IN SADDLE AND SULKY.

Otago Witness, Issue 4033, 30 June 1931, Page 52

IN SADDLE AND SULKY.

Gold Spear is a useful sort who may race prominently at Oamaru on Saturday.

. Plain Silk is improving with racing, and the Silk Thread four-year-old should pay his way ; next season.

Shortly, who is engaged at Oamaru. is a four year-old by'Wavdrley from Win Soon.

Stanley T is rounding up into racing condition again, and he will add interest to the events for straight-out trotters at k Addington in August. White Satin did not appreciate the heavy going at Auckland. She will, however. be worth following when the tracks harden up again. Tat Wrack has been showing improvement in her recent races, 1 and her prospects of winning at one of the smaller meetings are brightening. For the benefit of a correspondent, it is stated that Arethusa’s performance in pacing in 4.24 is' a world's race record for a three-year-old.

Judged on his recent form Rafa has become more genuine in a race, and a win at one of the smaller meetings may come Lis way . ,

Manoeuvre, who was among the starters at Ashburton on Saturday, is a mare by Man o’ War from a Harold Dillon mare. She is in the same stable as Priceless.

R. A. M'Millan, who drove 20 winners during the season, won the North Island drivers’ championship. M'Millan was also the most successful trainer, 16 winners coming from his stable. Free Advice is one of W. J. Tomkinson’s active team, and she is expected to recoyer her best form •in time for the big meeting at Addington in August. She relished the spell she had. With a good beginning, Great Chenault should be prominent at the finish of the Waikaura Handicap at Oamaru on Saturday. Next season will see him well up on the list of winners.

Great Way will make history among the straightout trotters next season. He will no doubt be one of C. S. Donald’s condidates for the next Dominion Handicap.

If looks counted for anything, Ron would be a champion, but he has not yet become solid enough in a race. There is.little doubt, however, that C. S. Donald will get him to go good races later on.

The three principal events at the Metropolitan August meeting, the August, King George, and National Handicaps, carry stakes of £lOOO, the classes being 4.29. .4-28. and 4.27 respectively. W. J, Tomkinson's recent Australian purchase. Golden Pedro, was bred in Tasmania. being by Don Pedro from Golden Direct. Don Pedro was by Mauritius (imp.) from’Miss Vera Capel (imp.). Bingen Spiers, one of R. B. Berry's team, was tried as a trotter earlier in his career, hut is now raced as a pacer. He is a brother to Jean M'Elwyn and Nelson M'Elwyn.

Torchlight, who is engaged at Oamaru on Saturday, is a roan gelding by Matchlight from Dusky Maid. He is giving away ground to some smart improvers, and his prospects of winning are not particularly bright.

Ainsworthy, a winner at Ashburton on Saturday, is a promising four-year-old by. Travis Axworthy. He is one of I). Withers’s team, and. he looks like "keeping the name of his sire well in the limelight.

The Harold Dillon mare Juno Nordica was doing good work prior to the Auckland meeting, but in her only start at the meeting she stood on the mark. This is an old failing of hers, and- is really the greatest risk her supporters run.

Gun Fire created a very favourable impression when he won at Ashburton last, month.. The Man o' War gelding is ehgage.d in both events at the Oamaru Jockey Club’s meeting on Saturday, and is cure to carry heavy support. ,

The Dunedin-owned trotter Ambition is now one of C. S. Donald’s team. When the Nelson Bingen mare acquires a little more stamina she will win good races, and it is in her favour that she very seldom breaks.

The Epsom trainer F. J. Smith will have a very useful team to start the new season with, and it is understood that there is a possibility of the champion Aus-, tralian pacer, Marble Ridge, being included in it later on.

Tumatakuru, the half-brother to Kohara, has recovered his form, and he quickly made a return for his new owner by running a first and second at the Auckland meeting. He has joined F. J. Smith’s stable.

In the Waikaura Handicap at Oamaru on Saturday there is not a better beginner than John Appear, and it will be unusual if he is not in front at the end of a furlong. A little nursing once he gets there might help him to see the/race put better than he usually does. During the pa;t few months Mountain Mist has shown great improvement, and the Guy Parrish trotter should be worth following next season. He has riot yet reached the, age at which trotters are usually at their best and further improvement can be looked for. A horse who might upset backers’ calculations at Oamaru on Saturday is Headlight, a five-year-old gelding by Matchlight from Imperial Ann. He is trained by G. M’Kendry, who has this season had a good run with Mister Pointer and Belinda.

Ruin as yet is inclined to spend rather much of her energy in the air. When she keeps clo; er to the ground, as she undoubtedly will with a little more experience, she will work her way into the tightest classes. Distance will not trouble her. Earlier in his track career Actor was something of an outlaw and showed a decided aversion to facing the barrier, but W- J. Tomkinson has apparently succeeded in getting him td settle down. Being by Author Dillon from Marie Tempest. Act?r is rich in,winning blood. Tempest, who finished second to Silver de Oro in the Sapling Stakes, took the eye- more than anything else in the race as a Derby proposition. He is built on the lines of his brother, Grand Canyon, and should furnish into a very fine three-vear-old.

Todd Lonzia is to be sent against the watch this week in an attempt to break the record. The mile harness record for trotters against time is held by Fritz, who stepped 2.13 at Christchurch on January 2, 1899. At. Forbury Park on May 7, 1910, Revenue went 2.11 4-5 in saddle, and this record still stands. At the Oamaru Club’s winter meeting Ellen Terry showed very promising form, and if she has gone on the right way since thin, she should race prominently at Oamaru on-Saturday. She is a four-year-old by Nelson Bingen from a’.young M'Kinney mare, and is- trained by J. M'Lennan. “ •

The Four Chimes pacer Ayrmont Chimes has at times given the impression that he would develop into a fine performer. but in some of his races he has been a big disappointment, stepping badlv when going like a winner. In the meantime it looks as though he has his trainer guessing. *

Meteor put in a brilliant run to finish third in the Adams Memorial Handicap at the Auckland meeting, and had it been commenced a little sooner he might have been the winner, as there -were only heads between the placed horses. With half a mile to go he was well back in eighth place. R. W. Townley will have a very useful team of trotters to start the new season with, and in Edith Voyage he has one who will be found in the tightest class races for trotters. She comes of pacing families on both sides, being by Happy Voyage from Edith A, the latter being by Black Ribbon, who was by Ribbonwood.

Some Guy should not experience any difficulty- in getting to the end of twomile journeys, being by’ Real Guy from Cammie, by Logan Pointer —Princess Sherwood, by Kerwood (by Wildwood) out of Big Idea, a mare by Prince Im- ' perial. by Silverine, by Rothschild—Silvery, by Imperious (imp). Real Guy, tne sire of Some Guy, is a son, of the leading American sire Guy Axworthy. The Canterbury- trainer, A. E. Bussell, who has been well in the limelight this season through his success with Happy Land, is building up a very big team, and the most recent ’-addition to his stable is the Auckland pacer Impromptu. This promising four-year-old shows his best form on firm going, and- should find some of the South Island tracks to his liking. Amongst the many remits to be considered at the Trotting Conference next month is the Auckland Trotting Club’s motion: “That the New Zealand Trotting Association be abolished, and district committees instituted in lieu thereof, and that the conference executive take steps to have the necessary alteration to the rules drafted for submission to a further meeting of the conference for approval and confirmation.” With a view- to affording relief tochibs, owners, and trainers regarding annual fees and levies now payable, the Auckland Trotting Club is presenting a remit to the conference which asks the executive of that body to submit to the next annual meeting a report- on the annual receipts and working expenses, and the assets and funds of the conference, the association, and provident fund trustees, together with "its recommendation ■ thereon, with such alteration of the rules as may be necessary to give effect thereto. Frequently the opinion has been expressed that a rule was needed dealing with weight in harness races, just as applies in saddle events. Tn Australia the minimum weight of a driver,must be list, and it is interesting to note that at the Trotting Conference next month the Westport Club is bringing up a remit which has for its object the introduction of a- rule similar to that applying in Australia. This is one remit that should receive the unanimous support of all the delegates. Probably’ never at any time has a liorsc been so consistently well i treated by handicappers as.. Jewel Pointer, Early in

the season he was handicapped on 4.25, and all along he has been gathering in good money. But for some reason the handicappers do not assess his performances as they do other horses, with the result that he was on 4.26 when he beat all but Glenrossie in the Mark Memorial at Auckland, and on 4.25 when he won the Price of Wales Handicap.