Otahuhu Opportunities

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 176, 15 October 1927, Page 7

Otahuhu Opportunities

November Card Attractive

Owners Well Catered For

r PHE Otahuhu programme for the club’s spring fixture shows that the committee entrusted the work of compilation has profited to a great extent by the comment and criticism which greeted the appearance of the Auckland schedule, with its tight classes and prohibitive clauses for improvers’ classes. As previously suggested in THE SUN both by “Abaydos” and a correspondent, “Interested,” the difficulty of excessive fields in the novice and improvers’ events could have been obviated by making a reasonable limit at both ends. This policy has been adopted by Southern Clubs for some time past and results have proved its justification. The Otahuhu Club, with commendable foresight, decided to try how the plan would operate in the North, and accordingly the Mangere and Epsom Handicaps have been framed on the both-end limit suggestion, and this has been very favourably received by owners and trainers, and all light-harness enthusiasts in the province. The club is distributing £7,000 in stake money for the 16 events, which colour the November card, and the fixture promises to be one of the most popular held in the district. INVITATION TO IMPROVERS Owners of horses who have a time record of 2.26 to the mile are given a chance of nominating their charges in the Mangere Handicap 10 furlongs, and the Epsom Handicap, 12 furlongs, provided they are prepared to give away a few seconds on the handicap. The limit for the former event is fixed at 2.57£, which is equal to a 2.22 mile gait, and the Epsom Handicap limit is set down at 3.33. Horses which have gone faster than 2.18 to the mile, are not eligible for either heat, so it is plain those who fill pride of place in the handicaps will not be conceding long starts. There is also the Stewards’ Handicap, one and a-half miles, with a limit of 3.30, which will appeal to a certain section who come under this heading, and as each event is worth £3OO owners of improving horses are well catered for. MEDIUM TWO-MILERS Two-milers who have not yet reached the top grade are given a race each day to the value of £350, the limit being 4.39. These items known as the Onehunga and Franklin Handicaps will attract quite a lot of district horses, who are not quite class enough for the thousand pounders, or are not prepared to tighten up their handicaps two seconds to get among the big guns. £I,OOO EVENTS The inclusion of a £I,OOO race on the card each day lends additional interest to an attractive programme and will draw a good class of contestant from all parts of the Dominion to the fixture. The conditions are fairly elastic, and horses that have tramped two miles in 4.35 or better are allowed to take part in the contests, the limit of which is fixed at 4.33. The big go on the opening day is the Jellicoe Handicap. On the concluding day it is the Ferguson Handicap that will be the star attraction. SPRINTERS NOT NEGLECTED The Massey Memorial Handicap on the first day is a 10-furlong flutter valued at £ 500, and open to horses that are capable of covering the journey in 2.482 or better, which is the equivalent of 2.15 to the mile. On the second day, a similar distance heac is endowed to the extent of £350, with

a limit of 2.52 L or a 2.18 mile gait. | These events will not only appeal to the sprinting fraternity, but w 11 g«\e the long-distance aspirants a '_har.ee also. SADDLE MERCHANTS If there is one class of contest that appeals to the public more than another, it is the saddle heat, ar.d here again the Otahuhu Club scores teavily b:/ the inclusion of a race of tills description each day. Saddle events are exceedingly popular, draw good fields and create keen competition and speculation. Both events on the card under review are run over a mile journey, that of the opening day being limited to horses that can do 2.18 or better, the prize being £350. This is the Manukau Handicap. On the final day the Dunedin Handicap has been set aside for saddle exponents, the stake being increased to £ 500, and the limit tightened up to a 2.14 gait. TROTTERS WELL CATERED FOR Five heats are set down for the adherents of the square-gaited system of locomoton, but one of the number is open to those pacers who can do their work free-legged. The unhoppled events are always popular with the trotting loving public, arid the clubs operating in the Auckland district, recognising this factor, catty* liberally for the square-gaited section. Two of the events, Introductory Handicap, 1£ miles, and Innovation Handicap, 2 miles, have a tag at cacli end, horses that have not won in laster time than 2.26 to the, mile being eligible in each instance. The limit for the shorter heat is 3.47 and the larger journey 5.2. The prize money allotted is £3OO for this class. Four hundred pounds is the sum apportioned for the Campbell Handicap on the first day’s card, and is for ti otters who can do two miles in 4.44 or quicker, and an event known as the Visitors’ Handicap is set down for decision on the last day, under similar conditions for a similar purse The limit in the special event for freelegged horses is extended to 4.50, and £3OO will be divided proportionately between the placed competitors Nominations for all events an this attractive card close on November 4 with secretary R. L. Absolum. TROTTING FIXTURES; October 15-19—Auckland T.C. October 22-24.—Greymouth T.C. October 24.—Oamaru T.C. November 8-10-11.—N.Z. Metropolitan T.C. November 19-23.—Otahuhu T.C. November 25-26. —Forbury Park T.C. December 3.—Waikato T.C. December 10.—Northland T.C. December 15-17.—New Brighton T.C.