ASHBURTON TROTTING CLUB.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1312, 17 June 1915, Page 16

ASHBURTON TROTTING CLUB.

A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL MEETING.

(From our Christchurch Correspondent.)

Favoured with fine weather, the winter meeting of the Ashburton Trotting Club was an unqualified success. Record fields of more than average quality contested most of the events, while the attendance of both visiting and local sportsmen was particularly large. As the result of recent rains and frosts the track was hardly at its best, but even so quite a number of high-class performances were recorded on it. Evidently the war has had little effect on the spending powers of those who follow up racing, as the record sum of £16,094 was handled by the totalisator staff, as compared with £14,138 last June. What was undoubtedly the best collection of harness horses ever got together on the cours j went out to dispute possession of the Ashburton Trotting Cup, a race confined to horses capable of going two miles in 4min 44sec or better, and endowed to the extent of £350. Backers were evenly divided as between the prospects of Our Thorpe, Emilius and Calm, this trio carrying quite half of the invesments. Just after the start Vermont whipped round and besides losing her driver interfered with several of those just behind her. The mishap quite upset Emilius, always an excitable customer, and he refus d to take any part in the contest Before half the journey had been left behind Stanley’s Child and Tommy C. were racing together wJI clear of the field, and they had the finish to themselves. It was a spirited contest as between the pair, and the issue was in doubt till within the distance, where it was seen that Stanley’s Child had his opponents measure. After having anything but a good passage, Our Thorpe got clear half a mile from home, but though he finished like a racehorse he had no chance with the 1 ading pair. Though beaten into third place the honours of the race lay with O.Y.M.’s brilliant son, who by leaving the two miles behind on a dead track in 4 min 34sec, put up a remarkable per-

formance, and incidentally qualified for a nomination in the New Zealand Trotting Cup. Calm did not commence too well, and never got into the fighting line, but Persuader ran one of his usual consistent races in gaining fourth place. Oinako, who put down a useful field of beginners in the Trial Handicap, is a very promising three-year-old son of Harold Dillon (imp.) and Grantanotte (imp.) Though this was his first race he handled himself like a good one, and is sure to earn further distinction.

Aladdin, who hails from M. Edwards’ stable, looked to have a soft thing on in the Longbeach Handicap, for which he was sent out a staunch favourite. It was not till well into the concluding circuit that Lord Roanchild commenced to overhaul him. Several skips by the leader enabLd Lord Roanchild to get within striking distance, and he gradually wore Aladdin down, winning a good race by a bare length. Till recently the winner has done most of his racing as a pacer, but in Thursday’s contest he showed to much more advantage as a trotter. The two-year-old Cello Sydney Wilkes put up one of the finest performances for one of his age ever witnessed in New Zealand by appropriating the Amatpur Handicap in the remarkable time of 2min 21sec.

He was kept busy all through by Flake Cut, a gelding who only a week previously had come in first in two events at the Wairarapa meeting. As in the opening race Coal King showed a lot of pace, but founu the opposition just a nttie tco gco„ for him. A locally owned candidate in Roth annic .recorded a comfortable win in the Acton Handicap, and rewarded his supporters with the best dividend of the day. He is not an attractive pac_r, but can muster up a lot of speed, for he cut out the threatened danger, and altogether it was a most disappointing race. A particularly select field of 16 lined up for the Winter Handicap, the most fancied candidates being St. Kevin, Edith A., Bell Metal and Eccentric. Going off at a great pace, Bell Metal was in front when half the journey had been covered, only to be called off for anticipating the starter s bell. This left the issue to St. Kevin and Sherwood, and after a battle royal to the post Pringle just landed the former a winner by a head. It was bad luck for Bell Metal’s backers, but for the foolishness of his driver, A. Wilson, he could hardly have lost.