at present. „' . * . The Maiden Handicap^ two miles, at Bathvirst, was won nicely by Mr Buckland's Vendetta, who did,- the trip in smin 16sec. Lord) Bobs wa» ih second place, and Stranger third. This was a lively maiden .event. .\ . . ; v . ; ...■■-.. Vickery registered a fin© ' performance when she won the Beach Handicap on the first day of the Tabnna. -Park Trotting Glub'a meeting. The track was not in good order for time-making, and tthe daughter of Specification has rarely been seen tosuch advantage as in this race. •JEvery time I have been at the Tahuna .Park meeting I have been struck by the disregard. for the rule which prohibits riders . and drivers talking to outsiders after they have gone on the track. Last* week the rille was broken repeatedly, and from what I could 1 see the club's officials were r among the worst offenders. .« .Fresh from his record-breaking performance, at Bathursi, The Member made a fair hash of his field. in the Kensington Handicap at the ifew South Wales Trotting Club's meeting a fortnight ago^ and the only wonder was (after the race was over) why the son of Electioneer did not leave the paddock a hot odds-on favourite^ \He started at 4 to l t and won by a dozen lengths from Came-by-Chance, in 3min 43sec for the mile and a half, equal to 2min 28 2-ssec for a mil©. .By winning his heat in tie Commonwealth. Trotf (worth 50 soys to the winner) at the recent Bathurst' show v in 4min 54 2-ssec, The Member put up, says " Merrigang," a Mcord two-mile go for New South, Wales, but in the final, in - ! which he finished second', he lowered it to 4min 52 2-6 sec, which, it /is claimed, is the; two-' mite race record for Australia. Of course, AhA6nt'S'^^.;iime;;!wM/niaa^, in an,.e*hibftionA go against the watch, and not in competition. The Member had bad luck to run. second on such a glorious performance. For a fine exhibition of trotting without gear andi pacing in hobbles, Mambrino Abdallah was awarded a special champion ribbon amd certificate as a dual-gaited horse rat the. Bathurst show. He paced a half-' mile in lmin 13 l-ssec, and- directly his hobble* were removed he trotted a halfmile in lmin 17 1-foec, dlt&ough he lout about 4sec by breaking badly at the turn. Mambrino aJso won very easily the event •for fastest trotter in saddle. " This horse," says " Merrigang,"; "is such a decidedly square trotter, that it seems .a pity to hamper him with pacing hobbies, more especiklly as his comparative showings /lead me to believe that he would trot, faster than • he cam. pace if kept to the square gait. " Trotting enthusiasts who- were lucky enough to be present at the Bathurst Show: bad a glorious time, as, according to " Merrigaofo" tihere was probably some of the finest narness horseracing ever seen in the world. Onlookers whose experience gave them a license to speak on the matter said thajfc the contest for the second heat of the Gommonwealth Trot was the finest bit of racing ever «een in the Southern Hemisphere.. Five, horses started', and in the last mile .the proverbial blanket would- have covered' the whole "field. Thus heat was won by The Member (14sec behind), whose time for the two miles was 4min 54 2-ssec. Dawn, who was on the 6sec mark, got second" placed and trotted smin 6 2-ssec, while A Valour (20eec behind) was third. The scratchi horses were Lord Bobs and Shangani. . A . "Lightfoot" compliments the Bendigo Jockey Club upon including in its May programme a trotting race of 50 soys, with a sweep of l.soy each for starters, which it is hoped will make the stake worth 65 to 70 soys. He calls upon the Melbourne Trotting Association to shake off ate lethargy, and advertise a .good meeting for the first week in June, including a big'handicap of at least 50 -soys* following the Victorian Trotting Club's May; meeting. " Horses," he says, "would come herefrpm all parts to take part in the combined meetings. The New Zealand season i« now practically over, and 'l feel sure i number of the sister Island reinsmen would welcome a good winter season away from the snows and cold of New Zealand. ' I understand that the champion. pacer, Ribbonwood, will be over shortly, and if the owners of Almont feel confident enough in the abilities, of their horse to make a match, a splendid programme could.be arranged, and I would suggest that, if the Trotting Associations cahno^ see their way clear to offer sufficient, inducements for a contest of this!, description, of trotting men should 1 be held and a .committee, appointed to offer, say, a purse : of; iOOs^ovs. for .the match. I know tbete&i^leniy of gtwpd aportameriihn Victoria that, will willingly help in a matter of ;this, sort/ miore especially if the programme is confined to -trotting events only." I fanoy the owners of both Almpnfc /and Kibbonwood would: prefer the New, Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club's puVse of 600 sovsv ' to the Melbourne 100 soys, but atiac«nsider»tions may make the former unacceptable under the condition that the match: must^take place; in; November. ■:..' ;.■ ':;■'• '„ '■.>.'./ :'