TROTTING

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 948, 15 April 1930, Page 13

TROTTING

By

ABAYDOS

WANGANUI SURPRISES GOOD PRICES ON SATURDAY SOME QUESTIONS ASKED I A special feature of the racing at Wanganui on the concluding day, and one that had a detrimental effect on the totaiisator turn--1 over, was the manner in which outsiders romped home. In each case where the big figures were returned, the successful candidates had not in their previous eesays given the public much encouragement to follow them up. Dill Hughes supplied the first shock to punters in the opening event, Improvers’ Handicap, with Short Story a five-year-old mare by Author Dillon lrom 11 Rothschild mare. On Thursday she took part in the Innovation Handicap, but her tangling proclivities made her finish a long way back i 3 v rot i e< L*out a ~ ain in the mile saddle, »-hort Story looked a winner at the nomo turn where she bobbed badly, ! nearly coming down, to drift well behind the placed division. When the J. a. Mitchell representative paraded on Saturday, she was not in much demand, but beginning I smartly, paced soundly all the way, to I practically stroll home. The few ’ backers of the Author Dillon - mare received a fine price that bordered on i a score. Altering the Hopples After Liue and Gold again proved herself a sound trotter by winning the Borough Handicap and putting backers in good spirits, another surprise was sprung in the following event, when Baron Derby, the outsider of j seven starters, landed the stakes, to pay just on double figures. The ; Nelson Derby gelding was third selecI Lion on Thursday in a similar race, but did not show up, hence his neglect on Saturday by the public, whereas he stopped badly the first day, the Palmerston North pacer this time was early in the van, and there he remained till the post was passed. A protest was entered and after a long hearing was dismissed. It was proved, however, that Owner-driver H. J. Woodfield had altered the length | his hopples on the second day i without either notifying or asking ; uenuission from the stewards. For j this lapse Woodfield was fined £5. I According to the rule on this question. , had permission been sought and ! granted, the alteration would have j been notified publicly, when probably there would have been more solid i suuuort for the pacer. Tiny Rose in Saddle Logan’s Pride and Great Author, two well-fancied candidates in the big l race, paid the dividends, and once i more speculators looked on the bright i side of things. But the “painting j the clouds with sunshine” was short lived, as the prime selections in the next race, the saddle heat, were knocked to leg by Tiny Rose. In the Improvers’ Handicap (harness), Tiny Rose was a close second choice, but she never threatened danger at any stage of the proceedings, and the race was only run a shade faster than a 2.24 clip. But saddle evidently appealed to the Waikato - trained mare, and beginning in good style, she trailed Tawa King for six furlongs, and then dashed to the lead, to sail home with a length advantage over the favourite, Rita Thorpe. The nace was on all the way, and Tiny Rose tramped 2.1 S 4-5. On this, occasion she was not in much favour with i the public, and the dividend consei kuently touched the beam over the ; two-figure limit. On the Mat After this setback, investors got ; busy on the field for the Ballance Trot, i the next item on the card, and looked' to Rangitero. Brian Bingen, Peter Eyre and Eva Reta, as likely to pull them through the fires of misfortune. But their trials were not yet concluded. Rangitero, the first choice, was fighting out a desperate struggle with Blue and Gold and Peter Eyre, when who should join issue in the last hundred yards but Ockley Wood, the rank outsider of the crowd. The race to the box provided spectators with a real thrill, and enthusiasm was ;at concert pitch. Gradually L. Berj kett forged past his rivals, to win by j a narrow margin from Blue and Gold I and Rangitero, which Judge Tronson could not separate. This was Ockley Wood’s fourth start at the fixture, and as he repeatedly broke in his earlier j races, it was not surprising to find the ; Woodland Whispers mare returning a more than useful price. Up went the white llag immediately, which was the signal that an inquiry was to be held. Leo Berkett was arraigned before the judiciary and asked to state how he accounted for the improvement in the square-gaiter’s form compared with his previous essays. The Nelsonian was able to satisfy the powers evidently, as the explanation was accepted, and the few backers sighed with relief. Zealous and Fliton, first and second selections for the Farewell Handicap, finished in that order, giving punters a certain measure of recovery, but tho returns were not by any means sufficient to balance the losses occasioned by the many surprise packets which romped ho?" Te.

THE DIVIDEND PAYERS

GOOD FORM DISPLAYED Some interesting form was displayed at Wanganui on the opening day of the annual trotting fixture. Several winners shaped in a fashion that augurs well for their future prospects. Promise Fulfilled Capilano (Hal Junr, —Cinderette), the four-year-old filly from the Lloyd. Hastings) establishment, proved that her education since having licr initial race on the East Coast last month has not been neglected in the interval. She displayed gameness,at the end of ner race when she just got up to snatch a “close call” victory from Lee Nelson. A Useful Sort j Lee Nelson was one of the Nelson Derby three-year-olds which “Abaydos” singled out last season at the Wanganui fixture as likely to make good at the game. He had his first and only race on that occasion, and while looking much down in condition. the son of Nelson Derby—lnova gave a lot of cheek. His next public appearance was at Wanganui again when driven by Bill Head last Thursday. Lee Nelson went a .sound race. Last May he was under offer to an Auckland sportsman, but the deal was not completed. : Solidity an Asset I Blue and Gold, winner of the Kirk- ' wood Trot, is a five-year-old daughter of The Triumph—Kola Bell, trained and owned by Lou Thomas, of Lower ITutt. Last season the young trotter was in the boom, but she did not race up to expectations. However, her display at Wanganui on Thursday war. decidedly promising, a strong feature in her favour being solidity. Blue and Gold never looked to make a fault, and should gain further notice for her Alan-gere-owned sire. A Consistent Trotter Joy Ride, who raced fairly consistlently at Auckland country fixtures without securing a winning certificate,

was very much in the picture in both events on the first day at Wanganui. Had the Peter Moko mare possessed the solidity of Blue and Gold, Theo Allen’s mare would probably have reversed places with the Wellingtonian in the twelve-furlongs event. At least twice on the journey she appeared to have the race won, only tu leave her feet at a critical juncture. There was even then very little between the pair at the finish. In the two-mile race later in the day Joy Ride again got second place after a few mistakes on the journey. An Improved Facer R. Humphreys turned Harold Logan out in splendid condition at Wanganui, and the Logan Pointer gelding delivered the goods in earnest in the Eastbrook Handicap. For some time past the Canterbury pacer has been expected to make a name for himself, but Harold was a sore disappointment to his many friends and admirers. Judging by his sound effort last week, trainer Humphreys has struck the right key.to the pacer, and lie wifi be heard from again. Another Little Prize Lady Yvonne scored a. second on tho opening day at Wanganui, and it was her gameness at the finish that gained her a dividend-paying position. The daughter of Our Thorpe— Lady Stepney was not well placed in tho early stages of the race, and'was a long .way back half a mile from home. George Stubbs then began a forward move and getting a run on the rails at the bend the mare cut Highland Derby and Huia Maid out of their place in the run to the post. She paid a nice price for second. One With a Future Glenrossie, a three-year-old gelding by Matchlight from a Harold Dillon mare, gave his older and more experienced rivals a real thrashing in the Wanganui Cup. L. O. Thomas had the youngster in excellent trim, and after being in a handy position at the end of a mile and a-half took him to the front to stroll home comfortably in front of the field. He is a good sort and promises to make a name for him-, self at the game. Consistent Sir Guy C. S. Donald drove Sir Guv with timely judgment in the Wanganui Cup and the son of Real Guy put up a splendid showing. He did the best of the back markers, but could make no impression on Glenrossie. Sir Guy’s forward display in the two-mile event was a good line on his prospects for the ten-furlong flutter later in the day. Donald duly larrded the race by tho narrowest of margins to pay a useful figure. A Wonderful Burst Rita Thorpe’s performance ?n the mile saddle heat was an outstanding one. Shortly after the start the mare stumbled badly, losing a lot of ground, and two furlongs from home she was still a long way back from the leaders. G. Caddy brought the Opunake-owned mare along with a wet sail right on the extreme outside, when the straight was reached, and finishing with a wonderful burst of speed, W. Fleming’s mare secured the stake by a small margin Rita Thorpe attempted to repeat the effort on the concluding day, but was beaten into second place, registering 2.17 3-5 from a 2.23 mark. Getting Place Money Lightfoot put up a useful performance in the saddle heat, and at the judge’s box had a half head victory over his stable mate, Wee Thorpe, for tho second position. Phil Green’s pair were lighting out a real thrilling finish 100 yards from the post, and it looked any odds on them dead-heating for the thick end of the purse, when Rita Thorp© swooped down to take it from them. On the second day Lightfoot, in harness, ran another solid race for second berth. H. Garnett’s Good Work It is only about three weeks since Harry Garnett, the Ashhurst trainer, took charge of the bad-mannered Brian Bingen, whom Billy Orange after the Palmerston North meeting refused to keep in his stable. Garnett has effected a big improvement in tho well-bred square-gaiter, and he cleaned up the j opposition in the President’s Handicap in easy fashion. He threatened to repeat tho dose on the final day, but a break at a critical moment settled the chance. In Better Form Zealous lias been getting a fair share of place-money in her starts this season, and in the Morton Memorial Handicap she went very close to securing her first win for the year. It was only m the last few strides that Sir Guy got up to head her off. That consistency will work out its just reward was exemplified on the final day in the Farewell Handicap, when J. Shaw drove the Te Awarautu-owned mare home <r winner after a hard finish with Fliton and Cumdigger.