WELLINGTON TROTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 459, 14 September 1928, Page 7

WELLINGTON TROTS

North Island Season Opens To-morrow with Hutt Park Card

RUNNERS’ aPECTS DISCUSSED

THE first trotting fixture for the new season in the North Island will eventuate at Hutt Park to-morrow, when the " ellington Club will stage its one-day spring meeting, at which some interesting sport should be witnessed.

Q.ENERALLY speaking, the fields promise to be of useful size, although in the straight-out trotters’ items they are numerically weak. Class is fairly well represented, and the presence of a few New Zealand Cup candidates in the event promoted as a trial for the big November heat will add additional interest to the proceedings. There is no doubt that the paucity of competitors in some of the contests is due to the fact that the fixture is only of one day’s duration. Just why a centrally-situated club of the prominence of the Wellington body, which has now four permits uur*n S the season, continues to race in this single-handed fashion is best known to those who manage its affairs, but it is only reasonable to assume that if two meetings were held

Mangoutu will be at hand. Nelson Boy and Louisiana will probably appeal most. Speculators will next turn their attention to sorting out the likely ones in the BOLLARD HANDICAP (Harness), Of £400; 2 miles; 4.36 limit.

Fourteen is the main in this go, and included in the list are some that have shown recent promising form. Golden Bubbles and Jolly Chimes eacli won over 10 furlongs at New Brighton, and t.he run would prove beneficial for their Bollard engagement. Rebel went fast into third place at Addington, and will have friends. Marshal Neil has not sported silk for some, time, but will go better fresh. He made a bold bid to win this event last year, and with a little more luck might have gained the verdict. The other candidate on the end is. Pageant, whose form at 'Epsom in June was distinctly good. His finishing effort in the two nile on the opening day stamped him as a solid customer, and he also put up a good go in the Adams Memorial. He failed at Christchurch last month, but will strip better now, and will be a hard one to beat. Vesuvius is coming right, and will have a big say at the end of the journey. Mate o’ Mine is evidently not an everyday sort, although the longer journey will be more to his liking than the short race last week. Orphan’s display at Addington, when he finished third on two occasions, was encouraging, and he must be counted as having a good chance. Jean McElwyn may prefer the saddle heat, but Billy Sea and Talent are both capable of being in the picture. When the machine is adjusted, Pageant and Orphan may be the elect, with sound support for Billy Sea.

With the excitement, subsided, the parade wlil take place for the BOROUGH HANDICAP (Harness), Of £150; class 3.34; 15 miles. Alexis . . . Lt. Travis Awa-iti . . . Lt. Axworthy . . 12 Lady Author . Lt. Mercury ... 24 Medusa . . . Lt. Real Light . 36 Myrtle Dillon Lt. Sunfish ... 60 Athalone . . 12 Firpo .... 96 Sailor Boy . 12 A baker’s dozen colour the card in this heat, and some promising performers will try conclusions. On the front is Awa-iti and the Aucklander Medusa, both of whom should be able to get over the journey at a solid clip. Athlon© is just the sort to effect a surprise, and Sailor Boy is a useful type of pacer. Travis Axworthy won at this distance last season, and Mercury must not be left out of calculations, although he failed again last week, but a mix-up at the start spoilt his prospects. Real Si£ht won at his only start last year, r and his friends are waiting for him to appear again. Sunfish’s penalty should stop him, and Firpo will find it hard to get to those in front of him. Real Light and Mercury probably have most friends. The decks will then be cleared for the New Zealand Cup Trial Handicap, and the various contestants, cup and non-cup adherents, will be keenly scrutinised by the public both in the birdcage and during the preliminaries. There are six engaged who have been handicapped for the November heat, the other three not being flattered to such an extent. The race is reviewed in a separate article. Having formed some opinion, good, bad or indifferent about the prospects of the six cup horses, the public will direct attention to the PRESIDENT’S HANDICAP (Harness), Of £275; unhoppled trotters; 2 miles; 4.46 limit. Katute . . . Lt. Sarsaparilla . . 12 Merry Bingen Lt. Mangoutu . . 48 Louisiana . 12 Maxegin . . 10S This is the other event for squaregaiters, and the field is a remarkably small one. Young Carbine and Nelson Boy are absentees, but the inclusion of Maxegin brings the number of starters to a two-dividend issue, unless anything is scratched. Louisiana and Sarsaparilla have both won over this journey and if they could be relied upon to do their very best would be troublesome to those behind them. Mangoutu should have a chance of getting into the money, but the result of the mile and a-half trot earlier, should give an idea of which of the runners will make the strongest opposition to Maxegin. While not looked upon as a real two-miler, Ben Jorden’s horse should be on hand. Maxegin will carry

some. Lochree is useful in saddle, but on recent form Golden Bubbles and Jolly Chimes, despite the 12yds penalty, should -account for those on the end. Parkwood must be hard, while Vesuvius is well placed on 2.15. Firpo is always one to be reckoned with in these events and Sahib won well at Addington. Double Event can scamper over eight furlongs, and there is Loch Moigh to be reckoned with. He showed at Christchurch that he is O.K. again and that is worth something. The brilliant Jean McElwyn is on the back mark, but that may not stop her from being on the front at the finish. Loch Moigh and Jean McElwyn will have a lot of supporters, while Golden Bubbles will make it interesting. Tho programme will be brought to a stago of finality with the WELLINGTON HANDICAP (Harness), Of £200; 2 miles; 4.47 limit. George the Athalone . . . Lt.

Travis Axworthy . . Lt. There should be a good neld go to the post here, the majority of which will have been seen out earlier. Of the

front liners, interest will be taken in the appearance of the Derby candidate, Grand Light. He is a promising colt and just the sort of customer to hop into the lead and keep it to the end. Sailor Boy is another on the end to make it interesting and give those behind him the spray. The distance may not suit Mercury, but Zella is sure to have a strong following. High Sea, in view of his showing at Wanganui and Hawera, must be kept under the lap, and then there is Donald’s pair, Invader and Real Light. The former may be the sheet anchor, and a good one he will be. He has shown dash at tho right end of his two races. Sunfish will probably be going strongly when some are stopping. Donald's Bracket will be favoured, but Grand Light will count many friends.

taken so much out of himself. .But apparently High Jinks is as “hard as nails,” for his acrobatic stunts did him little harm, and in the Electric Handicap he scored a brilliant victory, returning his supporters a large dividend. Returns a Great Price High Jinks was backed for good money to win the Dash Handicap, but after the collision and dislodging his driver, N. L. Price, he chased the field. When the race was over High Jinks continued on regardless of the many vain attempts to stop him, which caused the crowds on the stand to roar with

laughter. Hats and coats were thrown at him in an endeavour to bring the runaway to a standstill, but it was not till a plucky spectator leaped on his back that he was pulled up. He was produced again for the Electric Handicap, the last event of the day, but as a result of the earlier episode, only plucky backers supported him<£ But High Jinks revealed that St takes a lot to “knock him,” for after being some distance behind the leaders in the early part, he unwound an irresistible run in the straight, and cutting down the leaders one by one, went on to score a galant victory.

Marshal Neil . Orphan . 24 Pageant . . . Lt. Acre .... 36 Rebel .... Lt. Parkwood . 36 Golden Bubbles Lt. Double Event 4S Jolly Chimes Lt. Jean McElwyn 4S Vesuvius 24 Billy Sea . 60 Mate o’ Mine 24 Talent . 72

Fourth . . • . Lit. Meicury ... 24 Grand Light . JLt. Zella .... 24 Florrie Pointer Lt. High Sea . . 36 Electric Gold . Lt. nvader .... 36 Awa-iti . . . Lt. Real Light . 36 Medusa . . . Lt. Fii'e Light . . 4S Sailor Boy . Lt. Sunfisb . . . 4S