SPORTING

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 34, 3 May 1927, Page 7

SPORTING

(Continued)

TROTTING

NOTES and jomments (By ABAYDOS) A , optimi-tic Secretary waiter Stopford, the popular a energetic secretary of the CamI Trotting Club, was a visitor to 1 ° a vesterday and reported that was in apple pie order for I eveo rotting carnival on .Saturday. I ‘ill tMt is required,” said the smiling - lit to the SUN representative, is I ulfl fi C ne day." and he added in his bright, ‘i a fistic manner, "I think we can 1 oi> otoe that.” The management ot I Vfriub is well pleased with the fine I tl,e met with from owners and rl!3 KL rs and is looking forward to a £SSSuI gathering during the weekl end. Interesting Figures The percentage of acceptances for 1.2 Cambridge meeting, taken from 111 list of nominations, must be conaered very satisfactory, and the Vl,res make interesting reading. Nominations totalled 216 for the eight * iJS a race average of 27, while the acceptances revealed the excellent response of 161. an average of 20 per I Pvent The figures for each race are nnoended, the acceptances being given in narentheses. Introductory HandiI l aD °$ (21): Leamington, 26 (20); 1 rimbridge Cup. 25 (17); Hautapu. 32 ~»)• president’s. 29 (22); Bardovvie, I 21 (16); Stewards’, 22 (17); Farewell, ; 33 (26)’ Festive Morn Favourite There seems to be a consensus of | opinion in local trotting circles that I Festive Morn has been given every $ inducement to step out in the Cambridge Cup. and that Mr. Wilfred Johnstone has fine prospects of seeing the handsome cup occupying a prominent position on his sideboard. The I Great Audubon —Welcome mare, who I w in ir all probability start a warm I favourite, will certainly be a tough I nut to crack when it comes to the gerious business, but it must not be thought that she is the only one in the field. There are sixteen others engaged. several of whom have good credentials and equally good prospects. A Promising Colt The Advance colt Koamer was not accorded a nomination for the Cambridge fixture, and the black pacer is taking matters somewhat easy at present. Roamer showed a good deal of quality during the season, and the Mangere trained colt annexed a race at Te Aroha and Thames meetings, besides securing seconds at Wellington and the Waikato fixtures. The son of Advance —Wilde Bell, should I make a success of the business next , season.

A Young Guy Parish Mr. J. W. Timms, owner of the champion three-year-old pacer, Great Peter, brought back with him from Christchurch a two-year-old by the American trotting stallion, Guy Parish from a mare by Nelson Bingen. The youngster, which was bred by Mr. E. R Lelievre, who has bred some of the best in the land, is a likely-looking sort that promises to prove a good advertisement for its sire. Golden Devon’s Temporary Change Vic. Alborn, the West Coast owner and trainer, returned home from Christchurch, leaving his speed merchant, Golden Devon, under the care of A. Cox. The son of Great Audubon—Lady Devon, will take part in the Canterbury Park Trotting Club’s meeting next month, and will then return !o Reefton, where he will be given * "ell-earned holiday. Golden Devon next season, if judicially placed, will win a whole heap of money. The Game That Pays The decision of the Methven Racing Club to change its constitution from & racing club to a trotting club, is lurther proof of the popularity of the I ght harness pastime, and an indica*rkn * hat * s also a flourishing sport. Tne Methven dub has been having • lean time of it for several years bust, but the wide-awake sporting agnates of that locality, realising the rides made by trotting organisations, ogether with the fact that the pasne is extremely popular and prosP rous in that province, seized the Jhi«k tU^ ity of makin S the transfer, .J” 1 ®hould prove beneficial to the an ,t be appreciated by supporters ®t the light harness industry. Failure of Favourites

The defection of Jim Jarden’s pair nrnK?kf rs ’, Jeritor and Achray was probably due to their indifferent showthFir Weelc at Reefton, where in , a hea ts, each was made nrnv^ arnms bot favourite, but neither i armv «/? lu “ erative to their large ndedlv f 3\ Ckers ' The sroing was def<vr*HyT Stl J ky and thia may have af- : ! whr> KJv ar^en s pair * although Meritor, * turn Web * wa s in front at the i ! Aufwnm he Angled badly. The . : not k OT ,J? l^on fielding Achray, would tbe *°ing at all and never anv tL tbe j° urn ey gave his backers return aSOn to hopes of a T 0n their investments. 1 h * Tr 'P Worth While L-Uristchurch to Reefton for t^ioua e if«5 aSement would appear a Frost „ andert aking. but when H. East SS* on the journey from evSLSL ™ est with No Fear, he ge f tir»**- bad no fear of his charge not His confidence was to! as tho three-year-old strolled Dillon—Ma Cushla thing , away in front and gave noup on a 1 chance, winning easing wa s Tl l bad track in 2.34. No Fear i the ioiirn P extended at any part of i hy h’s .? y, , and be STeatly impressed ' 1 Id in» „? play - The Author Dillon 1 Eorburv D m , probably s P° rt silk at JI T Park on Thursday. Trip • I h-ips n with these special Golden r\ 1 . Southern Alps to the a of ** St ’ it: . bas n °t always been t\ PUt in and take out,” and "here tho , nces are placed on record trainer we! !'known Canterbury J *nuarv ’A-itu a r similar Pilgrimage in m °hey faitoi Vee Audubon, and the The race flared into the machine. °v* r bar I? 8 considered to be “all -hidubon out ing,” but the Great soon s t°°d on the mark! It The trained , °. ver for her backers. n ?*t dav k* J for Christchurch the him] ut left Wee Audubon beH ;" M * »or Courses froth in tu s°«a many I,lr,, CinK . and galloping of , y striking illustrations are Book I? es that ’ while failing to a stage rf Benera .Hy, can only reach tj'trses a Womi ”ence on certain phage noteworthy example of ® e ancie nt ® question is given by S?? <1 B econd P<lC , er who ran a Jkcn ownA Reefton last week, the trained at Westport / / st all-ronna altf ‘ r Ro Sers, one of the tVep l>rod ced K 8 ™” thc Coast yf ea> Rothbell, while always

letting his connections down at various fixtures, never failed each year to win a stake at Reefton, invariably returning a substantial dividend For the last three years the old gelding has not travelled from his own district, where he has continued to race unsuccessfully. Last week Rothbell paid another visit to the quartz town and although unable to win secured second berth and again paid a remunerative figure. Auto Machine’s Mistake The Sydney Thousand has at last been decided, and the public proved astray in their selection, the winner turning up in the little-fancied Marie Dillon. Two heats were necessary, Marie Dillon accounting for the first and Auto Machine, who raced successfully at the Otahuhu spring meeting, was the winner of the second heat. The latter was a pronounced favourite for the final, but the son of Machine Brick—Thora dwelt on the mark for at least two seconds, and although he made a determined effort to retrieve his mistake, Auto Machine suffered defeat by a length in 3.35. Auto Machine stepped 3.275 when he won his heat, and had he left the mark correctly, must have got the thick end of the purse. Machine Brick Still Busy Machine Brick, the Otahuhu Cup winner of 1926, was a starter in the Sydney Thousand and finished third in the heat won by Auto Machine, Golden Rose separating the pair. In some quarters Machine Brick was looked upon as holding a strong hand in the settlement of the big event, but like several other well-fancied candidates, the Rock Huon horse was not able to get a slice of the muchcoveted prize. A Vexed Question The name of the Sydney Thousand winner, Marie Dillon, is somewhat confusing with the New Zealand mare Mirie Dillon, and gives rise once more to the vexed question of nomenclature. The former is a daughter of Maori Land and the latter a mare by Harold Dillon from a mare named Miramir. This question of similarity of names has been claiming the attention of the authorities in both New Zealand and Australia of late, and the association could make more progress with their reform in this direction if owners would use more discretion in arriving at suitable names for their representatives. Back at the Game C. Tasker, who in pre-war days was well known in the light harness business, has taken over the stables at Addington recently vacated by C. Donald. He has a useful team of maidens to commence with. A full sister to Bridget Galindo and Michael Galindo takes the eye as one likely to earn distinction on the race track. She is a beautifully proportioned mare, and is eight years old. It is possible that she will race as a pacer. A seven-year-old full-brother to this mare is also a good sort. He will be kept to the trotting gait. Two full sisters by Logan Pointer from Bridget Galindo are also included in the team. Both are pacers, but are only in the initiation stages. In addition, there is the pacing gelding Marlinda, who won the Trial Handicap at the recent Timaru trotting meeting. He is a very plain customer to look at, but he is an attractive pacer, and as he is levelheaded and a good stayer, he should prove an acquisition to the team.

1926-7 TROTTING SEASON DRAWING TO A CLOSE A POPULAR PASTIME The 1926-27 trotting season ir\ New Zealand is drawing to a close and the curtain will be rung down with the Auckland winter meeting, which takes place on the 18th and 22nd of next month. Clubs that will hold gatherings in the interim are Forbury Park, May 5 and 7; Cambridge, May 7; Oamaru, May 21; Canterbury Park, June 3 and 4; and Ashburton, June 11, while four light harness events will come up for decision at the Marlborough Racing Club’s meeting, which eventuates on May 6 and 7. Although not a lengthy programme to get through during the period available, the remaiinng trotting fixtures are of an important nature and each gathering will be followed with interest by the large army of light harness admirers and adherents throughout the Dominion. While Northerners will be kept busy with the Cambridge and Auckland meetings, they will also keep in close touch with the doings of those engaged at the South Island fixtures and Southern enthusiasts will rivet attention on the performances of the various contestants at the two gatherings in this district. Since the opening of the present season in August last 45 trotting clubs have held race meetings, providing 68 days’ light harness sport. This leaves 11 days yet to be decided, that is taking in the Poverty Bay oneday fixture, which is set down this year for July 29, just on the eve of the new season, or a total of 79 days’' actual trotting for the yearly period. In ad dition to this, some 42 racing fixtures provide for one or two light harness heats on the card during the season, but even then the percentage of days allotted to the increasingly popular pastime of trotting is scant, when compared with the 240 days devoted to the sister sport. The past season has been a very successful one from the light harness point of view, and once again some sterling performances have been recorded and fresh records established. There is no gainsaying the fact that the light harness industry continues to make advancement along sound lines, and is increasing in public favour throughout New Zealand. While the majority of clubs are keeping pace with the march of progress in the trotting arena, a few are marking time with respect to class limits, and judging by the experiences of the season, which is on the wane, the tardy ones will find it expedient to make a decided alteration on their future schedules. But of this phase of the question, more anon.