TROTTING NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12618, 1 December 1926, Page 11

TROTTING NOTES

WELLINGTON CLUB’S SUMMER MEETING The summer meeting of the Wellington Trotting Club wil be held on Wednesday and Saturday of next week, and, given fine weather, should prove the most successful in the history of the club. The surroundings of the Hutt Park trotting course, always picturesque, have never looked better than at present, and the condition of the racing and training tracks, and the lawns and enclosures, are an endorsement of the club’s wisdom in appointing a special caretaker early in the year. Patrons will also find considerable imp foremen t, in the many buildings provided for their comfort. Mr A. J. Hastings, whose work as a starter for the principal southern clubs has been the subject of flattering comment recently, received Ins first appointment as starter with tho Wellington Trotting Club. He will be in charge of the lever next week. The Wellington Racing Club’s judge, Mr Russell, lias been appointed to a similar position with the 'Wellington Trotting Club and the public, that has become accustomed to his prompt and reliable decisions, will be glad to see him in the box next week. Promptly to time yesterday Mr H. Brinkman published the handicaps lor the first day’s events to bo decided at the Hutt Park next Wednesday. As was to be expected his work is hard to fault and should result in record fields facing the starter. The club is to be congratulated in securing the services of Mr Brinkman to fill the vacancy caused by the death of the late Mr F. W. Edwards. CHAMPIONS WILL COMPETE. Principal interest will probably centre round the appearance in Wellington of the Dominion’s champions, which are set down to contest the 2.45 mile and a quarter the first day and the Champion’s Stakes on the second day. The latter event is to be run over a mile and a half, and while the competitors have previously met over two miles and a mile and a quarter, they have yet to measure strides over the intermediate distance. The recent form of Prince Pointer indicates that he will be a thorn, in tho side of the Australasian champion, Great Bingen, while a judicious use of the three seconds limit should provide a great contest when ft is noted that the balance of the field consists of such sterling performers as Onyx, Waitaki Girl, Imprint, Logan Chief, Native Chief, and Acron. A gold-mounted whip has been donated by Mr E. Moult, to be presented to the driver of the winner of tbe New Zealand Trotting Gold Cup; while a similar trophy, presented by Mr J. O’Brien, will go to the driver of the winner of the Champion Stakes the second day. The presence of Jewel Pointer and Master Councillor in the Gold Cup field evidently complicated matters for the handicapper, as a number of tho middle markers are a second further back than might have been expected. This will help the back-markers and Dolly Dillon, last year’s winner, looks particularly well in. Most trouble will probably come from Tom Thumb on the limit, as he has escaped the apparently unavoidable penalty above referred to. Direct Morning is an Australian importation owned in Auckland. He was expected to give a good account of himself off the limit in the principal race on the" second day of the recent Otahuhu meeting, a 4.34 class, but after going a short distance something apparently went wrong with his gear and he was pulled up. He worked a strong mile and a half in 3.21 before the meeting, and it was bad lupk for his connections that trouble should have arisen in the race. His presence in the Gold Cup field next week will invest the race with additional interest. Bonny Logan on 24yds, and Natiye Chief on 36yds, look well placed in the Electric Handicap. The former is a consistent winner at a mile and a quarter, while the latter put up a high-class performance in running second to Great Bingen in the Free-for-All at the recent Metropolitan meeting.