RACING AND TROTTING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12646, 2 June 1919, Page 2

RACING AND TROTTING.

(By " ARGUS.”) The Canterbury Park Trotting Club was exceptionally fortunate in the weather that was experienced on Saturday for the opening day of the winter meeting. Heavy rain fell earlier in the week and the conditions were still very unpromising on Friday, but the ram ceated that night, being followed by a hayd frost. Tito sun was in evidence on Saturday morning, and the day proved very pleasant. The rath, however, had left the track, very heavy, and this affected the racing, some of tho horses being unable to show them form- As a result, the racing was Some of the events were full iA interest, the principal race, tho Paparoa Handicap, being one of the best ever seen on the course, but a few of the contests failed to realise exSectarians. On© thing demonstrated uring the day was that the club will have to go in for improved appointments before long. The stand is far ion small for the increasing crowd of Bfttrotw. white the accommodation In w teUlisftter home Is quite Insufficient to enable tho staff! to do IU work under decent conditions. Til® usual large field contested the , Amateur Handicap, one mile and a Half, In harness, for trotters,, but stars thfca half of them mode no show* i«g at all. The contest proved some* what better than 1b sually seen in such there being quite a, good finish, . whilst the pesitians changed several limes dicing the panning. .About * liiFieng iffiffl heme it looked as it Maefi, pfifiesss would ,wtn, a# she pewea isepe aped tap.the wsfc of we fFanfe, bFOffti:, A , unsafe, however, ausM ng? tn \m h§F dlbo@. lin.l tel ? $$ SRBghfe m prii apm, whl ipM fesi mufa tj pgfe get sfiifig? waps Ml Bis w ft iwrow m tfjßMfc PHffieSff, PPM* Ifpfli m Iw-i mite, and' is h.y BeM: & tfh.g Mi sues fSfrMu , MaflfC M f .nw m gfeiw: wjf did jtea Bw: Nfir Bps mi fninjp well: jM mi feuFiij. Tfis pel? life Wood, R?Sipmg Fell; bffffes badly, and flpff- Spitied to hU work properly Spin.' Ite was the favourite. The Auckland-owned George Akwood easily accounted for the Peninsula Handicap, of a mile aud a half, in harness. H©i began very quickly, and got a good position. Pacing up the straight the first time, he did not do his work too well, and Vilo closed on him, but he improved on his gait later, and won with great ease. It is a pity the Winner is none too sound, as he is a rare good pacer, and can stay well. He is a brother to the Derby winner Prince Akwood, being by Wildwood Junr.—Sybil, ■lbis season he won the Wanganui Cup, and also raced well at Auckland meeting!. King Lear, who has mended his ways at the start, went a solid rate, and was somewhat unlucky in meeting sufiji a good one as the winner. He finished strongly, after pacing solidly throughout, and he is a much improved horse in every way. Buudura, from a babk mark, went a really fine race, and js hick to her best form. Embracer was not prominent, but Partner was going well early in the race, till he broke up badly. After striking his gait again ho paced well, but his chance was gone, vilo did nob see out the finish jin the heavy going, although the Waimata three-year-old was early with the front division. Doreen Dillon was boring in badly iu tho early part, and in the straight she did not show a great deal of speed. Full Cry plugged along, hut had. not the speed to cope with the front division- Lochnagar woe favourite, and up to a mile had a royal chance, but, like Vilo, the hig three-year-old did" not stay bn. The winner paid a substantial dividend, and his connections had a good win. Cello Sydney Wilkes was tlio sss' scratching for the Paparoa Handicap, the chief event of the day, Colemifc being made in a field of sixteen. There was a fine race throughout, and the finish was very close. . Matchlight paced most determinedly over the last half-mile ,and won by a narrow margin from Captain Stanley;. The winner has been a rare moneyearner this season, having won four good races. He is owned in Southland,, but has been iu J. Bryce’s stable fot: gome time.. Ho is a most determined, pater, with great stamina. He was never prominent in the race until the last half-mile, when he commenced to fo. through his field. In the straight e was right on tho outside, but pacing very fast’, and staying out the journey like a champion. Captain Stanley was unfortunate, ns he did not leave tho ; mark well, losing half lus handicap, but at the end of a mile he had improved liis position and was pacing really well. He came home fast; in fact, he and the winner had all the. honours_ over _the last hundred yards. Whispering Willie began as quickly as tho pacers and was always well placed. Half-way up the straight he had a substantial lead, but ho faded out at the end and only got third. Agathos found , tho going to his liking and he paced iu improved form, showing some of his best work. Admiral Wood laboured in the rear nearly all the way, and he is a long way from his best over two miles just now. Hectorata, after being early in the front, broke up and faded out. Hannah M. looked light and never showed up at all in the race. Cora Dillon, soon after leaving the straight with a mile to go. put in a great run and established a long lead. She had a great till the entrance of the straight and she looked a sure winner when she went to a break, similar to the Fay she did in a race at Addington a month ago. Sash wood lost her position, early, and neither of A. Fleming’s pacer, Pitaron nor Dean Dillon showed up over tho last half-mile. Rorkq’s Drift did not race on after a mile.;hOolcmit gave a poor display. He was well placed early, hut later lost his place; l 'and then put in a good run. Afterwards he dropped back, only to come on fast again at the finish. * He raced throughout very irregularly. Granger put up a rare good perl'orm- . ante *■ in. winning the two-mile saddle event'from a back mark. The small pacer was ridden by bis trainer. F. E. -Tones, who is seen all too seldom in the saddle. He was iu no hurry to gea to , the front, but rated his speed throughout with excellent judgment, and.. ■ won a fine race with a little, to spare. It was quite, a treat to iateh a race in which horse nnd were in such good accord. Granger is jKv>;Harold Dillon from Ivy Dean, been a rare good perform'fjr in saddle events. He won two racef at Addington a short time ago, Jacky-Arrah s improved form only seems to allow of him finishing in a place, ns he was a money earner at the last Forbury Park Club’s meeting without a win. King Lear’s racing in a previous svent did not exhaust him, as he was responsible for another good race. Huon Patch did not seo out the two miles and the favourite, Dandy Chimes, put in a bad break after going a furlong, which cost him any chance he miUit have possessed. Peter Mac did not°"o at all well, but Silver Nut, who was ridden by E. MJDermott, was prominent till the straight was reached, when be was done. Had Lady Wayward gone ■iff right she must have been troubhsome. a.s she lost all her start at the commencement. Once she gbt goinc she paced a fine race. King Ka-ri went well for a, mile, but none of the rest were at all prominent. T;^ e L m^i;. all( l quarter waa a poor contest. Vice-Admiral began fast and led all the way, winning very easily. In the early part of his career A’iceAdmiral showed a lot of brilliancy, but did not stny too ivell. Tius season, however, ho has boon raced over two miles, and has performed most reliably,

without winning many races, his chief earnings coming from place money. Ho ha« retained lus form throughout the Reason with great consistency. .John .Dillon found the track to his liking, but he did .not stay out the hist hit m his usual determined manner. Chid looked likely to tronblo (lie, winner when half the distance was covered, but he broke in the straight and lost his chance. Snngod is not at his best just now. Tho hard track at Forbury Park evidently was not to his liking, and although he is reputed to ho good in heavy going, this showing was not at all impressive. Trix Pointer was never near tho leaders, and tho perlonnanee of Cello Sydney Wilkes was at great variance with his Forbury Park form. Bundong went very badly, hind Erin’s Queen was hopelessly out of it with half a mile to go. Silver Quick broke at tho start, but caught her gait cpiickly. Tho ground lost, however, spoilt her chance. I war paced a consistent race throughout, but had not enough speed. Tho contest was not a good one. Bon Bell, who hks shown fair form at times during the season without much success, was made favourite for the two-iUilo saddle race for trotters, and he won with great ease. Ho was ridden by A. Pringle. Quickly going to the front, he ted throughout, and won by a big margin. Ben Boll’ is trained at Oamarn, and has been in a, place more than oneo this season. At Forbury Park he began' badly, but finished up strongly in a place, and tins probably accounted for his support in Saturday’s race. Lady Patricia wont away very fast, and was trotting well for a couple of furlongs, when she went to a, break and would not settle down again. Whisht, tho Aucklander, went badly. Clay Wilkes showed a. lot of speed for a mile, when he broke up and did not continue in the race. Trnganini was very la.mo on returning to tho paddock, and Mushroom did not begin well, and was never prominent. Colonel Havelock plodded along, and looked like getting into third place, but could not get up, <jur Goldie and Treasure.. Seeker both beating him home. ‘Miss Loma went well for ■ a ' mile and then broke up, whilst Dragoon Junior failed', to strike ■his gait at the start. It was a very poor race. The Hallway Handicap, one mile, in harness* attracted a. field _ of twelve. Lady Superior was favourite but she gave her admirers a poor ruu. To_ begin with she showed temper, smashing a sulky wheel, and causing a delay while another sulky was secured. When tho field was sent off she broke up and took no part in the race. Tt was not a particularly exciting event. By the time tho straight was reached Makomako was out by himself and he won easily from the unlucky Bundura. while Breadalbaue carao on tho scene late to gain third place from Joyful, who was stopping a. bit at tho end. The winner gave promise at one stage of his career of developing into a champion, but unsoundness has interfered with his prospects. Great Britain went well f or six furlongs, while Lady Teddington was in trouble a little earlier. Tho concluding event, the An Rcvoir Handicap, saw a. useful lot of saddle milers, numbering fifteen, at. the post. The start was unfortunate, half the field failing to go off properly, and interest all tlirdugh the contest was confined to four horses, Sally Brass, Rearguard, Dillon Direct and 'Silver Nut. They were soon well clear of the field, and nothing else ever looked like getting to the front. Turning for home Sally Brass and Dillon Direct were showing the way. Both were under punishment, but Sally Brass just failed at the end, being beaten for second place by Silver Nut, who finished with a good run, while Dillon Direct won by over a length, with very little to spare. Rearguard was close up. after one of his usual solid performances. Dillon Direct is a very solid customer over a mile, though he does not stay well over n, longer course. .Silver Nut was unlucky, as he lost a- bit of ground at the start, but for which ho might have been, more troublesome to the winner. Idris was going well in the lead when he broke.at the end of three furlongs, while the favourite, Prince Coronado, went to pieces soon after the start. The_ Eiccarton trainer, M. Hobbs, has disposed of his property to a retired North Canterbury farmer. He will give up possession of tho house some time next month, but he will retain the stables for a few weeks longer. He may then remove to Sydney, taking a team across for the spring campaign in Australia. It is probable, however, that' he will retire from training altogether before long, and according to present intentions he is likely to leave next year for England, where he may remain for some time. Wrestler showed signs of lameness after a smart half-mile sprint on Thursday. It was hoped at first that the trouble would not ho serious, bub his condition^liter in the day was so bad that all idea of takirio: him south for the Dunedin Jockey Club's meeting had to be,abandoned. It is probable that will be fired and given a long spell. Kilkee, by Kilbroney—Latchet, has been purchased by Mr J, Biggins and he will carry the same colours as Kilbrogau at the Dunedin Jockey Club's meeting this week.