TROTTING

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 888, 4 February 1930, Page 12

TROTTING

By

“ABAYDOS”

Hawera Trotting Club Keeps Advancing EASTER EGGS ATTRACTIVE SCHEDULE That most progressive lightharness organisation, the Hawera Trotting Club, will again provide its customary Easter egg for owners. This year the fine total of £4,010 will be distributed in prize money for the 16 events which colour the attractive card. The Hawera club launched its lightharness ship i i 1916 under the name of the Waimate Plains Trotting Club, which held a one-day permit. The Cup was valued at £l7O, with a Gmin limit and was won by Flora Tracy, driven by K. McDermott. Two years later the club instituted a classic, known as the Taranaki Futurity Stakes, and this item held sway for five years, being won by such good ones as Queen Chimes, Lochnagar, Florence la Bodie, Nelson Derby and Ratana. J. “Scotty” Bryce captured three of the five classics contested In 1923 Mr. J. R. Corrigan, to give the meeting tone, started his great pacer Man-o’-War in the Cup, and from 240 yards behind he finished second to Ramaroa. A “Corrigan” Day It proved a “Corrigan” day, however, as Ivy Audubon. Rose Bingen and .Jimmy Richmond, all driven by .1. Bryce, junr., landed a stake. The same day the Aucklander, Dick Dillon, starting a rank outsider in a field of sixteen. won the saddle heat, being ridden by X. Cunningham. In 1925 an additional permit was granted, and the organisation was changed to the Hawera Trotting Club, a two-day fixture being staged. Bessie Bogan proved the star performer, winning the principal event each day. Several Auckland horses were prominent on that occasion, including Grattan Thorpe. Sweet Memory. Marble Hall. Grey Peter. Ofa Mai, Billy Whizz and Xgatira (who won a double). It was at this fixture that the present champion Padlock, driven by his owner, J. A. Mitchell, attracted attention by winning a moderate’s handicap in fine style. Good Headway Since holding its two-day Faster carnival, the Hawera club has never looked back, and such has been its mode of progress, that today its meeting ranks as one of the most important in the Dominion. Stakes have been increased to a high mark, while limits have been reasonably tightened to allow of good class performers visiting the function. Many fine pacers, cither trained or owned in this province. have won big money at Hawera, including Gold Jacket (since a dual Auckland Cup winner). Taiparo. Goldman and Evelyn Locanda. The Hawera fixture is popular with Auckland provincial owners and each year there is a large percentage of horses from this locality seen in action at the Taranaki centre. Southerners also play a prominent part in the decision of events at Hawera, and the meeting of many classy competitors from the North and South makes each year for a high standard if trotting. 1930 Carnival This year the carnival is fitted in between Wanganui and Taranaki, and both of these clubs should benefit as a result of the convenient circuit. The I unction will be held on Easter Saturday and Monday, April 19 and 21. The Hawera Cup is again the principal item, being valued at £550, and a gold cup valued at £SO, donated by the Taranaki enthusiast, Mr. J. R. Corrigan. On the second day the Waimate Plains Handicap of £450 comes up for decision. These events have a limit of 4.40. which will ensure good fields of classy contestants. Shorter heats, as the Norman by, Elthani, Patea and Stewards’ handicaps, will give horses of the higher degree another chance to earn expenses, while there is ample provision made for the lesser lights. Square trotters are also well catered for over 12 and 16 furlongs. and viewed broadly the 1930 Hawera schedule is one that cannot fail to attract liberal support from owners in all parts of the Dominion. Nominations for all events close with Secretary E. P. Cox on March j 23. and Handicapper C. E. Goosman will announce his first day adjustments on April 8. Owners are allowed till April 14 to make a decision in regard to taking part at the carnival. The Card (First Day) Auro» Handicap; or JCi’oo, U miles: ! I-4'j limit.

Matapu Handicap (trotters); of £200; 1 i miles: 3.45 limit. Stratford Handicap; of £200; 1£ miles; 3.36 limit. Hawera Cup; of £600: 2 miles; 4.40 limit. Mania Handicap (trotters); of £250; 2 miles; 4.50 limit. Normanby Handicap; of £200; 1 mile; 2.20 limit. President’s Handicap; of £220; 2 miles; 4.50 limit. Eltham Handicap; of £220; 11 miles; 2.54 limit. (Second Day) Trial Handicap; of £200; 1£ miles; 3.40 limit. Ohame Handicap (trotters); of £200; 11 miles: 3.45 limit. Kapuni Handicap; of £200; 15 miles; 3.36 limit. Waimate Plains Handicap; of £450; 2 miles; 4.40 limit. Patea Handicap; of £200; 11 miles; 2.55 limit. Opunake Handicap (trotters); of £250; 2 miles; 4.50 limit. Stewards’ Handicap; of £200; 1 mile; 2.20 limit. Kaponga Handicap; of £220; 2 miles; 4.50 limit. Trotting Trainer and Busy Farmer McMillan of tamahere Alan McMillan, the successful Tamahere trainer, who has got Enawah back to her best form, after manv of her admirers had given up all hope of seeing the Sapling winner fulfilling her early promise, lias added a couple more of Mr. W. Johnstone’s pacers to Ms team. The first of the recruits is Elewali. by Peterwah-Medway, full sister t;o Great Way, a racy-iooking youngster who sported silk on the second day of the Wanganui Trotting Club’s fixture last season. Although quite g’ played a lot of pace for a few furlongs, and with age and racing experience bids fair tc develop into a useful sort. The other candidate is an unnamed and untried gelding by Our Thorpe from Uniform, own brother to Taipare, a pacer with which the Tamahere trainer has had a good measure of success. He is a sturdy looking customer, and when thoroughly tutored may be found to be an acquisition to the McMillan string. Any Spare Time? A. McMillan is a busy man these days and he informed “Abaydos” at Te Aroha that he has a team of nine actives to attend to. Then there is the hay-making, dairying and the numerous other things requiring attention on the farm, with which he can fill in his “spare” time. Young Lardner, well known at Epsom and Otaliuliu in the trotting business, is stationed at Tamahere and assists with the care of the pacing and trotting brigade. Included in the Tamahere team are such well-known and useful performers as Machine Gun, Peter McKinney, Lnawali Brutus, Te Wahia, all of whom have won races this season. Alan McMillan lias had a long and successful career at the light harness game, but his one ambition —to win an Auckland Cup—has not yet been achieved. As he remarked to the writer, he thought he had it in his keeping with Comedy Chief, the year lie got upset at the start, and the pacer, unattended, raced home at the head of the field. After Taipare’s runaway victory in the Adams Memorial Handicap at Epsom in 1928, Trainer McMillan entertained hopes of the grey gelding reaching Cup class, but an unfortunate accident, resulting in injury to Taipare’s shoulder, has kept him off the scene ever since. Every effort is being made to get the Our Thorpe gelding right again, but it is problematical if he will stand a strenuous preparation.