WHEEL AND TRACK, NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 233, 2 October 1928, Page 13

WHEEL AND TRACK, NOTES.

(By ORION)

October 13, 17—Auckland Trotting Club. , 1 uotober 2JS—Oasuaru 'l'.C. 1 October 22—Northland T.C. November 6, 8, 9 —Metropolitan T.C. 1 November 1?, 21—Otabutiu T.C. 1 November 24—Wellington T.C. 9 ] November 29. December I—iforbury Park ■ T.C. December B—Walkato T.C. \ December B—Cheviot T.C. December 15. 17—New Brlgbron T.C. December 28—Gore T.C December 27,28,31 —Auckland Trotting Club December 26—Ashburton T.C. . December 20, 27—South Walrarap* T.C. December 20, 27—Westuort T.C. December 29—Win ton T.C. December 31 —Inangabua T.C. - At Hamilton there are several horses ' in regular work, and among the number ' are Paradigm, Toll Chimes, Gold Star, Peter McKinney, Red Dennis and Regret. | The grey pacer Chrystal, in H. Kinna- ; mont's stable is coming along nicely, and will be a starter at Whangarei. Chrystal has been taken along quietly by his trainer, and has not been bustled to be brought up to concert pitch. ( It is evident that Jewel Pointer is not { going to pick up any more easy money in sprint events. The Auckland champion is handicapped on 2.8} in the October Handicap, and he will have to i be a wonder to give big starts to some brilliant pacers he has to meet at eight furlongs. Admiral Lock is doing nicely on the track for G. Robertson, and the hitherto unlucky gelding may get a winning turn this season. He is hardly brilliant enough for meetings at Alexandra Park, but it is in his -favour that he does nothing wrong. * ' Nelson Dillon has not been noticed doing anything startling on the training track. His best record is 3.29 for a mile and a-half,,. and jatt the front of the Improvers' Handicap (3.28}) he will get support if he is landed at the post at his best. Prince Chimes, the winner of the Domain Trot Handicap at Geraldine, is a four-year-old gelding by Cathedral Chimes from Princess Perfection, a daughter of Prince Imperial. Prince Chimes started twice at the end of last season without winning any pioney. Fight Ever is not considered the best of stayers, but the roan pacer has gone 4.29 1-5 winning, and he looks to be nicely placed on a 4.32 mark in the Stewards' Handicap, although it takes a good horse to win from 60 yards behind these times. J. Bryce's team for Auckland will comprise Free Advice and the Derby candidate Grand Light. The latter has not been very lucky in his races so far, but he is expected to be a stiff proposition for the best in the Derby. Free Advice is a smart filly, with a rfecord of 3:25 for a mile and a-half, and she is handicapped on 3.26} in the Improvers' Handicap. Although yesterday and Sunday mornings were fine, and the track at Epsom in first-class order, very little work other than jogging was indulged in, and the training work in the mornings is far from interesting. Only occasionally is a horse asked to go fast for a full mile, and little or no fast work has been done over a longer distance. King Pointer has only to be-brought up for the Auckland meeting to carry plenty of support. He is one of the pacers who are likely to migrate into the best .company at any time. He has won over a mile in 2.16 1-5, at two miles in 4.35 1-5, and in heavy going ran second off a 4.34 mark. Evidently Mr. Paul is going to take no risks with him, because while many horses who ran second are not handicapped up to what they went, and some winners, too, King Pointer is now placed on 4.33. The five-year-old gelding Logan d'Oro was backed very confidently in the Orari Trot Handicap on the first day of the Geraldine meeting, but after being prominent all the way pad looking like a winner at the entrance to the straight, he failed to run out the last part of the mile and a-quarter. Hr, was started a<?ain on the . second day in the Winchester Handicap, run over a • shorter iotimey, and he scored a very decisive win.

S. AUGUST RETURNS.

The Auckland trainer. S. August, who has been in Sydney for a couple of months with three horses, Hon Pillon, Alice Axworthy and Lord Lu, returned by the Ulimaroa this morning. The only race won by the team on the trip was a small- stake of £15 secured by Lord Lu.

August is far from enthusiastic about the trotting sport in Sydney, and says, it is at a very low ebb: There are several good, horses over there, but the stakes are terribly small. Very little chance is offered to have a win from the bookmaker*, because as soon as any money comse for a horse the price comes down With a rush. "If you want to put £2 on a horse," said August, "the bookmaker will probably tell you that he will take £1. The game is no good at all. The tracks are cinder and very fast, and for a paltry few pounds a horse has to put up fast time." August is glad to get back where the trotting is staged on a better and- bigger scale, and Where the. stakes are many limes greater than offeringinSydney.

THE SPRING HANDICAP.

RIBBONyrOOD'S LAST ARRIVES,

Promptly to time Mr. G. Paul was on hand with his handicaps for the opening day of the Auckland Trotting Club's spring meeting and trotting enthusiasts will now have something upon which to rivet their attention fill Saturday week next. The chief handicap event on the opening day is the Spring Handicap, a 4.31 limit, two miles race, and with only ten candidates, and all well-known performers engaged, Mr. Paul should not have experienced any difficulty in making his adjustments. Of the ten he places Dillon Huon and Jackie Audubon on the limit, a position they were each entitled to. Dillon Huon, on a lightning track and driven right, out went 4.30 1-5 to win at in August, and at the same fixture Jackie Audubon won in 4.31 2-5, but he scored possibly with a bit in hand and the chances are that he is a better stayer than Dillon Huon. Loch Moigh went 4.29 1-5, winning and in being placed on 4.30 is not badly treated. At first sight he looks to be rather well treated in being let. out on the time he recorded at his last start over two miles, but Mr. Paul has made a flattering handicap, and others, too, are not handicapped up to what they have gone. Talent has been racing off a 4.30 mark and remains there, while the best time down against Dalmeny is 4.34 1-5, but it must be noted that he won in June off a 4.31 mark, and is now on 4.30. Western King, to get second to Loch Moigh at Addington, went 4.27 1-5, and is now on 4.29, which must give him a great chance, in fact, he may ne the favourite." The best Gold Jacket has done is 4.29 3-5, but at Addington he won off the limit of a 4.29 class, and his party are unlucky the handicapper ms not seen fit to handicap horses up io their winning times, otherwise Gold Tacket would have been on a 4.27 mark instead of 4.28 and would, therefore, mve qualified for the Auckland Trotting Cup. Machine Gun started off a 1.26 mark at Addington, but previously tras handicapped on 4.27 and he is on the latter mark again. Seeing that he has been beaten off 4.27 he does not look to have any the best of it, taking a line through one or two others in the race. Kohara is on 4.26, a mark he has been beaten off several times, so that his jwner has no reason to regard the stake is in his pocket. Jewel Pointer, handijapped on 4.22$ in the New Zealand Cup, is on 4.24, which is treating him leniently if taken by himself, but when :ompared with one or two others he has nothing the best of it, despite the fact that he went 4.22 1-5 to get second, and is credited with 4.21 to get fourth. Summing up it looks very much like Western King being first choice with backers. Below will be found the caniidates, together with their handicap, best times and handicap at their last start— Spring Best Last Handicap. Times Start. Dillon Huon .. 4.31 4.30 1-5 Won. Jackie Andnbon 4.31 4.312-5 Won. Talent 4.30 4.291-5 4.80 Loch Moigh .. 4.30 4.291-5 Won. Dalmeny 4.30 4.341-5 Won. Western King . 4.29 4.27 1-5 2nd. Gold Jacket .. 4.28 4.29 3-5 W6n Machine Gun .. 4.27 4.25 2-5 4.26 Kohara 4.26 4.25 4-5 4.26 Jewel Pointer . 4.24 4.221-5 4.24 THE EPPING THOUSAND. To-day at Epping (N.S.W.) will be staged the first Epping Thousand, and New Zealand is represented in the race by Bankhead, recently sent across by J. Bryce. It is stated that prior to leaving for Sydney the brother to Cardinal Logan ran % particularly good trial for a horse on the limit, and, being a level-headed sort, he is bound to go well. In Sydney the prospects of Robert Derby and Walla Walla -are most favoured, and Walla Walla is singled out as a brilliant pacer who is going to do big things. If this is so, then he is likely to go out a good favourite* The race will be run in three divisions. Hitherto the only Thousand has been run at Victoria Park, and the previous list of winners will be found below:— 1914—Playboy. 35yds 3.30J 1915—Rena Pointer (imp.), scr.... 3.451 1916—Golden Robin, scr 3.27J 1917—Maoriland, 50yds 3.32 191& —No race. 1919 —Delavan Girl, 5cr...... 3.25 1920—Man o' War, 70yds 3.22 1921—Don Wild, 10yds. 3.29J 1922 —Lou Dillon, scr 3.27 1923—Machine Brick, 85yds 3.191 1924—Black Llla, scr ....., 3.27 1925—Lee Ribbon. 12yds 3.26J 1926—Ribbonwood's, Last, 24yd5.... 3.33 1927—Marie Dillon, scr 3.35 Playboy, Delavan Girl, and Black Lila won in saddle. The Weather was wet in 1914, 1915 and 1917. In 1926 the race was in divisions, Luvan winning the first in 3.3 land Ribbonwood's Last the second in 3.27f, and the run-off as above. Last year the race was again in divisions. Marie, Dillon won the first in 3.36, and Auto Machine the second in 3.27f. Marie Dillon won the run-off as above.

By the Ulimaroa, which arrived from Sydney this morning, the pacer Ribbonwood's Last was brought across to go into J. Shaw's stable. The roan pacer is engaged at the Auckland spring meeting, for' which his handicap hag been withheld.