ENGLISH RACING.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20278, 12 April 1934, Page 12

ENGLISH RACING.

Trainer Has Team of 68 Horses. 1934 SEASON HOPES. (Special to the “ Star.”) LONDON, March 1. Although at the moment of writing there is snew upon the ground, the flat racing season is close upon us. Drought and frost combined have hindered training to a rather serious extent, though some of the trainers have had the foresight to send their charges to the seaside for exercise on the sands. Even this has a disadvantage, since a daily gallcp on the sands tends to clog the speed of a horse. Nevertheless, it is, in many instances, the best exercise available at the moment. All this interference with training is bound to provide surprises at the beginning of the season. Backers have had a bad time of it also over the sticks. Hope lives eternal, but it is surprising that so many of them continue backing their fancies to the enrichment of the bookies. Apart from training difficulties, the outlook for the flat racing season is distinctly good. Despite the heavy expense of racing, there have not been so many horses in training for a long time past. The Beckhampton stable, which topped the list last year, has got 68 horses to look after, including about a dozen owned by the Aga Khan and Prince Aly Khan. The Aga Khan was exceptionally unlucky in 1933. Again and again his horses were strongly fancied for classic or semi-classic events. But, more often than I can remember, he had to be content with second place. The Prince Aly Khan had been rather more lucky. His horses have scored some notable successes over the jumps, and it is pleasant to note that this young owner is taking up with enthusiasm the sport cf which his father is such a munificent patron. Fred Darling also has a big string—something like three score—of which more than half are two-year-olds. Though it seems impossible that he should beat the record he set up last year, there is every prospect of Gordon Richards being kept extremely busy. If he dees not get as many winners, he is sure, at least, of as many mounts. All the fiat racing jockeys are now returning to their stables in readiness for the opening of the season. Some of them have been keeping their hand in by racing in India and elsewhere. But the majority have been on pleasure bent, either in Switzerland, for the winter sports, or on the Riviera. And, in some instances, at least, they will experience a little difficulty in getting their weights down to the required level. WALLA WALLA. Plans for For bury Park Match. Per Press Association. ' , DUNEDIN, April 11. A special meeting of the committee of the Forbury Park Trotting Club was held this afternoon for the purpose of discussing the proposal to invite Mr L. S. Martin to bring Walla Walla to Dunedin to .participate in the club’s winter meeting next month. After some discussion, in which it was explained by Mr Barton that Mr Martin was prepared to bring it is horse to Dunedin provided a race whs included for only those horses against which Walla Walla raced at Auckland, it was decided to issue an invitation to Messrs Martin and Hinds, owners of Walla Walla and Harold Logan respectively, to contest a special match race over one mile with a (lying start on Saturday, May 5. the second day of the club’s forthcoming meeting, for a purse of £250, £l5O of which would go to the Winner and £IOO to the loser with an additional £SO to the horse which covered the distance in 2min or better. In the event of both horses qualifying for the additional money the t.-»0 would be equally divided between them.