SOME COMPARISONS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 146, 10 September 1927, Page 7

SOME COMPARISONS

Lucky and Unlucky Owners

VARYING FORTUNES

THAT there are lucky and unlucky owners and trainers in the trotting game has long been admitted. What with fast and slow tracks, changing climatic conditions, and various other phases, one owner can secure thousands in stakes and still find his horse on a reasonable mark, while another, for the privilege of lifting a few hundreds, finds his winner quickly among the top-notchers.

TN ihe racing world there is always A an element of luck to be contended with. What is known as the luck of the game in the light-harness world has various ways of distinguishing itself, but the most prominent, and to owners, the most telling, is the time factor. This is better understood when comparisons are studied, and many instances have been recorded of horses registering a vast improvement in their time for an ordinary-sized stake, while others have the luck to win a good haul before winding up the clock too tight. TRACK CONDITIONS ASSIST Track conditions have the principal bearing on such a question, and to take the case of the recent National Carnival at Christchurch, winners and

place-getters on the first, and particularly the second, days, clipped portions off their previous records, and the rain that fell prior to the concluding day saved the situation for the winners on that occasion. Had it not been for the intervention of the elements, some very fast times would have been registered on the Addington track on the final day, as it was proved conclusively that with each day’s racing the pace was becoming more electrical. As one Aucklander put it to “Abaydos,” “it was a November track with the absence of dust on the first and second days.” This sportsman, who has had considerable experience of Christchurch tracks and conditions, was in agreement with the writer that something would have happened on the last day under favourable conditions, to set the followers of the game talking. UNLUCKY LOGAN PARK To revert to the question of unlucky horses and owners, the palm will be ungrudgingly given to Logan Park and his owners, Messrs. R. A. Armstrong and A. L. Johnstone. Prior to the opening of the August fixture the best time the son of Logan Pointer — Miss Burlington had against him for two miles was 4.40 2-5, put up when he won at Timaru in March. By the time the second day of the National Carnival had concluded, Logan Park had improved his time a good 10sec., recording 4.30 1-5 for 16 furlongs. On the opening day of the August fixture he won the 10-furlong flutter off 2.52 in 2.49 2-5, and the second day accounted for a two-mile heat in a tick over 4.30

3 from a 4.37 peg-. As he was handi--1 capped at 4.30 for Wellington, Logan C Park is now where the good horses 1 are put, and for his wonderful timer improvement he has secured two prizes ) valued at £450. His owners must be 3 counted among the unlucky ones. * OWNER: MOODABE LUCKY 3 In looking for a comparison on the r brighter side of the picture, it was not ? necessary to go outside of Auckland, 1 and in Mr. M. Moodabe, the well- } known sporting owner of Jewel Pointer, Western King and Amaris, there is evidence of the lucky owner. His handsome pacer Jewel Pointer 1 began the 1926-27 season last October 3 on a 4.38 two-mile mark, and after 1 recouping his owner with £1,570 for I the year's work, which included three

wins, five seconds and three thirds, the son of Logan Pointer—Law Chimes is not now on such a tight mark as Logan Park. When Mr. Moodabe’s pacer won a 16-furlong event at the Auckland .summer fixture, from a 4.38 peg, he was required to go only 4.36 3-5. At the Otahuhu February meeting Jewel Pointer registered a win in a tenfurlong heat, tramping 2.49 2-5 from an approximate 2.48 mark. At Whangarei he was beaten into second place by Buz Buz in the big race, where from 4.36 he improved his time to 4.31 1-5. On the second day of the Waikato fixture, held in March at Alexandra Park, Jewel Chimes was handicapped at 4.34, duly winning in 4.30 2-5, but when last adjusted for a two-mile event was placed on 4.31. PLAIN FACTS But Jewel Pointer has already opened his winning account for the new season, and on the final (lucky) dav at Addington, rattled home in the mile saddle off a 2.13 peg in 2.14 2-5. It was a lucky day and no mistake, as the saddle milers on the previous da3' had recorded some very fast times. At Addington Mr. Moodabe’s horse secured £250 in stake money, so that while Logan Park credited his owners with £450 to get from 4.40 to 4.30 mark, Jewel Pointer has notched £1,820 for his owner, to come from a 438 to a 4.31 mark. There is no doubt that the goddess of luck, assisted by the good management of Jewel Pointer’s trainer, J. Shaw, has smiled very favourably on the Auckland owner.