VAN DERBY'S SPEED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 32, 8 February 1939, Page 17

VAN DERBY'S SPEED.

SATURDAYS ATTEMPT WILL HE BETTER TWO MINUTES? TROTTING AT EPSOM. Will Van Derby lower the record Australasian grass track figures for one mile at Alexandra Park on Saturday? mile on both dirt and grass tracks in the Will Van Derby set new figures for a Southern Hemisphere when he is stepped out by ¥. J. Smith at the Auckland Trotting Club's meeting at Kpsom on Saturday?

These two questions have been asked repeatedly during the last few days by not only horsemen who are interested in lijfhthai -ness lacing, but also by a great number of people wbo take a delight in sport, more particularly horse racing. There is no logical reason apparent why Van Derby, brilliant six-year-old son of Globe Derby and Roselawn, should not improve on hie Australasian record time of 2.1 1-5, which he established, without any obvious exertion, on the Auckland Club's course at Epsom on December 31 Inst. This was achieved in a match race against another Australian-bred performer in Lawn Derby, who, only seven weeks before, accomplished what no other horse had ever done South of the Line—and that was to break 2.0 for a mile on any class of track. It had been done in America many time* and oft, and it had been the objective of breeders of light-harness horses both in Australia and New Zealand for a number of years, but without result, until Lawn Derby recorded hie 1.59 2-5 on an exceptionally fast track at Addington in November last. Conquered Lawn Derby. By way of comparison with Lawn Derby, n thoroughly experienced and wonderfully micceseful pacer on the race tracks of the Commonwealth, as well as in New Zealand, Van Derby is only a baby. And yet he beat Lawn Derby in a match race at Alexandra Park on December 31 in brilliant style to establish the present Australasian time for the distance. So why not another record? ask his admirers.

Van Derby is undoubtedly a great horse, and the opinion was expressed in these columns months ago that he would make history in New Zealand. At that time Van Derby had only appeared in exhibitions in

Australia; he had »tffl to beteaied ia a race under race conditions. When he wi first Hen out at Alexandra Park in August laat Van Derby waeweU above himself in condition, the track wu not to his liking, and be failed to settle down to racing. Braith worked wonderful improvement in him during the following weeks, and lees than a month later he ran 3.20 from a 334 mark to take the, Campbell Handicap at Epaom. A .brilliant win at Thames followed, and by Christmas (time the Squire of Village Farm had Vati Derby comint along like a honae afire. -H0 won the St. Helier'a Handicap at Epaom on a tight rein from Uenuku in 2.4S 34, and a couple of day* later lowered that time by'B Us to take the Summer Handicap—again from Uenuku, who ran a course record tor a mile and a half just about forty-eight hours afterwards. Then followed the defeat of Lawn Derby in the match race.

A Great Horse. Van Derby to truly a great hone, and therefore one might assume, not unreasonably, that he will continue to improve on his time. . . p. J. Smith mede no secret of the fact that after the success against Lawn Derby that he expected Van Derby to lower 2.0 fpr a mile. "He ia a wonderful horse, ■aid Smith, "because he has actually started in only six races under racing conditions as we know them, and he ww oo » lot better than he did to-day. Smith is not alone in that opinion Mr. B. G. Bridgens, president of the Auckland Trotting Club, assured a representative of the "Auckland Btar" yesterday that he expects Van Derby to estabJieh another record. To ouote his exact words: "We think he will lower 24 for the mile on Saturday." Van Derby will make hie attempt on the record immediately after the Otahuhu Handicap (principal race of the day) hat been decided, and later in the afternoon he is scheduled to attempt to win the Papakura Handicap, one mile and a half, I torn 60vde behind, and in which there are 30 acceptore, including several of the best local sprinters and the American Single B pacer Ml