TROTTING TOPICS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1077, 15 September 1930, Page 12

TROTTING TOPICS

NOTES AND COMMENTS C. G. LEE’S NOVICE TEAM Commencing his winning effort off a 2,30 mark at the Manawatu fixture in March, the Te Awaimu'tu owned and trained Inverness finished up two months later by scoring in a mile saddle heat at Cambridge in a tick better than 2.17. The half-brother to Tony Victor is one that should make further progress at the game, and his enthusiastic owner, T. G. Martin, may find his pacer this season winning in much better company. Gumdigger in Work Again G. A. Williams, the Wellsford ownertrainer, has his promising pacer Gumdigger on the active list again. The son of Gold Bell has benefited greatly as the result of a good spell which was assigned him after returning from the Wanganui - Hawera trip. Owner Williams experienced a run of misfortune with Gumdigger last season. Showing fine form at home, he was taken to Ash hurst and Hastings, but developed lameness on the eve of the first fixture. Later, at Epsom, the colt was doing great work, and off he went, to Wanganui, but the day before the meeting there was a recurrence of the trouble, and the trip was

all in vain. This year, however, the Wellsford candidate will probably make up for lost time. Back to Wr.iwera Trainer Tuko has returned to Waiwera with Moko Chief and his halfsister, by Nelson Bingen, which attracted considerable attention while at Epsom on account of her fine appearance. The Peter Moko gelding showed such improvement for the exTasmanian trainer that he will be kept going for spring engagements. Judging by his displays at the relief carnival, Moko Chief will stay on, and he may play a prominent part in so. of the slow class long-distance events on the country circuit. S. Tuke is also educating several well-bred youngsters at Waiwera for Mr. and Mrs. W. Evans, who are keen lights harness enthusiasts Consistent Performers Since the Auckland Trotting Club’s relief meeting, J. T. Paul has received two additions to his team in Akenehi and Warspite, both of whom raced well for the Mangcre trainer at the Epsom winter carnival. The grey trotter last season put up some attractive performances, and her form suggested that, with another year over her head, t, Peter Moko mare would reach a higher standard. Warspite did the bulk of his racing last year for J. S. Shaw, and consistency was a strong feature of liis essays. One win and seven placing** was his record for the season. Under a Cloud

One of the finest improving pacers seen out last season was the Blue Mountain King mare Mountain Princess, but an injury to a hock while contesting a race at the Hawke’s Bay fixture in March, and from which she did not make a good recovery, sent her into retirement, just at a time when she seemed certain to prove a successful stake-earner for owner Foley Although treated to a lengthy spell, the mare is still favouring a leg, and it is doubtful if she will stand another preparation. It is indeed bad luck for her painstaking trainer that the promising pacer is causing such anxiety, as all going well she would have made her mark in the game. Pavlova is Doing Well Just at present W. Nightingale lias only Pavlova and the Peter Moko— Peggy O'Neill novice in work. Evelyn Locanda Is having a short spell, while the grey gelding Chrystal, after several disappointments, has been sold, and may, like many other trotting discards, join the army. Pavlova is looking a picture again, and promises to be back to her best form for spring racing. Kept to sprint journeys, the Man-o’-War mare should not be long in capturing a stake for her popular sporting owner. E, TI. Cucksey. Peggy O’Neill’s daughter favours the square gait, and Is showing quite a lot of promise on the training tracks. Although not yet asked to produce much speed, It is the resolute style of doing things that attracts. Teaching the Young Ones O. G. Lee is busy at present with a team of novices, and the patient and painstaking Epsom trainer has liis charges all in the best of health and condition. The handsome three-year-old brother to Jean McElwyn is being tried now at the pacing gait, but after some experience may be put back to trotting. A son of Florizel is showing promise as a pacer, while the A 1 Mack representative, A 1 John, looks like later on making good. A little fellow is the son of Worthy Bon—Lenglen, owned by that good sportsman J, Pillinger, but despite his lack of inches ho is a sturdy chap, and can muster up a nice turn of speed over a few furlongs.

SOUTHERN JOTTINGS The march of progress in the light-harness world is best indicated by the fact that only three remaining in the New Zealand Trotting Derby are out of unnamed mares, says an exchange The fact that the dams are unnamed may be due to carelessness on the part of owners and breeders, who thus rob the sport of considerable interest, but even so it is a remarkably small percentage of the unknown, and it would become very vexatious if a really good pedigree followed if available. No real and lasting progress can be made unless breeding is followed on such sound liner that stallion owners, in the interests of their horse, should be chary about accepting patronage from doubtfully-bred mares, unless, of course, they have a good racing record. This would perhaps be too much to expect, but it is really in the interests of sport that lop sided pedigrees should be discouraged. Cup Trial The Wellington Trotting Club has issued a very fine programme for its meeting, to be held on Saturday, November 1, and particular interest will, as usual, centre upon the New Zealand Cup Trial, a 2.44 mile and aquarter. Decided a week before the opening of the New Zealand Metropolitan carnival at Christchurch, the opportunity to give the cup candidates a race in public without affecting their handicaps for the more important event is not likely to be passt-d over bjr owners. The handicapper, Mr. G.

Paul, has intimated that it is not his custom to penalise winners of fast mile and a-quarter races for two mile events, which means that the horse which wins, the New Zealand Cup Trial at Wellington will not be penalised for the Cup. Useful Trotter Pattie Bingen showed up well enough in her race at the seaside to give her a chance, in loose class trotters races later on in the season. She is gaining in solidity and stamina, and if anyone can get a race out of her it should be C. S. Donald. Welcome Guy I While he is not yet the ideal racehorse, Welcome Guy has an impressive way of doing his work, and tjie indications are that he will turn out more than useful for J. J. Kenntirley. He is a four-year-old by Real Guy, whose young trotting stock are only now beginning to show their aptitude for the true gait, and not the least of these is Welcome Guy. Well-bred Colt Lloyd Chimes, who races in the nomination of Mr. A. R. Mercer, is a goodlooking four-year-old entire by Cathedral Chimes from Marie Lloyd, and if breeding is anything to go on, he should eventually make a profitable investment. Cathedral Chimes, himself a New Zealand Cup, Auckland Cup and Free-for-All winner, got in turn a dual New Zealand Cup and Auckland Cup winner in Ahuriri, and Kohara, winner of the New Zealand Cup in 1927. Marie Lloyd was by Petereta from Marie Corelli, who was by Wildwood from Thelma, and here we have one of the greatest producers New Zealand has known. Lloyd Chimes has a wonderful family record to live up to, and he looks just the type to justify his breeding. Still To Make Good Dusolina looked well when produced by H. Frost for the Belfast Handicap at New* Brighton, but she failed to show' much speed, and is evidently not as good as was at first thought. The half-sister to Daphne de Oro was highly thought of by her ownerbreeder, Mr. J. Westerman, as a tliree-year-old, but the best she could do was four minor placings in 10 starts, her best performance being a second to Brentlight in the Eclipse Handicap for three-year-olds and four-year-olds at the New* Brighton autumn meeting, when she registered 3.30 2-5 for the mile and a-half. She has still ample time to pick up a stake or two when the class is not the best, and Methven may find her doing a lot better. TROTTING FIXTURES * .lethven T.C.—October 4. Vaikato T.C.—October 11. reymoutb T.C —October 25. 27 uckland T.C.—Octobe: 25. 27. -amaru T.C.—October 27. .Wellington T.C.—November 1. BZ. Metropolitan T.C.—Nov. 11, 13, 14. kelson T.C.—November 21, 22. Forbury Park T.C. —November 27, 29. New Brighton T.C.—Dec. 13. Ashburton T.C.—December 26. Gore T.C.—December 26. Westport T.C.—December 26, 27. South Walrarapa T.C. —Dec. 26, 27. Auckland T.C.— Dec. 27, 30, 31. Winton T.C.—December 30. Inangahua T.C.—December