TROTTING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIII, Issue 791, 4 May 1905, Page 12

TROTTING.

AUCKLAND TROTTING CLUB'S AUTUMN MEETING.

Under very favourable weather conditions the Auckland Trotting Club made a commencement with the Autumn Meeting. Saturday afternoon proved beautifully fine, and under the circumstances it was not surprising to find a good attendance of the public at Takapuna. All the arrangements were well carried out by Secretary C. F. Mark and his committee, the only flaw being that, owing to an enquiry over the last race, it was dark before the money was paid out. This was, however, an incident which it was impossible to foresee. The sport commenced with the Maiden Trot, for which Miss Aola was elected a warm favourite, with Cleveland’s Pride next in request, a singularly correct forecast, for that was how they finished, the Vola— Clair mare winning by thirty yards, with Miss Victor 11. in third place. Mangonui carried far the most money in the. Pony Trot, but had to strike her colours ; to Victor C, which gelding, well ridden by Cotton, won very easily, with Lance in third place. There was some rather spirited betting on the Autumn Handicap, Forth being the popular choice, although Annoyed and Fashionable were well supported. Annoyed made most of the running when the field closed up, and a desperate finish saw Fashionable get the verdict by a neck from Sally Horner, who was a bare head in front of the favourite. Of the six starters in the Stewards’ Trot Albertorious was in most demand. He trotted well, but was no match for the second favourite, Little Doctor, who going in great style throughput, won very comfortably by over thirty yards from Sir Robert, with the favourite next. Bazaine was a very strong order for the Middle-Class Trot. Macquarrie made play in fine style, and the favourite proved unable to reach him, Mr May’s gelding winning rather easily, while Green Lavender filled third berth.

A nice field of ten went out to try their luck in the Cornwall Ttot, and of these the most fancied were Victor C. and Miss Dunmore The former ruined his chance by breaking repeatedly, and Baxter, well ridden by Hird, got home after an exciting finish, Rosebud being only three yards behind the King Harold gelding. Solitary and Forth shared favouritism in the Flying Handicap, although plenty of support was forthcoming for Lady French. The latter jumped off very smartly, while Delia Rose was left at the post. Forth came with a great rattle at the finish, and catching Lady Rose in the

last little bit won by half-a-length with Solitary third. There were eight starters in the concluding event, the Electric Trot, and of these Officer and Rosebud carried by far the most money. Neither took any part in the finish, Macquarrie and Empress being only separated by half-a-length. The stewards, however, disqualified Macquarrie for breaking, and the race was awarded to Empress, with The Mooress in second position, no third being placed. The following are the particulars:— FIRST DAY. Maiden Trot Handicap ; one mile and a-half. Mr G. Harper’s er m Miss Vola, 4yrs, by Vola Clair, 18see, Lowe ... ... . ... ... ... 1 Mr C. Hannigan’s Cleveland’s Pride, 18sec, Stokes ... 2 Mr S. Burke’s Miss Victor 11., 4seo, Murfitt .. 8 Other starters—Seacole, 7sec; lago, 12sec; Tataraimaka, 16see; Nokomai, 18sec ;* Lance and Ayrshire Lad, 19s6C« Won by ten lengths. Time, 4min 28 4-sth sec. Dividends, £ll2s and 15s. Pony TrotJHandicap ; one mile and a-half. Mrs T. Cotton’s b g Victor C„ aged, by Southern’ Chief— Jenny Tracey, scr, Cotton ... .. ... 1 Mr G. Stafford’s Mangonui, lOsec, Tighe ... .. 2 Mr F. Storey’s Lance, 22see, Greenwood; ... ... 3 Other starters —Fibre, 9sec; Seacole, lOsec. Won easily. Time, 4min 2sec. Dividend, £ll4s. Autumn Handicap ; six furlongs and a-half. Messrs 8. and H. Hussey’s b h Fashionable, syrs, by Soult—Bit o’Fashion, 9.5, Julian ... ... ... 1 Mr H. Bernard’s Sally Homer, 7.0, Deeley ... .. 2 Mr B. Hannon’s Forth, 8.10, Pinker ... 3 Other starters—Annoyed, 9.10; Miss Cuirassier, 6.10. Won by a neck. Time, Imin 27sec. Dividend, £1 17s. Stewards’ Handicap Trot ; two miles. Mr Lambert’s m g Little Doctor, aged, by Jersey, sor, Muifltt 1 Mr H. Lane’s Sir Robert, 16sec, Hird .. ... 2 Mr Wi Kaama’s Albertorious, 12sec, Knight ... 8 Other starters—Young Salisbury and Lady Love, 2sec; Miss Huon, 16sec. Won easily by ten lengths. Time, smin 17sec. Dividends, £1 3s and 16s. Middle-Class Trot Handicap ; one mile and a-half. Mr W. May’s b g Macquarrie, aged, by Huon Junior, 19sec, May ... ... ... ... ... 1 Mr Salathul’s Bazaine, 12sec, Murfitt ... ..2 Mr W. S. Greenwood’s Green Lavender, 18sec, Greenwood ... ... ... ... ... 3 Other starters—General Election, 12see; Empress, 13sec. Won comfortably. Time, 4min lOsec. Dividend, £2 14s. Cornwall Handicap Trot ; one mile and a-half. Mr A. Fraser’s b h Baxter, aged, by King Harold, 2 6sec, Hird ... ... ... ... ... 1 Mr W. S. Greenwood’s Rosebud, 7sec, Greenwood ... 2 Mr E. Crooks’ Miss Dunmore, 19sec, Murfitt ... 3 Other starters—Kingston. 7sec; Harold Abdallah, 9sec ; Victor C. Usee (including ssec penalty) ; Bell Car and Thorndean, 12sec; Colenso and Little Billy, 13sec. Won by a length. Time, 3min 58sec. Dividends, £2 19s and £1 2s. Flying Handicap ; five furlongs. Mr R. Hannon’s ch g Forth, aged, by Regel—Sleevelink, 8.12, Pinker .. ... ... .. ... 1 Mrs Cotton’s Lady French, 7.3, E. Cotton ... ... 2 Mr W. Gall’s Solitary, 7.6, Deeley ... ... . ... 8 Other starters—Delia Rose, 8.12; Hurihuri, 7.2; Resurgam, 7.0. Won by half-a-length. Time, Imin 6 4-sth sec. Dividends, £1 7s and Ils. Electric Tbot Handicap ; one mile. Mr G. Robinson’s b m Empress, aged, by ImperiousViolet, 14sec, Moore ... ... .. ... 1 Mr Wi Kaama’s The Mooress, ssec, Knight... 2 Other starters - Young McKinney, scr; Rosebud, ssec ; Bell Car, Bsee; Colenso, 9see; Officer, ISsec; Macquarrie, 13see (disqualified). The stewards held an inqury into the running of Macquarrie, whoj was disqualified, and awarded the race to Empress, with The Mooress second, not placing a third horse. Time, 2min 49sec. Dividends, £5 12s and £1 Is.

Easily the most remarkable pair of “trotters” in the country are Whirlwind and Black Diamond, owned by Thomas A. Cockburn, of Arkansas. These trained ostriches are driven to a pneumatic speeding wagon, and under favourable conditions can do their halfmile in 1:05 or better. This is a 2’lo clip, which only the fastest equine trotters can surpass when hooked to a wagon. In single harness each of the birds has been pitted against many noted horses, * and though occasionally beaten} has won far more than he> has lost. Black Diamond, the larger, though not the faster of the birds, stands nine feet eight inches high and weighs three hundred pounds. He is eighteen years old. Both are first class plumage birds, and they are valued at $20,000. Not all ostriches can be trained to race. Mr Cockburn, who owns an ostrich farm, tries out thirteen or fourteen young birds each year, and considers himself luck to find one among them that has the* racing instinct. Whirlwind has this instinct developed to a remarkable extent, and will struggle like a thoroughbred to win a race when pitted against a horse. He was broken to harness two years ago, and is at once the fastest and best trained bird in the country.—“ Trotter and Pacer.”

There is good common sense in the following from the pen of Henry. White : “Too many people, in considering the question of speed in animals intended for breeding purposes, overlook the fact that the 2:30 standard is a purely arbitrary one. As a matter of fact, a horse that can show a three minute gait is going along some, as twenty miles an hour is considerably faster than most people care to ride on the road. Some of the most successful breeders of trotters would sooner mate a couple of horses each capable of 2:40 speed that were good gaited and did the work as though they liked it than a pair with 2:30 records, if the latter two were obliged to be rigfced with a variety of boots, weights and checks before they could do the 2:30 trick. A ‘made’ trotter is not nearly as apt to sire <or produce speed as the one with a slower rate of speed that took to the game naturally. It is on this line of reasoning that stallions capable of going fast at two or three years of age are sought after by breeders who have given the theory and practice of breeding'*'for speed, more than a superficial examination, and they are the great sires of the future.”

The crossing of the American stan-dard-bred trotting stallion with the Russian national Orlifl mare has proved such a successful “nick” that the Moscow Trotting Club, in deference to the numerous and influential awners of Orloff stock, has decided that 50 per cent, of all trotting races shall be exclusively for pure-bred Orloffs. The halfbreeds carry all before them. Alvin, an American stallion, who left colts behind him in America which have not shown any turn of speed, has been getting flers in Russia from Orloff mares. The Yankees are beginning to notice the value of the cross, and some breeders are talking about importing Orloff mares, with the object of mating them with first-class American sires. The great Irish galloping horse, Galtee More, which the Russians purchased some five years ago for 200,000 roubles, soon made his mark on the turf. Out of the first fourteen colts he sired, twelve were winners, one of them, Irish Lad, a very high-class horse, winning the Derby at Warsaw, Moscow, and St. Petersburg. Strange to say, in view of his wonderful success as a sire, the Russians sold the horse to Austria for 70,000 roubles less than they gave for him. One Russian owner/ who bought every youngster by Galtee More that was for sale, last year won about 300,0'00 roubles.