Wellington Trots Conclude To-day

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 31, 6 February 1937, Page 10 (Supplement)

Wellington Trots Conclude To-day

The Wellington Trotting Club’s meeting at Hutt Park will be brought to a conclusion to-day and horses likely to run prominently are:— 12.30.—Kaitoke Handicap: Swordrman and Tan John. I.lo.—Woburn Trial Handicap: Santo Fe and Muri McKinney. I.so.—February Handicap: Superior Rank and Dhonald Dhu. 2.35. —Dominion Handicap: Bonny Azure-Glenrossie, bracket, 3.15. —Koro Koro Handicap: Tan John and Swordsman. 3.35. —Suburban Handicap: Sante Fe and Wonky Audubon. 4.3s—Eastbourne Handicap: Fine ArtDark Hazard bracket, and Epilogue. 5.15. —Au Revoir Handicap: Frisco Lady and Navy Blue. TWO-YEARrOLD RACING BREEDER’S EXPERIMENT Mr Warren Wright, an American breeder, is about to try an interesting experiment. He has decided to keep back from racing at two years five of his most fashionably bred yearlings. They will be trained but not raced. Mr Wright’s intention is to try and determine the vexed question of whether two-year-old racing is harmful or not, states a sporting writer. If any of these five horses should turn out to be stayers of class and train on, other breeders may feel disposed to adopt a similar policy. There is no getting away from the fact that at the present time a too large percentage of racohorses do not train on after two or three years. Commenting on this question in his new book, “The Breed of the Racehorse,” F. Becker says: “The largest supply of stayers is coming forth in these days from the ranks of horses which either could not be wound up at two years or were kept • back by forbearing trainers with a view to granting them ample time for a natural physical maturation, and that from the ranks of precocious horses only a very small percentage of true stayers is springing. ’ ’ The writer points out that “the best stayers of the period under survey were (next to Solario) Foxlaw, Invershin, Trimdon and Brown Jack, Foxlaw was not raced at two years. Invershin was not raced at two years and even at three years not yet fit to win a race. He won the Ascot Cup twice at six and seven years. Trimdon was not raced at two-three years. He won the Ascot Cup two years in succession, at five and six years. Brown Jack was not broken in until his third year. He started winning at four years, and kept on until his tenth year, when he won the longest race on the British Turf, the two miles and six furlongs Queen Alexandra Stakes for the sixth time in successive years. ’ ’

We may take it that Mr Wright intends to experiment with young horses bred soundly on staying lines. Keeping horses back from racing until three years would not be likely to have the effect intended (that of producing stamina), if they were not bred od right lines. TROTTING FIXTURES. February 4,6: Wellington T.C. February 13: Canterbury Park T.C. February 20: New Brighton T.C. February 20, 24: Auckland T.C. February 27: Kaikoura T.C. February 27: Roxburgh T.C. March 5,6: Invercargill T.C. March 6: Wellington T.C. March 13, 20: Wanganui T.C.