TROTTING TOPICS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21203, 28 August 1940, Page 14

TROTTING TOPICS

The racing surface at Epsom is reI ported to be in splendid order for the ! Auckland Trotting Club’s August I meeting at Alexandra Park on Satur- | day. j Stayed At Addington I Lady Vascylne did not accompany • Three Bells and Kevvpie’s Pling on the return trip to Auckland and she will be trained in future at Addington under J. Seibel. Lady Vasclyne ran , three good races in reaching the winning list in Canterbury. Nicely Placed i Equipoise is nicely placed in the i August Handicap at Epsom this j week. He disclosed good form at | Christmas when he finished third to j Shrewdie and Adversity in the Sumi mer Handicap and improved on th^ ! third day to win the Bledisloe Handil cap from Great Chum and Tangatu, | scoring effortlessly in 4.22. Fit and j well this week Equipoise will have j every opportunity to continue his winning way. 1 Nell Volo’s Sire | Peter Volo, sire of Nell Volo, I Swordsman, and grandsire of Josei dale Dictator, all successful trotters in F. J. Smith’s stable, was the first two-year-old trotter in the world to run a mile better than 2.5, his record being 2.4£, established in 1913. As a three-year-old he trotted 2.3j5, and a year later went 2.2. Peter Volo is also the first sire to produce a two and three-year-old under the 2.5 standard, Hanover’s Bertha going 2.2 as a two-year-old and Hollyrood Susan 2.33 at three years. Nawton Parrish Nawton Parrish has been working well on the tracks over the past sevi eral weeks and will have to be taken : into consideration in the summing up | of the August Handicap on Saturday. At the Winter meeting Nawton Parrish showed a glimpse of his best j when he accounted for all but Josej dale Grattan and Bold Venture, and slight improvement only would bo necessary for him to make full amends. Qualified For New Zealand Cup Marlene’s victory in the August Handicap at Addington qualified her for the New Zealand Trotting Cup. Since she began racing she has been a model of consistency. In 40 starts she has won eight races, been six times second and nine times third, and has won £3627 in stakes. About two years ago she was offered for sale by her owner-breeder, C. S. Donald, but failed to reach the reserve of £6OO. Since then she has won nearly £2600 in prize-money, including the Auckland Cup last December. She is by Jack Potts from Auditress and is a full-sister to Accountant.

Hillcrest Fit Hillcrest shaped well on the tracks at Claudelands yesterday morning and should strip in good order for his engagement in the August Handicap at Epsom this week. At the winter meeting at Auckland he won the Cornwall in 3.29 2-5 and on the second day prevailed in the Liverpool Handicap over Tinker and Bronze Queen in 3.22 2-5. Last season Hillcrest accounted for £640 in stakes and he will need only to repeat his form of May to provide stern opposition on this occasion. Famous Money-Spinner A writer in the Canadian Sportsman, discussing America’s greatest stake winner, says the honours are with the trotting mare Goldsmith Maid, who, racing in the years before prize money reached the high standard of recent times, won 346,200 dollars. In 123 races she was first on 97 occasions, and with only two exceptions was placed in her other starts. The racehorse Seabiscuit, who registered 33 firsts and 19 placfngs in 80 starts, won 437,730 dollars, and Man o’ War, who lost only one race in 21 starts, collected 249,465 dollars. Sixth Win In Year Accountant scored his sixth win in 12 months when he annexed the Trial Handicap at Addington. He gave his supporters a fright when he stopped badly over the last furlong, and had to be hard driven to beat the fast-finishing King Potts by half a head. While Accountant is a very promising young pacer, who doubtless will reach high class, he was fortunate on this occasion to beat King Potts, who suffered a setback in the running and had a lot of ground to make up over the last half-mile. King Potts was pushed back from fifth place to nearly last with a round to go and this interference cost him the race. King Potts is good. Consistent Chatmos Chatmos recorded his sixth win in as many starts when he romped home in the Advance Handicap at the recent Metropolitan Trots. He was back in ninth place when the field had settled down, but he moved up going down the back the last time and was third when they had straightened up for home. Once in line for the final run he quickly accounted for his opponents and came on to win with consummate ease. Chatmos, a ten-year-old gelding by Wrack from Lady Superior, failed to win at his next start at the meeting, but in finishing fast into a minor place, left the impression that he will soon add to his record. He did not start racing till he was eight years of age, and since then he has shown outstanding form and promises to add to his winnings in the near future. Mount Eden Handicap Divisions for the Mount Eden Handicap, of £3OO, limit 3.5, 1£- miles, to be run at the Auckland Trotting Club’s meeting on Saturday are as follows: — First Division, of £lso.—Antarctic Star, Blushworthy, Bold Boy, Escobar, Katoomba, Mitaya, Pearl Oro, Village Maid. Rockfel Sparkling Pointer, limit: Northern Smile. Davey Day. 12yds bhd. Brackets: Antarctic Star and Northern Smile, Pearl Oro and Village Maid. Second Division. £lso.—Ayrshire Scott, Fly Across, Cloverdale, Rama Direct. Flying News, Guide Peter, Magic Task, Netrality, Sir Echo, Tapairu, Velvet Cushion, limit; Whanako, 48yds bhd. Bracket: Fly Across, Cloverdale and Rama Direct. Starting timer, for the races are respectively 11.30 a.m., 12.15, 1.0, 1.45, 2.30, 3.15, 4.0 and 4.50 p.m.

By “PADLOCK.”

! Progress in West Australia During the last 10 years the W.A.T.A. has made splendid progress and paid away more than £IOO,OOO. A sum of £70.000 had to be repaid when the present control took over the course. This consisted of j £20,000, owing on completed contracts and a bank loan of £50,000, which hatl to be repaid, plus interest, at the rate of £SOOO per year. These payments, less £7OOO, had been made from earnings, in addition to £20,000 spent on improvements on the course, and another £20,000 donated to charity. Had the course been free of debt 10 years ago, members would have been in the happy position of having large reserves and facing the future with a brighter outlook. The committee hopes, however, that the present standard would be maintained and that those dependent on the sport would not be reduced financially. Jenny’s Guy is Class Few better trotting mares have raced in New Zealand than Jenny’s Guy (says the Trotting Calendar). Only a handful—Worthy Queen, Sea Gift, Olive Nelson, Peggotty, Escapade, Reta Peter, for example—may be placed in front of her, and Jenny’s Guy still has the time to measure up to each and all of them. Jenny’s Guy had to be extra good to win the Stewards’ Handicap at Addington, for she misfired at the start and was at least 60 yards behind the leaders when she settled down properly. After that she was forced to race three sulkies out on the second last turn, which usually finds out the best of them. But, not Jenny’s Guy. She continued on to reach the front half a mile from home, and stayed on magnificently when challenged by Mute in the run home. She just got there by a head, but with an ordinary passage she would have won easily. Jenny’s Guy is one of the few trotters by imported Adioo Guy (2.0|), and on the dam’s side she is related to Bell Harold, who won many races for the late W. J. Tomkinson. Kept up to Collar During the trotting season recently concluded in West Australia, no fewer than 17 pacers raced on 30 or more occasions. The hardest worked was Pleasant Surprise, who competed cn 37 occasions for one win and three seconds. It is rather remarkable that, although raced so frequently, only a few of them met with a fair measure of success. Casatar started 35 times and registered four firsts, three seconds and four thirds. Bronette won four races in 34 starts, and Moreica also won four races from 33 attempts.

The veteran Sheik pacer Von Sheik appeared in public 36 times during the season for two wins and two seconds. Sir Raymond, who has often registered a sequence of minor places, had a busy time. He started 35 times, but although he raced consistently and recorded ten minor placings, it was not until May 11 that he opened his winning account for the season.

Another horse who was very consistent was Pleasant Boy, who ran two firsts, eight seconds and three thirds. Wee Globe was a failure, for in 31 starts he could only manage a second and a third.