TO MEET WALLA WALLA

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21124, 27 March 1934, Page 12

TO MEET WALLA WALLA

RED SHADOW'S PROSPECTS A PROVED SPRINTER AND STAYER In the absence of Indianapolis, who has been withdrawn from the invitation races at Addington, Red Shadow is the baby racehorse of the field that will line up at the barrier against Walla Walla on Saturday. He is a very well-developed baby, however, and now in his seventh year he is beginning to show the great speed and stamina his trainer, J.

Bryce. anticipated in his early training. From the day he first saw the hopples, Red Shadow has shown the greatest promise, but he has taken time to develop, and in the processes of his development he has managed to win for his different owners more than £7OOO. He was bred at Oakhampton Lodge by his trainer, J. Bryce, and while his dam, Our Aggie, was bred in Ireland, and his sire, Travis Axworthy, came from America, his owner, Mrs M. Harrall, is a New Zealander, and his breeder hails from Scotland.

J. Bryce bought Our Aggie with him from Scotland, and she helped to give him a start in the profession of which he has made a big success. At two years old. Red Shadow started three 'times, his only placing being a second to Arethusa in the Selma Trot Handicap at the Ashburton County spring meeting, in which he was beaten by a neck. He was made favourite for the New Zealand Sapling Stakes, which was won by Arethusa in 3min 23 3-ssec, and he linished unplaced. At three years, Red Shadow was given a good season's racing, for he was started 18 times, and won nine races and stake money to the value of £2094. This total might have been increased a good deal had not a mistake been made in the payments for the New Zealand Derby. By an error he wa- not paid up for, and ihis left tlie held reasonably clear for Arethusa. Ho put up a rather remarkable performance at the Forbury Park spring meeting by winning the Spring Handicap, Brighton Handicap, and Tainui Handicap in the two days' racing, and he went on to win the Great Northern Derby from Arethusa and to beat a good field in the Park Handicap of one mile and a half in 3min 19 4-ssec. In the Champion Three-year-old Handicap at Addington he was beaten by Rawhitiroa, but he registered 3min 16 4-ssec for the 12 furlongs. He proved that he could stay by winning the Halswell Handicap, of two miles, in 4min 27scc. a fine performance for a three-year-old. As a four-year-old. Red Shadow won six races out of 16 starts, his wins including the Empire Handicap and Hornby Handicap at Addington, the Selwyn Handicap at the Canterbury Park meeting, and at the Easter meeting ho met the best class pacers and defeated them in the High Class Handicap, while in his last race of the season he won the Ashbuiton County Handicap in 4min 20 l-3sec.

Qualifies for t'uji Red Shadow was now on a 4min 27sec mark for two miles, and he qualified lor the New Zealand Cup when he wen the August Handicap and he followed this up with a good win in the King George Handicap in 4min 29 2-ssec. He was fourth in the New Zealand Cup, won by Harold Logan, but from a 4min 25see marl: he won the Courtenay Handicap in 4min IS 2-ssec. defeating the best class horses, while he ran Lindbergh to a neck in the Christchurch Handicap after doing 4min 23 3-sscc.

Red Shadow ran second in the August Handicap at Addington at the beginning of this season, but it was left to the meeting in November to stamp on him the seal of greatness, lie won the New Zealand Cup from the best pacers in New Zealand in 4min 24 l-Sscc, and on the .same clay he made an exhibition of the sprinters in the Haglcy Handicap, of a mile and a quarter, in 2min 3D 4-5 sec. He was not produced on the second day, but en the final day of the meeting he repeated his first day';, performance by winning the Christchurch Handicap in 4min 21sce, and the Free-for-All in 2min 41 2-sscc. In this race he beat the Dominion's best sprinters, and was not fully extended in doing it. Red Shadow's performance in winning twice over two miles and twice over a mile and a quarter proved him to be one of the greatest hcrses the Dominion has known, and it is quite apparent that lie is a belter horse at the present time than he was hi November. His effort at Addington on Tuesday shows him to be Hearing the top of his form, and any horse that can do better than 2min 4see for a mile is entitled to favour in the best classes. He is a horse that requires a great amount of work, and his excellent work-out will improve him a good deal. A seven-year-old stallion, a winner of over iIVOOO, over all distances, a proved stayer and sprinter, Red Shadow will be New Zealand's main hope in lowering the colours of the Australian champion, Walla Walla.