AT TRENTHAM.

NZ Truth, Issue 136, 25 January 1908, Page 2

AT TRENTHAM.

Glorious weather at Trentham last Saturday. Attendance very large, and both totalisator , and bookmaker did very heavy business. The lat+er numbered fifty-one; twenty inside and thirty-one outside. This meahs that the club would collect £710_in fees before a bet was laid, or, m- other words, they were compensated for the falling off of about £17,100 on the machine. Really speaking; the machine showed a shrinkage of under £5000, so the club bad all the best of the argument,. The racing was rather better than on previous years, and m all but one instance the fields were above the average. The track was very fast and hard, and some sensational times were recorded during the afternoon. (The Cup was run m. 2min 33 4-ssec, and Mr G. G. Stead timed the various distances as follows : six furlongs lmin 15sec, one mile lmin. 42 2-ssec, and the full distance as above. Considering the favorable conditions, there is no doubt that these time's, are correct, and Downfall must have improved a r'-.r.t deal to be able to ' pilot the h„i-l m the manner he, did. A colt that shows the way to a . puller like Gold Crest is not bad, and should be worlli following. The' meeting, as a wh\_l , passed' oft most', successfully, but there was an unfbrtunate incident Which occurred which somewhat mixed, things a bit. Through some slight delay which occurred m . a former, race, the s' "ards decided to postpone the, st. ..ting .time m the Tongariro Hack race, for ten minutes. Unfortunately, the starter, was not notified, and he despatched his field at the ordinary time. Nb one was ready for this, and barely £600 was invested on the machine. Of course, there was an outcry, and the stewards met, and decided to re-run the race at the close of the day. Suttee won. easily the first, time, but, con-; trary to expectations, she failed badly m her next ' npt, and Culmination was declared the winner by a couple of lengths. As „ :.ted before, the incident was unfortunate, but it might easily have been avoided had the management not put -hack the clock. It is the old cr- of "tote." Let us fro back to the old style, when the starting time was plainly printed m the- books, and if necessary, it can also be stated that the machine closes five minutes earlier.