FORBURY TROTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17836, 3 May 1926, Page 2

FORBURY TROTS.

A SUCCESSFUL MEETING. Overnight rain made the track very heavy for the second day of the Forbury Park Trotting OluhNs meeting. There was a large attendance and the totalisatdr again shewed a substantial increase, handling £44,7 25 for the day. compared with £38,588 10s on the second day last rear, making a total for the meeting of £84,7 72 10s, compared with £63,065 last year. Alpha Wilkes, well ridden by J. Walsh, led throughout in the Tahuna Handicap and won decisively. The winner, who is by Marvin Wilkes from Alpha H-, was for some time owned by Mr J. M. Samson, who sold her to a Southland owner. Alpha Wilkes went well on the first day until she broke up. In saddle she went throughout without any mistakes. Kerrwood Bell put in a great run over the last round, but! went break at the end, in an endeavour to beat the leader. Ben Bogan trotted solidly a.ll the way. but the heavy going seemed to trouble him 1 regarding speed. Yankee Patch was favourite and made a good beginning. At the end of about a round she broke and this settled her chance. Randolph did not make much headway, nor did Some Jazz. Zingiber showed a good deal oP speed, but he did not keep I steadily at his work. Fancy Pronto went steadily, but she did not exhibit ' much speed. Bonette went a good race for a mile and a half. Nelson Boy was going well a round from home when jhe broke, and Amboyna Wood gave a

very poor display. There was the promise of a. good race for the Royal Handicap, but three furlongs from home most of the field became tired, and Mirella, St Thomas and Day pointer drew right away. Day Pointer broke up about 100yds from the winning post and interfered with St Thomas. The latter got clear and set out after Mirella, finishing fast enough to make a dead heat. St Thomas was another Southlander to show up in heavy going. He was decidedly unlucky not to get the verdict. He is not much to look at but is a solid, reliable pacer, who evidently is not troubled by adverse conditions. Mirella paced a fine race. She had a good j passage throughout, however, and stay- | ed on better than was anticipated. I>ay pointer lost his position early in the race. He put. in a fine run up the straight with a round to go and this left him with little reserve at the end, although he was well clear of the rest of the field in third place. Kinney Dillon showed some speed in the early stages, but. she was well beaten with half a mile to go. J. D. Smith’s pair, Jolly Roger and Avenger, were the popular pick, but the New Brighton trainer’s pacers failed to show up at any stage of the contest. Some Jazz went solidly all the way but never got

near the leaders. Nihilist Junr. never looked like having a chance. A great many horses quite failed to show any form in the mu a.

The mile saddle event was a very poor contest. Carbon and Daphne Vildxvood drew away from the field at the start and established a long lead. In the back stretch Carbon was beaten and Macarantla joined Daphne Wildwood, but the latter held her own and won easily. The winner is one of the North Island team that came south for meetings in Canterbury. She is by Wildwood Junr. from Huedaphne, and is a good pacer without hopples, although she usually races with them. Maearanda, another Southlander. put up a fine performance, as he had none the best of the running in the early stages. Carbon, who has a lot of speed, did not quite see out the journey. lie is owned in Dunedin and is trained by W. Grant. Hylas had everv chance but he did not stay, nor did Bdward Harwin show up at all proThe speed set by Daphne \v ildwood and Carbon over the first half of the journey seemed to be altogether too fast for most of the field. The Improvers’ Handicap, of two miles, in harness, for trotters, saw Randolph put up a highly creditable performance. Always a slow beginner, at the end of a mile lie had graduallv worked his way to Real the Great, Mho was leading the field. Randolph then broke and lost a lot of ground, but H. Gaskell got him steady again and made another attempt to head the field. Allowing Randolph to get properly into his speed, Gaskell sent him along at his best and he outstayed the American mare, winning rather comfortably. IT. Gaskell has not bad much luck of late, and his success was well received, especially by bis fellow trainers, who gave him a round of cheers. Randolph has improved considerably during the last few months, trotting much steadier and recovering quickly when he makes a mistake. Real the Great, looked a winner at. the end of a mile, but in the

concluding stages she had nothing in reserve for the challenge of the ultimate winner. Tim Wood began slowly, and it was only over the last half-mile that Mr Lowe’s horse put in any good M-ork. Nelson M’Kintiey went very patchily. He showed some speed early and then dropped back, whilst in the concludingstages he was going on as well as any in the race with the exception of the -winner. Kerrwood Bell broke up at the start. Elusive failed to stay and Queen Ida did not go at all steadily. Some Jazz was making his third appearance for the day. but he did not stay over the last half-mile. Happy Rosa xvould neither trot fast nor keep steady when she was at her gait.. She now seems to be an impossibility as a racing proposition.

Fashion Queen did not leave the mark and Harbour Light did lflfet seem able to pace at all on the track. With these exceptions the starters for the Victory Handicap, the chief two-milb harness race of the day, quickly bunched. Kohara. who was a solid favourite, went to the front seven furlongs from home, but F. Holmes, with Becky Logan, did not let him get far away. In the run home Becky Logan beat Kohara easily. Becky Logan looks as though she has come on again after training off slightly, as she won at Ashburton the previous week in convincing style. She has done a lot of racing this season, and looks much lighter than formerly, but. she is staying better than ever and she will almost certainly be in the New' Zealand Trotting Cup. 1 Owing to F. J. Hplmes’s accident, she was driven by F. Holmes, and the veteran reinsman was seen to advantage in the sulky. As on the first dav, Kohara had to occupy second place. The Cathedral Chimes horse is a brilliant pacer, but in a solidly run ,t\yo mile race he finds the last furlong troublesome. Escort went a peculiar race. He was with the leaders early and then dropped back. He put. in a fine run along the back the last time, but it was his final effort and it did not carry him up to the leading pair. Queen’s Own had every chance, but she did not keep as steadily in her gait as on previous occasions. Possibly the going was not suitable'for the Lauriston trained mare. Talent did not get a good run. his driver taking him oh the outside nearly all the way. He saded out over the last quarter of a mile, Harold. Burwood xvtrs pacing well when he broke and settled , ; hls chance. It looks as

though this juicer is coming back to form, and possibly before .the end of the season he will win over two miles In good company. As on the first day, Peterwah was made favourite for the two mile harness race for the best trotters. Petorwah trotted much better than on the first, day but he did not kee.p steady, breaking more than once, and eventually finishing in fourth place. Engagement was well placed early, and the South Canterbury-trained mare won decisively. She. has been responsible for some good races this season and has not reached her full powers. Engagement was first raced as a, pacer, but since going into U. Toxvnley’s hands she has raped as a trotter and has gradually improved. Her dam is by the thoroughbred lmrse Singlestick 11. Proud Ata gave further evidence of improved form by trotting, a solid race throughout and carrying his owner, who is anything but a light weight, through a heavv track. Proud 1 Ata has never been in better form than at present. Mangoulu began slowly, but over the last mile she went well. She met with some slight interference with a round

to go. Merry Bingen did not stay, although he trotted solidly. Little Logan must he written out for two mile events, as the distance is beyond his powers, owing to his wind being affected. Money Spider broke badly early and afterwards did not seem to be favoured by the muddy track.

One of the best races of the meeting was the Railway Handicap, of txvO miles, in harness. The Southland coupled pair, .Moor Chimes and Lenamhor, fought out a desperate finish, after being in the lead for nearly the whole way A. Hendricksen trailed Moor Chimes, and although it looked as though he was beaten, Lenamhor stuck to it and won by the narrowest of margins. It was a capital go between the two pacers trained by A. Mathieson and the public gave them a good reception on returning to the paddock. Bing Boy went axvay fast but he broke in the straight when looking dangerous. Shine Soon had a good run over the last round but he could only finish fourth. Four Bells broke up, and Homer fell after going a furlong. Rollicking Bells was in front for nearly a mile and then faded out. Daphne Wildwood went a good mile. Jolly Chimes finished well. It was a great betting race, the investments being a record for the club.

There were only seven starters for the Farewell Handicap, a mile harness event, but the investments were nearly £IOOO more than the amount invested in the previous race, which up to that time constituted a record. Tin*; race was not worthy of the monetary support accorded it by the public. Escort, who was favourite, broke up early, whilst Wharepiana and Downcast dirl not begin right. Lady Embrace and Teneriffe w r ero the early leaders, but the latter faded out in the final struggle, whilst Lady Embrace put in extra good work and won decisively from Ivy Audubon, who paced a good race. Lady Embrace seems to becoming better at the barrier with age, and although she may never be seen to advantage over long journeys she is more than useful in sprint events. Ivy Audubon, who is racing more generously, stuck to her work in commendable style. Tommy Direct paced badlj r ih the heavy going. Downcast, once he got oh the journey, put in good work. The eostest was not at all a good one.