PLEA MADE FOR THE TROTTER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18452, 1 May 1928, Page 2

PLEA MADE FOR THE TROTTER.

TIGHTER CLASSES ARE NECESSARY. <By OBSERVER.) *AI though the Metropolitan Trotting Club is usually very alert in framing the classes of its events to provide for the best results and cater for the cream of the trotting and pacing talent, it must be admitted that at present the claims of the best unhoppled horses are hardly receiving the attention which might be expected. The premier club holds nine days’ racing during the year. On the current season’s programme, the tightest class for the square-gaited horses was the Dominion Trotting Handicap—4.3B This event was decided on the first day of the November meeting, the classes on the two following days being 4.42 and 4.40. In August the three best races had limits of 4.44, 4.42 and 4.40 respectively. At the one-day fixture in February, the class was 4.42, while at the Easter meeting the limits were 4.42 and 4.40. Auckland Leads. The Auckland Trotting Club has given more consideration to the tightly handicapped trotters, as at its summer meeting, held in December last, there were two events with a 4.38 limit, while the Rowe Handicap, of 1000 sovs and a fifty-guinea gold cup, was a 4.36 class. The latter event attracted an excellent field of thirteen, which provided a most spectacular contest, while the other two events mentioned had a gratifying acceptance, and must have given every satisfaction from the club’s point of view. At the Wellington Trotting Club’s autumn meeting, held on March 24. the principal event for the unhoppled brigade was a 4.37 class, and, even although there were only six'starters, and the winner, Native Star, had the race won a long way from home, the event created great interest. Although the Metropolitan Trotting Club is everywhere considered the premier club of the Dominion, it will be seen from the above that, in the matter of tightening up the classes for unhoppled trotters, both the Auckland and Wellington clubs have taken the lead. Not only in the matter of tightening these classes does Auckland lead, but also, in the amounts of stake money awarded.

At the fixture in December, the three principal races carried prizes amounting to £2goo, and a gold cup valued at fifty guineas, whereas the stakes for the corresponding events at the Metropolitan club’s meeting last November amounted tc £IBOO, an average of £l5O less per race. Handicaps Too Great. One immediately turns to sez if there is any explanation or solution of why the best-class horses are not better catered for. The reason cannot be that in tightening the classes the events would unduly limit the numbers of the horses provided for, because there are at least twenty horses in commission at present which would bfe eligible for a 4.35 class, whereas by keeping the limit round about 4.40 or 4.42 the bet-ter-class horses, of which there are several, are practically handicapped out of the race by reason of having to* give away starts of 144yds or 160yds to improving ones on the front marks. For this reason Peterwah, one of the best trotters we have ever seen in New Zealand, is practically debarred from competing against horses of his own gait under the present conditions. He has started on upwards of a dozen occa sions during the present season, yet only once has he contested an jnhoppled trotters’ event, and then he had to concede starts up to 120yds. Escapade and Trampfast are in the same position, and now, with so much gen-

eral improvement, such horses at Native Star, Peter Swift, Young Blake, Waikaha, Moneyspider, Sister Beatrice and Co. are set to give away ridiculous starts every time they contest an event limited to competitors of their gait.

There is nothing the public loves more than a good contest between the trotters, and those who were fortunate enough to witness the Peterwah-Money-spider finish in the Dominion Trotting Handicap of 1926 will agree that it provided more thrill than any Cup contest for years. In fact,, one Oamaru man who heard the race described by radio still refers to the event as the best race he has “ seen.” And this is not an isolated instance, for, in races where the best trotters are competing, it rarely happens that a fine contest is not witnessed. Most will agree that the squaregaited horses usually provide thrilling and spectacular contests.

Tightening Justified. .So much improvement has occurred lately in these classes, that a vigorous tightening up of the limits is complete-

ly justified. We have seen good trotters in other years, but never have we seen them in such ntimbers as at present, and in order to give them a chance of being seen to the best advantage, the classes should be made sufficiently attractive to ensure the back-markers a reasonable chance of success. It may be argued that they are well enough catered for, because they are eligible to start in any race for which they have qualified on the time or handicap basis, but it cannot be denied that the trotter, however game, true and courageous he may be, is almost invariably carried off his feet by the faster beginning pacers, in the early stages of races on fast tracks. It is true that the trotter occasionally appears to advantage against the pacers, but he is seen to far greater advantage when contesting events limited to unhoppled horses. There seems to be no argument against the tightening up of these classes, as the poorer class horses could be catered for in the other event which usually is first on each day’s programme. The Metropolitan Club’s prinicpal event for unhoppled trotters, the Dominion Trotting Handicap, could be tightened up considerably, and if this was done, the stake is sufficiently attractive to induce all the best horses in commission to compete for the prize. The event might well be tightened up four seconds, making the limit 4.34, and even then a large field would be eligible to start, which would include the following horses wth good recent performances to their credit :

Escapade, 4.27 1-5. Trampfast, 4.28 1-5. Peterwah, 4.30 2-5. Native Star, 4.30 2-5. Peter Swift, 4.30 3-5. Elzear, 4.30 4-5. Young Blake. 4.31. Waikaha, 4.31 2-5. Moneyspider. 4.32 2-5. Sister Beatrice, 4.33. Others eligible are:—John Mauritius, 4 31 2-5; Napland, 4.32 4-5; Atidominion, 4.33 4-5. . If the same conditions prevailed, the following horses would be eligible on

account of being handicapped on the timesappearing against their names: Betty Moko, 4.33. Engagement, 4.34. Judge Hancock, 4.34. It will be seen that there is good material available, and that there should be no great difficulty in getting a good field to start from a. 4.34 mark The owners of the good trotters would probably relish the opportunity of competing in such an event with a reasonably short limit, especially if there was a handsome stake attached. There is nothing which gives the racing public a better .thrill than a good trotters' race, and if Escapade, Trampfast, Peterwah, Native Star, Peter Swift, Young Blake, Waikaka, Moneyspider, Elzear, Sister Beatrice and Betty Moko were to compete in the next Dominion Trotting Handicap, it is doubtful if the Cup race would create more interest than would a con test between these great trotters. Attract the Good Ones. Obviously the right thing is to try to make the class sufficiently attractive to draw all these horses here for the big race next November. All those mentioned (and one or two others) would actually be entitled to start in a 4.33 class, so a 4.34 limit should give a sufficiently . wide margin for the “safety in numbers’’ theory usually adopted. For the other principal events, a 4.36 class should be adequate for ail the Metropolitan Club’s meetings, except the one day fixture in February, when visitors are usually conspicuous by their absence. The following additional horses would be available, their

handicap times being placed against their names:—• Kola Boy, 4.35. Master Audo. 4.35. Cannonball. 4.35. Red Oak. 4.36. Bonny Spec, 4.36. Rose Bingen, 4.36. The programmes for the forthcoming trotting season will soon be issued, and it is to be hoped that something is done to provide good races for the best, trotters where they will not be called, upon to give away such impossible starts, as would have been necessary during the present season. If the Metropolitan Club wishes to retain its position, its first care must be to cater adequately for the best horses.