TROTTING...

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 266, 31 January 1928, Page 11

TROTTING...

“Abaydos”

By

NOTES AND COMMENTS VARIOUS JOTTINGS FROM NEAR AND FAR Lure of the Game A few seasons ago Mr. J. R. Corrigan sold all his team, and intended to retire from racing. The lure of the game was too strong, and to-day Mr. Corrigan is one of the biggest owners in the North Island, and incidentally is a pretty successful one at that. Last season he won over £2,000 in stakes, and the majority of the victories were secured at country fixtures. t A Normanby String Charlie Willetts, the Normanby trainer, has a fair sort of a maiden pacer by Van Coronado in work. This youngster is level-headed and has the right way of doing it. Kolmar, in the same stable, has been under the vet., and is now on the mend. Charlie has had a lot of trouble with th© son of Nelson Bingen. Real Todd, also in the same stable, is like his sire—improving with age. “Dud” Smith, who trained a number of winners in the Taranaki province a few years ago. has a fair-sized team in work at Christchurch. Ho never blows his own trumpet, says a New Plymouth writer, but he keeps getting there just the same. “Dud” was the first to put a strap on Rawene, Uniform and Kalgoolie. Up and down the coast (with Vibon included), this trainer collected a lot of races for his owners. Vital Questions A review of the recent two meetings of the Gore and the Winton Trotting Clubs disclosed at those fixtures reversals of form of various horses that were barefaced. It is high time that the Trotting Conference took the matter in hand and appointed one person who would be In a position to dispute more vital questions than the wearing of skull caps, correct colours, clean gear, etc., and it is imperative that the -steward appointed should act at both the Gore and Winton meetings. This is a question that could well be taken up by the Gore Owners’ and Breeders’ .Association, remarks a Southland correspondent.

West Coast Nuggets The Greymouth Trotting Club will hold a one-day meeting on February ■ a * and the Inungahua Trotting Club 'v;ll also hold its fixture on the Greyrnoutli Club’s course, having chosen February 27 for its gathering. Thus owners will be provided with a twofixture, with stakes and classes that should attract a big number of Canterbury owners and-horses. The chief race at each day’s function is Handicap will be decided over 12 i furlongs, and is for horses that can go at a 2.2 u clip all the way. On the second day. so to speak, the Golden Quartz Handicap, of £250. will be run over 16J furlongs. It is for horses tha; can go that distance at a 2.22 r at© to the mile.

A Great Family Baron Bingen, the three-year-old brother to Great Bingen and Co., is receiving a careful, yet thorough, preparation by J. N. Clarke, who has had considerable experience with members of the Nelson Bingen—Bertha- . Belle family. If he follows in the footsteps of Great Bingen, Peter Bingen and Great Peter, the Baron will have a host of admirers. Inconsistencies Trotting in Southland during the past two seasons has been so shrouded with inconsistencies that it behoves one to suggest that the time is ripe for some practical move in the matter of the appointment of one stipendiary steward to supervise the whole of the trotting fixtures on the Southland circuit, says an exchange. From the point of view of owners and trainers in the Eastern district the treatment of recent non-triers has erred altogether on the side of leniency.

Stock Making Good The Sungods came with a rattle during the holidays in the South. The progeny of the Wyndham-owned sire were placed on 10 occasions for four firsts by Morning Sun, Shady Spot, Needles and Sunstorn:, five seconds by Needles, Sunshower, Sunspot (two). White Sun, and a third by White Sun. The owner of Sungod, Mr. J. Hunter, has always maintained that his horse would be a good sire, and his faith has been rewarded. Sungod, who is a son of Harold Dillon from My Mistake, was a good performer and won the Westport Cup in 1914. Shortly afterwards he put up a mile record of 2.12. Proving Their Worth

The recent successes of the sons of Cathedral Chimes —Ahuriri and Kohara —tend to strengthen Bryce’s contention that the Four Chimes breed will hold their own with 'New Zealand’s best. Very few people appear to hold faith with either Four Chimes or Cathedral Chimes, says a Southern writer, but when one recalls the splendid achievements of Four Chimes as a sire, ono is left puzzled by the conclusions arrived at by the knowing few. Cathedral Chimes was one of the greatest racehorses of his day, and one of his first successes was at Tapanui when in a thrilling finish he beat the famous Takio.

Good Sportsmanship When the Greymouth and the Inangaliua Trotting Clubs proposed holding their meetings on February 25 and 27, it was thought that their applications would meet with serious opposition from clubs that race about the same time in February, each season. In order to lessen the difficulties of the authorities, the Kaikoura Trotting Club very sportingly withdrew its objection. With the way thus eased and the stout claims of the two West Coast clubs recognised, the New Zealand Trotting Conference granted them the dates applied for, February 25 and 27.