OTAHUHU TROTTING CLUB.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1598, 9 December 1920, Page 39

OTAHUHU TROTTING CLUB.

SPRING MEETING. CONCLUDING DAY. The weather continued bright for the concluding day of the spring meeting of this club. The attendance was excellent and the fields, with the exception of two races, good, and the contests in most instances were full of interest. There was plenty of money in circulation, the sum of £46,785 being put through the totalisator, this being an increase of £15,064 10s. over the second day of last year’s spring fixture, bringing the total for the two day:*, to £96,012, an increase of £33,456 10'3. over the corresponding two days. The management was satisfactory, but tnough good time was kept to the seventh race the concluding one showed considerable delay, making it late- by the time racegoers got back to their homes and the city. In the second and third races a number of reinsmen were questioned as to the reason of their being so far away from the leaders, and pactically taking no part in the contests. The breaking of gear was given as the cause in each case. There will be some fines in “future if drivers are not more careful in the selection of their strappings. A general warning to that effect was given by Mr. Mabee, the stipendiary steward. There were a few reversals of form as compared with the first day, and nearly all through the races were faster. A good rainfall on Mofiday imparted a freshness to the grass plots and laid the dust well, and the sprinkler was only used’ in front of the stands twice during the afternoon. The starting in the hands of Mr. C. O’Connor left nothing wanting. Fifteen started in' the Innovation Handicap, Malmsbury and Appeal, who were not bracketed as on the first day, and Huia Girl being the best supported. Pura Bell soon made it apparent that she had won more easily than her time on the first day indicated, as she soon ran through her field and won handily from Malmsbury, who failed to settle down properly, or would have done better. War Tank on the limit and Wildnut, 72 yards, were best of the others. Pura Bell went 16secs. faster than on the first day. There were seventeen runners for the Epsom Handicap (over the same distance as the preceding race), won bv Mindful, the second favourite, after a good go with Mykot, the fourth fancy, and Blue King, the favourite, the first and last mentioned being limit horses. Reveille was also close up but the others were well strung out. There was only a second between the respective times of Mindful and Blue King/but Mykot put up - the best, doing from off the 48yds. mark 3min. 37 2-ssec.

There were but five starters for the Franklin Handicap, William the First the back marker, being made favourite. Each of the starters beat the respective times they were set to do, and Wonderland showed that he could get the distance all right at a pace. ’ Fleming, his driver, apparently thought he had the race won, when Boycott came with a good finishing run after having been passed by Wonderland and beat him by a head. Jewel Wood nearly fell at the start and everything passed him before he found his feet, and he got within a length and a half of the pair that beat him. This was the third stroke of bad luck for Jewel Wood. William the First made up over 40 yards of his handicap of 96 yards on the winner. For the chief race of the day, the Liverpool Handicap, most people were selecting Lord Rose to win and backing the local horse, the reported lameness of Woodvale contributing towards Lord Rose’s support. The visitor, however, came in for very solid backing, and those connected with him evidently did not regard the trouble as very serious. He simply waited on Huon Grattan and then came away over the last couple of furlongs, winning by six lengths, and Lord Rose, who had given chase and had run into second place, got very tired, and Huon Grattan re-caught the used-up son of Lord Elmo and beat him a head for second money. Woodvale covered the two miles in 4min. 38sec., and those backers who were game to follow him the second time got their money back and a little over, Fleming again driving him.

Tiki and Amberite, first and second favourites, finished in that order, within a length of each other, at the end of the Visitors’ Handicap, and old Kirikiriroa, giving them 60yds

start, was about the same distance off, third, with Gold Rod fifty- yards away, fourth. None of the starters ran quite up to their best previous form.

Backers fell over themselves in their support of the two three-year-olds Oro and Nelson Derby for the Maungakiekie Handicap. The firstnamed did not commence well and only managed to pass about half the starters, but Nelson Derby gave him 36yds. and caught and passed them all from the 84yds. mark, only, however, to suffer a head defeat by Sea Nymph, driven bv J. Shaw, whose success after his bad luck with Jewel Wood was not out of place. The dividend was the best of the day. Lady Burlington was Dvo lengths and ahalf away, third, and Ambush, whose

second race it was, got fourth. Nelson Derby’s performance was a good one for a three-year-old. The Richmond Handicap provided another most interesting race, the old white horse Eccentric being made a little better favourite than Salamander, while Dorothy Dimple was third selection in a field of ten. The other grey, Wonderland, who was on tno limit, was again allowed to start at a good price. Salamander, Prinzora and Dorothy Dimple each went away smarter than Wonderland did, and they were at it from barrier rise with all pressure on. In the run down the straight Robinson brought Wonderland along on the outside and he got up to win by a length, a long neck between Salamander and Prinzora, with Dorothy Dimple a handy fourth, all four doing better than they were actually asked to do. Eccentric was not able to maintain his pace, but went as well as any of the others. The winner. Wonderland, beat his time of the previous day by over 4sec.

The business of the meeting concluded with the Telephone Handicap, for which Kempsey, Mint Boy, Sea Nymph and William the Third (bracketed) were the most, fancied. Treanac led Inora and Mita Bell along the back and into the straight, but Mita Bell got up close at the end of the circuit and finally Avon by a length from Inora, who beat William the Third, Avhose second race it Avas, by

a long neck, Trenac being fourth, each of the first four acting up to the form they were handicapped on.

The results were: — INNOVATION HANDICAP (Harness) of 150SOVS. For trotting horses only. Limit, 4min. 6sec. One mile and a-half. 4 — T. Douglas’ ch m Pura Bell aged, by Ripon Child —Diamond Bell, 96yds (Monk) 1 I—F.1 —F. D. McGovern’s br g Malmsbury 60yds (G. Paul) 2 5 — J. T. Paul’s b g War Tank, limit (OAvner) 3

Also started: 9 Audex 12yds (Robertson), 3 Huia Girl 12 yds (Orange), 6 Norland 12 yds (McMaster), 14 Baalbek 12yds (Dillon), 13 Mujik 12yds (Young), Gratinora 12 yds (Willetts), 7 Lady Stepney 12yds (Paton), 2 Appeal 12yds (Pollard). S My Junior 60yds, (MeSweeney), 11 Wild Nut 72yds (Tristram), 10 Canberra 84yds (Julian), 9 Miss Marvin Downs 96yds (Millen). • Won by two lengths and a-half, six

lengths between second and third. Canberra was fourth. Time, 3min. 43 sec.

EPSOM HANDICAP (Harness) of 150 sovs. Limit, 3min. 48sec. One mile and a-half. 2— H. Rowe’s b m Mindful, 4yrs, by General Joubert —Judge Beldon mare, limit (Willetts) 1 4— K. H. Smith’s b g Mykot, 48yds (Groat) 2 1— G. Craw’s b g Blue King, limit (Owner) 3 Also started: 10 Plain Peter limit (Monk), 14 Ardwood limit (J. Pauli), 17 Battery Bell limit (Brown), 11 March On limit (Phipps), 12 Silvery Moon limit (Hall), 7 Reveille limit (Roe, junr.), 15 St Ives limit (Pillenger), 9 Scottish Child 12 yds (Riddell), 3 Edna 36yds (Shaw), 16 Rua Pere 36yds (Gee), 5 Gold Flake 36yds (Osborne). 8 Ekoeranei 36yds (AV. J. Pauli), 13 Peter Eden 48yds (Lowe), 6 Golden Wave 72yds (Flanigan). Won by a length, half a length separating second and third. Reveille was fourth. Time 3min. 41sec. FRANKLIN HANDICAP (Harness), of 200sovs. Limit, 4min. 56sec. Tavo miles. 5— G. Paul’s ch g Boycott, aged, by Harold Dillon—Fatality, limit (Owner) 1 4—A. Fleming’s gr g Wonderland 48yds (Owner) 2 3— C. Arden’s br g Jewel Wood, limit (Shaw) 3 Also started: 2 Ambush limit (Shaw), 1 William the First 96yds (Adams). Won by a head, a length and a-half between second and third. William the First was fourth. Time, 4min. 52 4 5 sec. LIVERPOOL HANDICAP (Harness) of 500sovs. Limit, 4min. 22sec. Tavo miles. 2— J. J. Spiers’ ch g Woodvale, 6yrs, by Wildwood Junior — Veivet Vale (Fleming) 1

7 —R. A. Smith’s ch g Huon Grattan, limit (Orange) 2 I—K. H. Smith’s b g Lord Rose, 60 yds (Groat) 3 Also started: 4 Temple 24yds (Cutts), 6 Antonio 36yds (McNaughton), 3 Gold Girl 72yds (S. Roe), 5 Comedy Chief 72yds (McMillan). Won by close on 100 yairds, a head separating second and third. Comedy Chief was fourth. Time, 4min. 3Ssec. VISITORS’ HANDICAP (Harness) of 225sovs. For trotting horses only. Limit, smin. Two miles. 1 — Donald McFarlane’s b m Tiki, aged, by Harold Dillon- —Wood Nymph, limit (Groat) . 1 2 — -J. Gee’s b g Amberite/ limit. (Owner) 2 7—W. Kelsey’s b g Kirikiriroa, 60yds (Owner) 3 Also started: 8 Scientist 24yds (Tetley), 6 Grattan Abbey 4Syds (McNaughton), 4 Gold Rod S4yds (W. J. Pauli), 3 Rio Grande S4yds (Lynch), 5 Lady Park 132yds (Cunningham), 9 Auckland Girl 13 2yds (Orange). Won by three-parts of a length, a length between second and third. Gold Rod was fourth. Time, smin. 0 3-ssec. MAUNGAKIEKIE HANDICAP (Harness') of 200sovs. Limit, 3min. 42sec. One mile and a-half. 7 — C. L. Kasper’s blk g Sea Nymph, syrs, by Brent Locanda —Wildwave 36yds (Shawl ' 1 2 —G. CraAv’s br c Nelson Derby. 84yds (Owner) 2 8— e. Bromwich’s b m Lady Burlington, 24yds (Fisher) 3 Also started: 3 Bushchild limit (McMillan), 4 Rita Rye limit (Maidmont), 9 Levrine limit (Lynch), .10 Reliance limit (Hall), 6 Ambush 12yds (Pell), 11 Selkirk 36yds (Dally), 5 Winestra 36yds (Paul), 1 Oro 48yds (Cunningham), 12 Master Ham 84yds (Lewis). Won by a head, two lengths and ahalf separating second and third. Ambush was fourth. Time, 2min. 39sec. RICHMOND HANDICAP (Saddle) of 250sovs. Limit, 2min. 20sec. One mile. 4 — A. Fleming’s gr g Wonderland, aged, by Wildwood Junior — Lady Mary, limit (Robinson) . . 1 2— R. A. McMillan’s ch g Salamander, limit (Owner) 2 5— c. Le Campion’s br g Prinzora, limit (Willetts) •_ •• •• 3 Also started: 8 Ruanui limit (McMaster), 3 Dorothy Dimple 12yds (W. J. Pauli), 10 Rothcliffe 24yds (Phipps), 9 Prince Berlin 24yds (Lowe), 1 Eccentric 36yds (Julian), 6 Derby Dillon 36 yds (Sewell), 7 Strategy 60yds (J. Paul). Won by a length, a neck between second and third. Dorothy Dimple was fourth. Time, 2min. 18 4-ssec. TELEPHONE HANDICAP (Harness) of 200sovs. Limit, 3min. 2sec. One mile and a-quarter. s—m. Paton’s br m Nita Bell, 4yrs, by Gold Bell — Agnita, 24yds (Young) •• • • i 7—G. T. Lynch’s ch m Inora, 12yds (Lynch) 3 3 — A. E. Adams’ William the First, 48yds (Owner) Also started: 13 Treanac limit (Phipps), 6 Profiteer limit (Cunningham), 4 Piletta limit (McKendrick), 10 Lady Burlington 12yds (Fisher), 3 Sea Nymph 12yds (Shaw) bracketed with William the First, 11 Lucille 24yds (McMaster), 12 Tim Wilkin 24yds (Willetts), 18 Tim Doolan 24yds (Smith), 16 Prince Childe 24yds (Shepherd), 9 Albert Patch 36yds (Cameron), 1 Kempsev 36yds (Kelsey), 2 Mint Boy 36yds (Julian), 14 Te Awa 48yds (Monk), 8 Ladv Somerset 60yds (W. J. Pauli), 20 Victor G. 60yds (Galbraith), 19 Hymen 60yds' (Lowe). 16 Temple S4yds (Cutts). 17 Oruarangi 132yds (J. Paul). Won by a length, a similar distance between second. . and third. Treanac was fourth. Time, 2min. 57 4-ssec. . The summer programme of the Takapuna Jockey Club appears in -this i:-3ue and is an attractive one.