Trotting Card For Hawke’s Bay

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 263, 27 January 1928, Page 7

Trotting Card For Hawke’s Bay

AUCKLANDERS FREELY ENGAGED \\u SPITE THE FACT THAT THE FIELDS IN SOME OF THE EVENTS WHICH MILL BE RUN AT HASTINGS TUMOR ROM' ARE ON THE LEAN SIDE. THE RACING PROMISES TO BE BRIMFUL OF INTEREST, AND PARTICULARLY 7Y THE PACING SECTION EXCITING SPORT SHOULD BE WITNESSED

Keener interest than usual will be taken in the Hawke’s Bay fixture by followers of the sport in the Auckland Province, on account of the good representation from this locality. In the past horses from the Auckland district have met with a good measure of success, and judging by the form displayed by some of the contingent prior to leaving for the East Coast, a stake or two should be picked up to-morrow by owners from this part of the Dominion. In the pacers ’events there is sufficient material to ensure good racing, and while the fields are certainly not cumbersome, there is every indication that two dividends will be forthcoming in the various heats. The position in regard to unhoppled

items is not such a happy one, and even if all the acceptors go to the post there can only be one price paid. This is a regrettable state of affairs, but with the difference in the time limit of the two trotting events, it was hardly to be expected that owners would make such a journey for a chance of picking up one stake. The Hawke’s Bay Club would have undoubtedly gained better support and greater results if a two-day fixture had been submitted instead of having one day now and another in June. When the tote bells are set in motion, speculators will turn their attention to the NOVICE HANDICAP Of £120; 1J miles; 3.50 limit Krina .... Lt Rangi Wai . . Lt Huia Maid . . Lt Yds. bhd. Sailor Boy . . Lt Van Mac .... 12 Carnui .... Lt Trumpeter . . ’ 24 Louie Dillon . Lt Queen ElizaHilltop .... Lt beth 60 Guy Pointer . Lt Very little is known of several of the runners in this event, but in Krina, Sailor Boy and Carnui the front line presents strong opposition in the background. Carnui worked fairly well prior to leaving Epsom, and may upset calculations. Van Mac and Trumpeter if in form are capable of adding interest to the race, but on recent form it looks as if the backmarker, Queen Elizabeth, will prove the stumbling block to the others. The favourites will probably be Queen Elizabeth and Carnui. There will not be much time lost in scanning the few starters in the TARADALE HANDICAP Of £120; lijj miles; 3.45 limit Mokanna ... Lt Ben Bingen . 72 Yds. bhd. King Peter . . 120 Brian Bingen . 72 Leo Mauritius 168 Only five square-gaiters are billed to appear in this heat, and the frontranker, Mokanna, who hails from the strong Corrigan stable, will have a big

following. Brian Bingen is a solid customer, while Ben Bingen has recent winning form to recommend him. King Peter is apt to do things, and Leo Mauritius, although well back, will find the distance to his liking. The bulk of the betting, however, will be on' Mokanna and Ben Bingen. Some good improvers will be seen in action in the CLIVE HANDICAP Of £120; 1J miles; 3.45 limit Trumpeter . . Lt Halgana .... 12 Van Mac . . . Lt Ngahuia .... 24 Hostess . . . Lt Nella Dillon . . 36 Yds. bhd. Fliton .... 36 Queen Eliza- Lady Zoe ... 36 beth 12 Hostess, who will be bracketed with Queen Elizabeth, will be in keen demand, and the Hawera pair should account for Van Mac and Trumpeter. The Auckland representative, Haigana,

is nicely placed, and whatever beats Clifton’s mare should win. This may be Ngahuia, the stable-mate of The Shrew, who is a promising novice. Nella Dillon will be suited by a shorter distance, but Lady Zoe is a good possibility. The public will no doubt prefer to plump for Ngahuia and Halgana. Interest will next be centred in the big event of the day, the HAWKE’S BAY' CUP Of £3OO and £25 cup; 2 miles; 4.50 limit Zella Lt Y’ds. bhd. Kevinbrae ... Lt Speed King . . 12 Lady Barring- Asset 48 ton Lt Tui Wildwood 72 Peter Grattan Lt Wild Lad ... 72 Eight have paid up for this important item, and with the prospect of all going to the post, the race should be tuU eS interest. Halt the geld will

commence from the front mark, and Zella, whose form at Wairarapa was distinctly good, will have a large following. She will be all right over 12 furlongs, but it will be interesting to see how she runs out the extra distance. Lady Barrington is speedy and if she goes off correctly would have a royal show of upsetting the pot. Kevinbrae is one from the Loch Moigh stalls, and this will encourage many to be with him. The Mangere representative, Peter Grattan, is no stranger to Hastings, and last year pulled a double. He is in fine shape and with Jack Shaw behind him will be a hard horse to beat. Speed King did not respond too well when asked for a big

ef J ort .P rior to leaving for the scene of action, but Stubbs’s pacer is a poor track horse and may do better than generally expected. Asset is a bonny filly and will be a thorn in the sida _° f the opposition. Tui Wildwood, who is right at the peak of form, will also find plenty of support, and is sure to add interest to the heat. Wild Lai can trot fast, but is not too reliable, and the pacers look like beating him The favourites will, probablv be Peter Grattan, Asset and Tui Wildwood. With the excitement of the race and the presentation of the Cup over, attention will then be directed to the HASTINGS HANDICAP Of £120; li miles; 3.7 limit Krina ..... Lt Hilltop .... Lt Huia Maid . . Lt Bonniewah . . Lt feaiior Boy . . Lt Yds. bhd. "Van Mac ... Lt Hostess .... 12 Carnui .... Lt Halgana . . . 2 ; Louie Dillon . Lt Ngahuia . . . 2-_ A good field of novices will take their departure off the front row, and their form in the opening event should indicate >what their prospects might te in this race. Carnui may impro\ e with the earlier run, while Bonniewa i, who was until recently trained by J. T. Paul at Mangere, if improved, should beat any of this lot. Hostess will keep those in front of her busy, but Halgana and Ngahuia are too close o the rest to give them a chance of picking up a stake comfortably. Either one of this pair may earn a penal ;y in the Clive Handicap, in which case the one escaping should be favourite.

However, both Halgana and Ngahuia will be the public fancy. The five square-gaiters who will be tried out earlier will again compete in the

JANUARY HANDICAP Of £150; 2 miles; 5.3 limit Mokanna . . . Lt Yds. bhd. Ben Bingen . . Lt King Peter . . 48 Brian Bingen .Lt Leo Mauritius 96

With a small field and no favour, the public will probably not trouble themselves much over this race. Ben Bingen won a two-mile race at Soath Wairarapa; in fact, outside of the imported Trampcrisp, he was the only one to get a stake among the trotters. He should see a short price on this occasion, although a lot will depend upon the showing of Moka:ina in the earlier unhoppled heat. Brian Bingen is a plodder and will go all the way, while King Peter, if at his best, is a possibility. Leo Mauritius coes not appear ready for a two-mile jcurney. so Ben Bingen and Mokanna may carry the bulk of the investments. Much more enthusiasm will be displayed when the field parades for the NAPIER HANDICAP Of £130; 1J miles; 3.3 limit Nella Dillon . Lt . Yds. bhd. Halgana . . . Lt Vallamont ... 24 Fliton .... Lt Derby Lynn . . 24 Lady Zoe . . , Lt Matanga ... 36 Hohora .... 60 Halgana again figures on the card, being on the end of this heat, but she will probably have had enc ugh before reaching this stage. Fliton and Lady Zoe are a likely pair, but Nella Dillon should hold the front contingent safe. She is a brilliant beginner and with the services of J. Shaw will get tO' the end all right. Derby Lynn will bo a tough proposition, and will no doubt account for those at the tack, although Matanga might create a surprise. When the final selection is made on the machine, it will probably be Nella Dillon and Derby Lynn. Proceedings will be brought to a conclusion with the FAREWELL HANDICAP Of £140; 9 furlongs j 2.40 limit Hal Huon ... Lt Y'ds. bhd. Zella Lt Hohora .... 12 Lady Barring- Asset 24 ton Lt Dillon Huon . . 48 Peter Grattan Lt Pearl Coronado 60 Another field ofT eight will face the music in the final race—usually known as the Recovery Stakes—and it should be full of excitement. Right or the is Hal Huon, and an awkward proposition he will prove for the opposition to handle. Zella will be at home over this distance, and Peter Grattan, who is a quick beginner, is sure to be dangerous. Lady Barrington may elect to go right, in which case she will be handy. Hohore has yet to prove himself equal to the task, but Asset will give enough cheex for a dozen, and no doubt when the whips are flying the filly will be flying too. Dillon Huon on his run with Padlock at Epsom at Christmas must be treated with due respect, and Pearl Coronado, if back to form, will be in the picture. The order of favouritism may be Asact, Hal Huon and Oiljon Huon.

A GREAT BEGINNER rpHE compact little daughter of Author Dillon and Nell Pointer, Nella Dillon, has become more solid during the last few weeks and her performance at South Wairarapa when she duly saluted the man in the box, brought her into more prominence and certainly into greater favour with the trottin.g public. When the three-year-old stepped out in the Great Northern Derby she went like a steam engine for six furlongs and then got the stitch, but her brilliancy out of the tapes attracted particular attention. The filly was driven a useful work-out over 12 furlongs by J. Shaw, just before she left for the other coast, and so successful was the effort that the trainer of Jewel Pointer and Co. will steer the Author Dillon youngster to-morrow in the Napier Handicap, in which she is off the front. She will meet another promising pacer of her own age and sex in Derby Lynn, and the latter will find ft extremely difficult to concede such a quick beginner as Nella Dillon 24 yards.

PETER'S PROSPECTS TJETER GRATTAN is a far better horse than a lot of people give him credit for being, and this the son of Peter Moko —Golden Grattan may demonstrate in no uncertain terms tomorrow at Hastings. Percy Rogers, the painstaking Mangere mentor, has spared neither time nor trouble in getting the four-year-old ready for his Cup engagement on the East Coast. Jack Shaw, who drove the Peter Moko gelding in* his recent trials wil have charge of the ribbons to-morrow, which will be something further in the pacer’s favour. When Peter Grattan finished a good fourth in the 12 furlong event at Claudelands last month he registered a tick over 3.29 from a 3.37 mark, and was finishing in a manner that suggested he would stay on. In his final track essays Peter Grattan worked two miles at a similar rate, which shows that those behind him to-morrow will require to improve a good deal on their previous displays to head him off.