A COURSE RECORD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 13, 16 January 1940, Page 10

A COURSE RECORD.

PETER SMITH S EFFORT. ALBERTINI OUT OF LUCK. CAMBRIDGE FORM REVIEWED. When Peter Smith won the Centenary Handicap at the Cambridge trot« on Saturday lie established a course record of 4.2(1 for t lie two miles —4 2-5s better than the figures set lip last year by Hayaid. who has done particularly well since then. There does not appear to be any reason why Peter Smith, a five-year-old horse l»y Peter Bingen from Aggie Hi'll. should not go on and do likewise. He is a line typo of pacer, possessed of undoubted brilliancy, and this in the second occasion that he had proved himself over two miles. In winniug t'lie Centenary Handicap I'cter Smilli displayed rare courage over the concluding quarter of a mile. On this occasion his driver. E. K. Smith, faced with the task of asking his horse to concede 4S.vds to all the other starters in the race, decided to bide his time, and it was not until a mile and a half had been covered that he took I'cter Smith along into a handy position on the outside of the field. ■ lust lief ore the top stretch was reached Bronze Queen rushed into the lead about three lengths ahead of 'tinker. Tangaroa and Transwell. falling back, while Peter Smith ran on into third place at the home turn. At that stage Bronze Queen was pacing well within herself and 'tinker was being hard driven by >1. Stewart. It was then that Smith sent I'cter Smith along at his top speed, and. responding well, the ■black stallion slowly but surely wore Bronze Queen down t<i win, all out, by a length. As he is on such a good mark, l'ctor Smith has only to retain his present form to add to his winning record. Bronze Queen, who has only had a few runs since resuming work after a long spell, was responsible for a great effort and her owner, Mrs. C. McGregor, was a bit out of luck in striking the Smith combination in top form. A six-year-old daughter of Key de Oro and Logan Queen, Bronze Queen showed considerable promise when file won three races two seasons ago. anil there is 110 disputing the. fact that she is a much better racehorse to-day. Her effort in the Centenary must have got her on her toes, as she failed to strike her straps at the start of the Pakeha Handicap, ami took no further part in the race. Defeats of Tinker. Tinker, who recorded 4.31 3-5, was nt his top. running his best race since he defeated Bold Venture at Claudelancls last May. He was beaten on his merits in this race, . but none can deny that he was unlucky to be defeated by his stablennate Chili Bean in tiie Pakelia Handicap later in tho afternoon. In this event True Trust led early from Hillcrest and Tinker, Chill Bean running about sixth, but, across the top. the last-named, Tangaroa and Decoy Bird (on the rails I moved up smartly, Tinker losing his jsmition. As they straightened up for the run to the judge the field was spread across the course and Chili Bean, getting an opening, Mhot to the front ahead of Hillcrest and Tine Trust (weakening). Tinker was ' behind this division, and it was not until I within fifty yards of the judge that he got a run on the rails, inside Hillcrest. It was then too late and he failed by half a length. Luminate finished very fast on the outfrtde from a long way back to get third, and he might well be borne in mind for coming events. The de-feat of Tinker was not M. Stewart's only piece of bad luck at the meeting. If ever there was a good thing l>eaten its name must surely be Albertini, the win favourite for the Empire Handicap. This mare was pocketed by the Bonniedene—Kewpie's Jewel bracket for a mile in the Empire Handicap, and as they led into the final half mile the rear division bunched up, Our Jewel, the ultimate winner, running up on the outside of Kewpie's Jewel. Another horse to impress on Saturday wan Worthy Belwin, who won both trotting events as he liked. He is an Ameri-can-bred stallion, and is owned and trained by J. T. Paul, for whom this good-looking trotter- should do further good service. He wae not allowed to do his beet in either race, and ran 4.44 1-5 from 5.2 when lie took the' Pioneer Trot.