TROTTING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 96, 26 April 1933, Page 4

TROTTING

LIGHT-HARNESS THRILLS NEXT SATURDAY’S PROMISE. CHAMPIONS AT LOCAL MEETING. (Special Trotting Writer). With the acceptances closing this evening with Mr. Clem Swan, interest is quickening in the Wanagnui Trotting Club’s meeting on Saturday. Ever since the closing of entries, which were larger in number than those received by sister clubs, local trotting enthusiasts felt confident that success was assured. Allowing for several defections to-night, there is every reason to believe that the optimism is well founded. At all events the Wanganui Club warmly deserves to succeed in its mission of promoting the best class of exciting sport in the district. Racing in any form has formed the most popular kind of recreation and during the last few years no sport has made greater strides in popularity than trotting. This is accouned for by various reasons, but prinicpally because of the improvement in the breeding industry, the more even system of adjustments, and the keen competition between trainers and drivers to get to the top of the Dominion’s honours lists. Then again, trotting is a most spectacular sport, the absence of short sprints giving the public a better view of the racing generally. It may be argued in some quarters that while vhe present situation rules sport is on the down grade, but as far as public opinion goes such is not the case. The average man (and woman, too) to-day is looking for sane diversion from the humdrum, every-day round of duties, and naturally turns to the recreative side of life to supply the antidote. This they get in trotting, which is filled with thrills and excitement. When well-bred and splendidly-conditioned horses, driven by the most expert rcinsmen, are pitted against each other in open competition, the public can look with confidence for high-class racing, and taking a line through the form of horses likely to measure strides on Saturday, visitors to the local fixture will not be disappointed. While there will bo no Harold Logans, Glenrossies, Roi L’ Ors, or other horses of champion calibre taking part, those engaged in the Wanganui and Marton Handicaps are the champions of their particular class, and in trotting it is an unwritten law that where competitors are evenly matched, irrespective of class, the thrill of the , contests is just as exhilarating as can be experienced at the highest-grade meetings in the Dominion. The Wanganui Trotting Club has been responsible, indirectly, for the production of many high-class performers. The world’s champion, Harold Logan, opened his career at Wanganui three years ago by winning a hack race, while Glenrossie, one of the finest handicap horses in the land, scored his first success in the Wanganui Cup. Logan’s Pride, Little Guy and Sir Guy are other names inscribed on the New Zealand trotting merit board that first attracted attention by winning at Wanganui, and it may be that some of the successful competitors on Saturday will later rise to greater heights. In the meantime the main thing to remember is that the racing on Saturday promises to furnish keen, spectacular and speculative contests.

GUIDE FOR INVESTORS WANGANUI CLUB’S ENTERPRISE COURSE REVIEW OF FIELDS. In order to make its meeting on Saturday more attractive for the public, the committee of the Wanganui Trotting Club has decided to instal the “public address” system on the course, and the services of tho Auckland trotting writer and announcer, Mr C. E. Craig, have been engaged. The visitor has had a good experience of tho system and was the operator at meetings held at Hamilton, New Plymouth, Hawera, Hastings and Pacroa, which all proved successful. Reports from the centres named show that the public greatly appreciated the broadcast, which comprised chiefly a review of the fields before each race and a running description of the contest. As Mr Craig has attended all the North Island trotting meetings during the last few months, his discourse on the form of the candidates on Saturday will be of material benefit to patrons, and from his comments speculators will get a good line on tho prospects of their respective fancies. While the visitor deals comprehensively with the form of the many horses taking part at the meetings, there are always some candidates who have no form to recommend them. In such cases Mr Craig makes a point of studying the breeding of the novices with a view to giving the public a guide as to what may be expected in this direction. The Wanganui public will certainly appreciate the club’s enterprise in installing the broadcast system for Saturday.