TROTTING

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 889, 5 February 1930, Page 13

TROTTING

MOUNTAIN DEL PACING MARE NOT STAYING ON TOO WELL NO CAUSE FOR ALARM Mountain Dell, who showed such wordertui promise in the spring and threatened to reach top-hole company before the season began to wane, has recently disappointed her large army of admirers.

The daughter of Blue Mountain King and Whispering Dell was bought by owner Mitchell for the proverbial song, and despite recent failures she must be well on the right side of the ledger with her party. Two fine eftorts last autumn at the Waikato fixture, where she was just beaten by Carmel and Nella Dillon over 12 f. n(1 furlongs respectively, gained tne black mare much prominence, and it was freely stated that Mitchell refused a tempting offer by a Southern owner-trainer. At the Auckland winter fixture Mountain Dell opened her winning account auspiciously, and her party received a good dividend in addition to the stake. Showing Fine Form

When the Auckland Club’s earthquake meeting came along Blue Mountain King’s daughter showed to advantage over two miles, winning impressively. On the strength of this display she was solidly backed at Claudelands last October to beat Lindbergh, a good one in C. Donald’s stable, but the Southerner carried too many guns for the Epsomite. There was some excuse for this defeat, as

Mountain Dell contracted a cold on the eve of the fixture, but it is open to doubt whether she could have finished in front of the Author Dillon pacer at the handicaps, even dressed in her best. Another success came her way at the Otahuhu spring carnival, and her bright achievement earned her a mark from which she is now finding it difficult to get any money. Lacking Finish Just* prior to the Christmas session, the mare displayed a tendency to stop at the end of two miles when the pace was all on, and that she lacked the necessary finish was proved when she contested the Grandstand Handicap. Kept going with a view to annexing the To Aroha Cup, Mountain Dell again fizzled out last Saturday at the business end. When heads were turned for home driver F. J. Smith had her nicely placed, and momentarily it looked as if the black mare would effect a surprise, as she was at long odds —the first time since her June success—but she laded out in the final pinch, to finish fourth.

These recent failures would suggest that the handsome pacer is lacking in stamina, and for the present it may be good business to confine her efforts to races over shorter courses. There is also a suspicion that, being a lightframed mare, she may be a bit overdone with training, in which case her usefulness for the present will be negligible. However, her young trainer has no occasion to worry, as after a respite the racy-looking mare will brighten lip considerably and well placed is sure to capture some more prize money.