TROTTING

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 77, 22 June 1927, Page 6

TROTTING

(By "ABAYDOS") NOTES AND COMMENTS FROM FAR AND NEAR The three-year-old Our Thorpe— Princess Ena filly, who sustained injuries 18 months ago, has improved rapidly and has been getting in some useful work. The maiden displays nice style, and should when raced next season repay her owner for his perseverance. Her dam Princess Ena was one of the stars of the North Island track and among some of her progeny is Ena Bell dam of Enawah, the New Zealand Sapling Stakes winner, and also Explosion, who has stamped himself a good one this season. Proposal For Conference A proposal is to come before the Trotting Conference which, if carried into effect, will do away with the twolength margin and substitute a horse or sulky being 10ft. clear before changing a line of running. Otahuhu Delegates for Conference At a meeting of the committee of the Otahuhu Trotting Club, Mr. H. R. Me-. Kenzie and Mr. W. C. Watts were appointed delegates to the Trotting Conference, to be held at Wellington next month. Dean Dillon Fails The ex-New Zealand pacer Dean Dillon was a competitor at a recent evening meeting at Perth, but the best the son of Harold Dillon and Ivy Dean could do was to finish third. Tango Time, a very warm favourite, was the winner. Good Prospects Gold Dial made a very respectable showing in her essay in the slower class two-mile heat at Epsom during the week-end. The Wellsford-trained mare has performed fairly well this season, and next year promises to be .further in the limelight. Not Profitable Sebisca made a very poor showing in the trotters’ race on Saturday, and the Harold Dillon gelding has evidently not got over the trouble which affected him on his Southern tour. He has not been a very profitable proposition this season for his sporting owner-trainer, G. Mitchell. Silk Thread Sore When Silk Thread fell in the Campbell Handicap on Saturday, the Amer-ican-bred* pacer was lucky to escape uninjured. However, he was rather stiff the following two days and it was decided not to start him again at the meeting. Left Correctly Quite a lot of eyes were focussed on the converted trotter Bingen Starr, at the start of the Winter Handicap, and there was much speculation as to how the ex-pacer would go away. He left at the correct gait, but was never able to make much impression on the leading division. The Tamahere-trained gelding will probably make good in his new profession. Not In The Mood Kolman, who effected a big surprise at the Cambridge meeting, was expected by a few of his admirers to repeat the performance at Alexandra Park. The son of Nelson Bingen was n*ot in the right mood and his display fell far short of his previous effort. Gone Right Off Floraline ran very much below his best form on Saturday and he was never danger. The Florizel gelding seems to have gone right off since leading a field home at the Tharafes. Well Named Concertina is well named, and was in and out during the running of the opening event at Alexandra Park during the week-end. The Hal Zolock mare can produce good music if in the humour. Did Not Please

Dillon Huon, an ex-Auckland owned pacer, did not act too pleasingly on Saturday, although he was accorded solid support. This may have been brought about through the Hawera trained gelding being bracketed with the Christchurch pacer Daytime. Failed to Leave Gold Jacket was expected to run prominently in the Hobson Handicap last week-end, but failure to leave when the signal was given quickly extinguished any chances the Gold Bell gelding may have possessed. Promises to do Well Great Actress was driven a very confident race by D. Withers when she won the Acton Handicap at Ashburton. She was recently purchased by Mr. J. R. McKenzie, who gave a good price for her. Great Actress is by Great Audubon from Nance O’Neill, and if she continues to race genuinely, she will reward her owner for his outlay. Great Actress opened her winning record this season at Westport, where she annexed the Williams Memorial Handicap. After running, second to The Shrew in the Manawatu Cup, the Great Audubon mare won the final event on the card. Useful Stake Earner Trimmer is developing into a useful stake-earner, and bred as he is, he should go still further. Under the direction of D. Bennett he won well at Ashburton, and next season should add further to that popular and painstaking mentor’s successes. Trimmer won the Westport Cup this season like a good horse. He was badly blocked twice on the route, but getting clear three furlongs from home showed a great burst of speed to win. He won a sprint at Greymouth, and at the Christchurch Easter fixture won a two-mile heat in 4.33 4-5. In the West C. J. Clarke, who is the leading reinsman in Western Australia, with 19 wins, has won the greatest amount in stakes as an owner this season. He has collected £1,475. Up to date £26,725 have been distributed in stakes. Sheehan has been racing in Western Australia for only about half the season, but since he came from Victoria he has done very well. His cheques have totalled £751, and he has driven 11 winners. Breeze Heads the List The New Zealand-bred Breeze is at the head of the winning sires’ list in Western Australia. He was imported over ten years ago by Mr. James Brennan and was sold by him to Mr. R. Carroll, of York. Mr. Carroll owns the son of Willowood and Gertie still. It is worthy of note that Willowood was also at the stud in that State, and he ended his days there. Horses by Breeze have won 12 races so far this season. Successful Sires Rock Huon 10, Honest Huon 8, Van Roy 7£, Ribbonwood, Maoriland, Direct Wilkes and Willowood, 7 each, Admiral Wood, Abbey Bells, Bosco and Lulu Boy 6 each, Le Rosier, Alfred Donald and Childwood 5 each, and Don Pronto Globe Derby and Tazoni 4 each, are sires whose progeny met with a fair measure of success during the present trotting season in the west.

WAIROA BELLE’S RECORD DIVIDEND

REASON OWNER FAILED TO PARTICIPATE The mention recently in THE SUN of Wairoa Belle’s record dividend at Nelson some years ago has led several readers to make inquiries regarding further particulars of the remarkable ocoeftTence. As there were reasonable grounds for the grey mare being overlooked on the machine,, and circumstances which prevented ownertrainer Leo Berkett from investing a small sum on the chances of the daughter of Dictator. “Abaydos” recalls the interesting story. ONLY A MODERATE Wairoa Belle, a grey mare, claiming Dictator as her sire, was not by any means a champion, as her race records showed, but it was common talk that at times on her owner’s private track at Hope, the grey mare could give some good displays. Taken to the races in her own district on several occasions, Wairoa Belle failed to give her supporters any encouragement. VISIT TO WESTPORT When Leo Berkett visited the Westport annual gathering of Christmas, 1919, Wairoa Belle comprised one of the Hope mentor’s team, and being a sturdy looking mare, she made many friends in the coalopolis. The daughter of Dictator was produced on four occasions during the two days’ sport, her portion being three thirds and once unplaced. There was little or no merit in her placed performances, as she started in small fields, one of which contained only three runners. CONTINUED FAILURES Returning to her Hope home emptyhanded, Wairoa Belle did not sport silk again till the Nelson fixture, which eventuated in March, 1920. Three times was the grey mare harnessed up but on each occasion she failed to make any showing, and her few admirers were by this time heartily sick of Berkett’s charge. Each day oi the Jockey Club fixture she started in one of the light harness heats, and ran unplaced. On the eventful day, March 5, at the Nelson Trotting Club’s meeting, the grey mare competed in the opening event on the card, being the outsider in a field of a dozen, and she ran accordingly. UNEXPECTED HAPPENS Wairoa Belle paraded for the fourth time in the Wakefield Handicap, a saddle heat run over 12 furlongs, but she was absolutely snubbed by the public. Owner Berkett gave her a preliminary to see how she was moving before getting his little bit on the machine, but before reaching the point where a friend was waiting for instructions as to the amount to be risked something unexpected happened. OFFICIAL RENDERS ASSISTANCE An official of the club considered that the gear on Wairoa Belle was not correctly adjusted, which he maintained was causing the mare to bobble. Being an expert in the art of “hoppling 4 ”* he made a suggestion, which Berkett thought worth the experiment, and after the straps had been altered the mare was given another preliminary, and went much steadier, to the delight of her owner-rider. MACHINE CLOSED While this performance was taking place the time limit on the totalisator had expired, and much to Leo’s chag-

rin he discovered it was too late to even get a modest pound on the grey 1 * chance. When the figures were adjusted only one ticket was standing to the credit of Wairoa Belle, and the knowing ones laughed as they jokingiv remarked, “There is evidently one mag on the course.” THE MARE WINS There was a field of 14 competitors in tliis particular hea.t, the starters being Cloraine, Wairoa Belle, Grey Bell (all greys), Prince Loris, Hopeless, Rose Alma (dam of Marshal Neil), My Lass, Tahi, Tracker, WlMmoor Lad, Belle of Bombay, Wild D’Or, Turbine and Little Belgium. The finish was fought out between two of the greys, but it was not till nearing the post that the huge crowd realised Berkett’s charge was one of the pair. Ite mare made no mistakes and won handsomely from Cloraine. Then there igm a rush for the machine, and when the dividend was hoisted, which exceetod the full prize money in the Handicap at Epsom on Saturday, tfce curiosity of the assemblage ’Wi aroused. WHO HAD THE LAUGH Naturally everyone was anxious to see who was the lucky investor. Was it the owner? No such luck! sure to be a Chinaman,” said general opinion, but again the public were wide of the mark. When at length a webknown Nelson business man emerged frbm the tote house with smiling face and bulging pockets, surprise was expressed on all sides. The fortunate speculator was warmly congratumted on his win, and many were pressions of sympathy with Wairoa Belle’s popular owner-trainer when it became known he was too late in getting his money to the machine. f ANOTHER UNLUCKY SUPPORTER A Westport light harness enthusiast* who owned a relative to Wairoa Beue, and had backed the mare each star when she visited the Buller. making the trip to the Sunny City chase his lost cash. Unfortunate,, he was detained at the eleventh ho • and could not send his investmen through, but he managed to get accommodated in another direction, had a small sum on Wairoa a very short limit when she won. * gentleman has long since given backing grey trotters. g. NEVER WON AGAIN Wairoa Belle, fresh from her recordbreaking mission, was taken to Blenheim fixture the following and although produced on two sions failed to gain a situation event. The following year the gro mare started several times at ’ but was never in the picture, * on one occasion, when she a “fiver” for third place. aV“jL»rdcomplished her making feat, it seemed as if the v tor mare had no further ambitio , she never won again. TRIED AT BREEDING GAME Leo Beckett then decided Wairoa Belle in the matrons and she was matched v with a promising sire, Neil Denis, sire o B shal Neil. The result of thlsr .TLra was a filly who later became to racegoers in Nelson as Star o Wairoa Belle’s daughter did no very rapid progress at by business, and was purchased Mr. L. Reilly, a Takaka ort f™ the non-totalisator fixture in tn ing district, Star of Hope P 1 jk«a few stakes, and last March r'ar**tinguished herself by winning w* eoo d well Handicap at Blenheim fromas field. Like her mother, Stax will never be a top-notcher, will never get the opportunity© divvy ing Wairoa Belle’s wonderful record. " J

METROPOLITAN T.C. AND A. &P. ASSOCIATION

NO REDUCTION IN ' TROTTING DATES FOR CARNIVAL WEEK It is not the intention of the Metropolitan Trotting Club to curtail its November programme by voluntarily reducing the number of days of the meeting. Mr. J. H. Williams, the president of the club, says that the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club is giving in stakes for the coming season the same amount as it gave last year. “The committee holds that, owing to the expense of training, travelling. etc., stakes should not be reduced, if possible, below what they now are,” said Mr. Williams. “As the November meeting is the most profitable one of the year, I think it is most unlikely that the committee would consider the question of giving up a day. It occurs to me that it is a very dangerous thing for a club having a given number of days to give up any of them, as if it does so it might never get them back again. The loss of a day in November would mean a shrinkage in the club’s profits. “Some time ago the Canterbury A. and P. Association requested the Metropolitan Club not to race on Show day. While very reluctant to agree to this, the committee suggested that, if the association could induce the Canterbury Jockey Club to reduce its meeting in carnival week to three days and allow our club to race on the last Saturday, it would agree.to do so. In making this suggestion, the committee did not suggest that the Canterbury Jockey Club should abandon one of its days, but thought it might use it some other time o fthe year. We have never heard whether the Capterbury A. and P. Association approached the Jockey Club, or, if it did, what reply it received.” TROTTING FIXTURES June 22.—Auckland T.C. Winter, second day. July 2.—Ashburto: County R.C. Winter (two events). July 21.—Walmata Hunt Annual (one •vent). July 28. —South Canterbury Hunt (one event). NOMINATIONS Jiige 20. —West Australian T.C. Classics. June 28.—Waimate Hunt Annual (one event). June 30.—South Canterbury Hunt (one event). ACCEPTANCES June 27.—Ashburton County R.C. Winter (two events). July 12- —Waimate Hunt Annual (one event). July 18.—South Canterbury Hune (one event).