TROTTING NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 662, 16 January 1933, Page 10

TROTTING NOTES.

ATOMINATIONS for the Nelson Trotting Club's annual meeting will close this evening at eight o’clock. * * * * Entries for the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club's February meetI ing will close on January 19, at noon. * * * * Acceptances for the Timaru Trotting J Club’s summer meeting are due this | evening at nine o’clock. * * * * Tactless has trained off. Though he finished third in the Hutt Handicap at Wellington on Saturday, he never displayed his usual dash. He is to be given a spell. * * * * Thornw.orthy began well, and paced solidly in the Gracefield Trial Handicap at Wellington, but he was decisively beaten two furlongs from home. He is a good sort of a three-year-old by Travis Axworthv from Rosethorn, and will improve with racing. MET WITH A MISHAP. Smoke Screen met with a mishap while training last week, and could not fulfil his engagements at Wellington on Saturday. * * * * Though possessed of a fair sole of grass, the course at Wellington on Saturday was hard, and it caused more than one horse to shorten up when asked to go fast on it. TOO SORE. College Boy was too sore to do himself justice at Wellington, and the hard state of the track added to his difficulty. * * * * The five-year-old mare Golden Harvest, who led all the way to win the Gracefield Trial Handicap at Wellington, is a full sister to Harvest Child, being by Sonoma Harvester from Gwenchild. She is owned by C. S. Donald, who drove her at Wellington. * * * * Raydus went a good race in the Hutt Handicap at Wellington, being beaten in the last couple of strides by the Auckland pacer Little Guy, who trailed Raydus to within half a furlong of home before he tackled him. Little Guy just lasted long enough to beat Raydus, after being driven a patient race. SUCCESSFUL MEETING. The Wellington Trotting Club is to be congratulated upon the success of its New Zealand Gold Cup meeting, for, although there was a decrease of £1246 15s in the totalisator returns, the balance-sheet is expected to show a profit. There was a splendid attendance, and the racing was most enjoyable. * * * * Arikitoa had a fit of pulling in the Hutt Handicap at Wellington, and, instead of being a generous competitor for the event, he indulged in tug o’ war tactics with his driver. The result was that he knocked himself clean out three furlongs from home. The driver was not sorry when the horse declared an armistice, even if it meant being the last to finish. BEST AS SPRINTER. Little Guy is essentially a sprinter, and as such he will win another race or two. But his effort over two miles at Wellington does not point to further successes over a journey. He won the Hutt Handicap on Saturday in a race that could not have suited him better. The pace was slow for the first mile, and he had the inside running and was tucked in behind Raydus for a mile and seven furlongs, and then had a clearcut run to the post when he essayed to head Raydus. Little Guy is engaged in mile and a quarter races at Forbury. GREYMOUTH INCIDENT. Along High Street at Greymouth most of the residents have made lawns on the sides of the roads between the bitumen and the footpath. They have gone to a lot of trouble to make the locality attractive, and they take a pride in its appearance. In view of that, one can imagine their disgust at seeing trotting trainers who visited the recent meeting at Greymouth exercising their horses along these lawns. It is stated that one of the residents remonstrated with two of the trainers, who persisted in using the lawns. A GOOD THREE-YEAR-OLD. The three-year-old pacer Ronald Derby is a nice actioned horse who should develop into a good performer. At Wellington he began smartly, and displayed real courage in his races. He fousid Golden Harvest too good for him in the Gracefield Trial Handicap, run over a mile and a half, but won the Probationers’ Handicap easing up by six lengths. That was a mile and a quarter event. He was well driven in each race by his trainer, B. Jarden, who educated and developed him. Ronald Derby is owned by the Banks Peninsula sportsman Mr A. A. Hammond, and is by Nelson Derby from a mare by Harold Dillon. REY SPEC. The three-year-old pacer, Rey Spec, registered a smart performance when she recorded 3min 23sec to win the Improvers’ Handicap at Wellington. She was first out of the barrier, and led all the way to win with something to spare. She paced her first mile in 2min 18 l-ssec, mile and a quarter in 2min 52sec, and then flew home in 3min 23sec, taking only 31 sec to do the final two furlongs. * * * * The Australian reinsman, G. M. Mouritz, who came over to New Zealand a little over a year ago with Mr F. B. M’Farlane’s horses, has been attached to Mr J. R. M’Kenzie’s establishment for the past five months. This position he will vacate in a few weeks’ time. TOO HARD, The hard state of the track at Wellington did not please Garner, and in the Kaitoke Handicap she was inclined to shift from the trotting to the pacing gait, eventually making a very bad break when a mile and a quarter was covered, ,I'n the Progressive Handicap she trotted solidly all the way, but after taking the lead nearly half a mile from home she failed to withstand a challenge from Stanley Bingen, Deceitful and Wah in the straight. In a suitable class she will be very hard to beat. * * * * Regal Voyage went away very slowly in the New Zealand Trotting Gold Cup; in fact, she was second last when a furlong was covered. In the Dispatch Handicap, decided over a mile and a quarter, she began much better and ran a good race to finish in fourth place.

Roddy, who was backed down to a very short price, never left the Dispatch Handicap in doubt. C. King had him early in second place, where he was content to allow his candidate to bowl along until within a furlong of home. Then King spoke to him, and he went on to win very easily. GOOD DOUBLE. The two wins registered by Stanley Bingen at Wellington were full of merit, and the son of Nelson Bingen and Stanley’s Child never put a foot wrong in either contest. He is gaining confidence with age and racing, and his effort of 4min 34 l-ssec in the Progressive Handicap was a fine performance. It showed that he is above the average trotter in his class, and that it is only a question of his training on satisfactorily to win several races. He is a member of a family that is well served by age, and in the capable hands of J. Bryce he is certain to win further races. He was driven in his Wellington successes by J. Bryce, jun., who is in good form with the reins, and is driving well. DROVE WELL. C. King was seen at his best behind Lindbergh in the New Zealand Trotting Gold Cup, and was only beaten because he met a great horse in Roi 1 Or. King realised early in the race that the pace was too slow, having taken lmin 12sec to cover the first four furlongs, so he took Lindbergh up to the leader. Auto Machine, and increased the pace. The second half-mile was run in lmin 6sec, and the next quarter of a mile was negotiated in 32 l-ssec. The mile and a half was reached in 3min 23 4-ssec. That was Auto Machine’s time. Lindbergh compassed his first twelve furlongs in 3min 21sec. He paced his next half-mile in lmin 2 2-ssec, but Roi l’Or was too good for him. Lindbergh registered 4min 23 2-ssec, and is retaining his form remarkably well. He will win a big race at Easter. TROTTING FIXTURES. January 21—Timaru T.C. January 21—Wairio J.C. January 26, 28—Forbury Park T.C.