TROTTING.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17976, 22 March 1930, Page 7 (Supplement)

TROTTING.

THE SEASON’S DOINGS. NOTES AND COMMENTS. (By “Padlock.") Dates of Meetings. March 24—South Otago. March 29 —Thames. March 29 —Cheviot. April —s Marlborough. April s—Waikato. April 10, 12—Wanganui. April 19, 21—Hawera. April 19, 23 —Metropolitan. April 26-r-Taranaki. April 26—Ashburton. May 3 —Cambridge. May 8, 10—Forbury. May 17—Oamaru. May 31 —Canterbury Park. June 3— Canterbury Park. June 7 —Ashburton. June 21, 23— Auckland. THE THAMES CLUB. TO RACE NEXT SATURDAY. GOOD FIELDS ENGAGED. On Saturday next the Thames Club will hold its annual meeting at the Parawai course. A large attendance can be expected at the coming fixture. The executive of the Thames Club lias proved very progressive and it is pleasing to find that it is getting the maximum measure of support, which it so well deserves. The acceptances for the coming meeting are published in this issue. Fields of a good standard have paid up and an excellent dav’s sport is ahead. A special train will be run from Franktoo to Thames on Saturday next.

TO RACE ON APRIL 5. WAIKATO CLUB’S MEETING. ACCEPTANCES CLOSE ON FRIDAY. The Waikato Trotting Club has received excellent nominations for its Autumn meeting which will be held at the Claudelands course on Saturday, April 5. 'lt is noted that there Is a'good sprinkling of candidates from outside the province in the list and this will add to the Interest of the racing. Favoured with fine weather, the club will have \ very successful meeting. Mr C. Goosman has announced his handicaps for the various events and acceptances will close at 5 d m. on Friday next, March 28, with the secretary (Mr 'T. G. Reynolds), at Hamilton, or with Messrs Blomfield and Co., Auckland.

GRASS MILE RECORD. PETER BINGEN’S ATTEMPT. The fine programme which the Waikato Trotting Club is staging at Claudelands on Saturday, April 5, will be further enhanced by the attempt which will he made by Peter Bingen on the world’s record for a mile on a grass track. Mr Wilfred Johnstone, the owner of Peler Bingen, is displaying true sporting qualities in sending his champion against tho clock on this effort and all supporters of the light harness sport will join with the club in expressing their appreciation of Mr Johnstone in providing this special diaw. Peter Bingen, who haa t-h* two

latest New Zealand Cups to his credit, is an undoubted champion and given favourable weather for his effort ahead the Nelson Bingen—Bertha Belle horse will be capable of giving prominent evidence of his great burst of speed. Ills appearance will be a draw which no one should miss. The Cla9s Is There. While the nature of the nomination list shows that there will not be a big field numerically in the main event for trotters at the coming fixture at Ciaudelands, the experience is nothing new. It is the same with all the clubs of late and indicates that the number of square gaiters in commission is limited. There is satisfaction, however, in the knowledge that the quality is there' and from racing and investing aspects the Members’ Handicap will fill the bill on the day, Severe Fall Sustained. The Te Rapa owner-trainer, J. G. Browne, sustained a nasty fall recently. While driving along Ward Street his horse took fright and bolted. The driver was thrown from the sulky and was dragged along the hard thoroughfare for some distance. His injuries wero painful and he has been confined to his home in the interval. His many friends will .wish him a speedy restoration to good health. The Proposed Merger. The proposed merger between the Auckland ami Otahuhu Clubs is an interesting topic of the moment. There appears a consensus of opinion that such a decision would prove of interest to the sport in general. The Otahuhu Club has its property at Mangere on which it has expended several hundreds of pounds, but no buildings have yet been erected. It has been paying a good sum in rental to the Auckland Club for the use of its track at Alexandra Park in the Interval. The amalgamation of the two bodies will avert the expenditure of many thousands of pounds in fitting up the new headquarters at Mangere while the two-in-one policy will mean that the merged organisation can provide an electric totalisator at Alexandra Park, which is a long overdue need. The amalgamation is a good decision and those who arc concerned with bringing it about are deserving of the appreciation of the sporting public for their far sightedness. The two clubs have eleven days’ racing each season.

AN OWNER’S VIEW.

BEST HORSES USELESS.

MR W. JOHNSTONE RETIRES. The decision of Mr George McMillan recently to sell his pacers and trotters with the exception of White Satin, and to later transfer his sporting interest to the gallopers, will leave a gap in the ranks ol' Auckland owners not easy to fill if Mr McMillan carries out what he says, but on top of this Mr Wilfrid Johnstone, one of the wealthiest owners, and a mail who lias been prepared to pay high prices for horses, and also breed stock, informed the Auckland writer “Orion” that he too is going to retire from the ranks of owners wdio race their horses, and he will confine his activities next season to breeding only. It Is to be hoped that both Mr McMillan and Mr Johnstone will reconsider their decision (says “Orion”), because the ranks of owners in Auckland cannot well afford to be weakened by the withdrawal of two such prominent men. Mr Johnstone, as the owner of Peter Bingen, winner of two New Zealand Cups, the one last November In Mr Johnstone’s colours, has a fine property at fi’e Awamutu, where some of his horses are at present being trained by F. Smith. He also has others trained by R. A. McMillan at I’amahere, and two by A. J. Julian at Epsom. In addition he has many well-bred mares at his place at Te Awamutu, and with Ills stallions, Peter Bingeh and Blue Mountain King, he has gone in for breeding on no small scale. The Game Is “Topsy-turvy.” ' “The whole game is topsy-turvy,” said Mr Johnstone. ‘-‘Here ! have Peter Bingen, the holder of the wmrld’s records for two miles and also a mile and a-quarter, and as a racing proposition, what Is he worth? I haven’t the remotest chance of winning but two races in a year, and they are the New Zealand Cup and Frce-for-AU, and in the New Zealand Cup Peter Bingen would be so handicapped that he could have very little chance. If a man has the best horse in the land, surely he should be able to at least be sure of winning a race or twos I can quote other good horses, Great Bingen and Ahurlrl are a couple. I don’t own them, but they are great horses, and to my mind should not have to be retired to the paddock because they have gone fast times.

Rose Bingen’s Case. “But I am also dissatisfied with the handicapping. Take Rose Bingen, a fairly good trotter, but with no possible chance of winning a race. She has gone back from a 4.37 mark to 4.32, and has won once during that time. She gets beaten off 4.35, but although she cannot win and puts up good races, she is penalised for placed performances till 'she is now on 4.32_. If Rose Bingen cannot win off a 4.35 mark, is it reasonable to expect her to win off 4.32? The handicappers have a very different opinion to me, and that is why I am going out of the game as an owner who races his horses . Rose Bingen will race in A. J. Julian’s interests in any further events she contests this season, and then she goes to the m-tron’s paddock. Enawah’s Position. “Twelve months ago in the Manawatu Cup Enawah was on 4.46. She has never won at two miles, but I admit she has won over a mile and ahalf. In the Thames Cup she is handicapped on 4.37, or has been brought back nine seconds in two miles for winning at a mile and a-half. •‘Of course 1 shall not sell Peler Bingen or I lie mares I have, because I shall want them to carry on breeding, but -the other horses I will sell whenever a buyer conies along. Until i dispose of them i shall race one or two, hut I will never buy another horse to race. I have paid big prices for horses in the past, but I am not a buyer any more, because I don’t want to race, but will confine myself to breeding. I have purchased a property of 150 acres at Tamabero with this object-”