TROTTING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1442, 13 December 1917, Page 25

TROTTING.

The nominations received for the Auckland Trotting Club’s summer meeting constitute a record, and number 100 more than last year, at which the club should be gratified. Class is well represented and contestants will come from different parts of both islands to take on the local contingent.

The stewards in future will be accommodated with a couple of lookout towers to watch the racing, which must, be much more satisfactory than seeing the racing from the inside of a cab, especially with the crowd all over the course to obstruct the view. The Auckland Trotting Club have made provision at the totalisator for the comfort of speculators by putting morfi receiving counters and pay out windows, both on the inside and outside machine houses. On Saturday Steel Bell did a very pleasing go with Derby Dillon as an fl QCJ'iQ'f’QTli On Tuesday Mr. Pettie sent Sweet Memory along fast in a series of fast sprint. This beautiful mare was averaging about 18sec per furlong, rolling into her work with plenty of vim. T. Cotton is getting Rotomanuku into good buckle with plenty of saddle work with the straps on. The imported trotter is still carrying surplus condition. George K. was handled by Malcolm, who sent the big pacer along solidly. The trainer was handicapped by getting the horse when in very poor condition and has had to build him up. Auckland Girl, Prince Child and Sandy Patch ran a mile and a-half in company. Sandy Patch misbehaved himself, as did Auckland Girl, but when Mr. Pettie’s mare settled down she had the pace of the trio. J. Lynch sent Lady S. along usefully. The black mare is on the improve. Derby Dillon was handled by Malcolm and Austurio by Cunningham over about two miles. Both horses are in good fettle. Steel Bell, with the straps on, was sent about two miles at a good solid pace. The mare is in rare good condition. „ D. Nyhan is expected at Epsom on Friday with five horses, and Hendricksen with one. On Monday Ivan Huon and False Alarm pleased the onlookers. The former especially so by his clean style of trotting. Waikoukou and Grattan Abbey were showing some fast bursts of speed. The contrast between the pair was so marked that a looker-on compared them to the beauty and the beast. W. Orange sent Rita along at top. He has Mr. Morrison’s mare in rare buckle. She went with Jaylyn for about a mile. * The Winton Trotting Club’s annual fixture was held on the W.J.C.’s course on Wednesday (writes our Invercargill correspondent) and proved very successful, with a slight increase in totalisator figures to be noted. The principal event resulted in an easy win for Bon Ami, a squaregaited trotter, trained and driven by A. Pringle. Bon 'Ami, who defeated ten pacers and another trotter, is an exceptionally well-bred six-year-old horse by Bon Homme (imp.) from Gardenia (imp.), and it is safe to say that he will be heard of again. If he should find his way to Auckland northern unhoppled horses will know that they have been up against a stiff proposition. The near approach of the usual southern summer meetings prevented Southland owners from being represented at the Forbury Park Trotting Club’s spring fixture in Dunedin last week (writes our Invercargill correspondent), but a number of Southlanders visited the gathering in the role of spectators. Despite the absence of competitors from this end of the Dominion, the meeting turned out to be a very successful one for the Otago light harness club. Three Great Northern Trotting Derby candidates, in President Wilson, Gallantry and Albert Cling, were started, and raced unsuccessfully, but enough was seen of them to realise that all will be heard of to better advantage in the near future. It is understood that Albert Cling will not go to Auckland, but the other two may do so. President Wilson, by the way, is the most commanding looking colt sent out from Mr. Kerr’s Wildwood Farm since Admiral Wood was produced some years back. Gallantry, also bred and educated by Mr. Kerr, is cast from a smaller mould than President Wilson, but he is possess-

ed of plenty of driving power and paces very strongly and attractively. Albert Cling is somewhat on the small side, but he is a good-looking juvenile of typical Young McKinney shape, and there is no doubt about his being able to muster up speed and staying power. An elder sister to the three-year-old colt referred to is also in work on Mr. Hubber’s private track. She showed signs of soreness prior to the Winton Jockey Club’s meeting and had to be eased up, but is now right as a trivet.