AUGUST TROTTING FREE-FOR-ALL

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25274, 28 August 1947, Page 4

AUGUST TROTTING FREE-FOR-ALL

TROTTING

PARDON ME’S PROSPECTS Pardon Me’s splendid performance to win the Stewards’ Handicap from Willie Winkie on the first day of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s national meeting has brought her into favour for the August Trotting Free-for-All, the main event for trotters on the programme for the concluding day of the meeting on Saturday. Pardon Me did not accelerate quickly at the start of the Stewards’ Handicap, and with a furlong covered she was following Mistydale, Willie Winkie, Fire-; water, Gelert, Rerewaka, Toushay, and Range Finder. Once she was properly I balanced, Pringle moved Pardon Me up to | race handy to Mistydale, Willie Winkie, i and Toushay, and in a thrilling finish she; hung on gamely to win by half a length from Willie Winkie. Under free-for-all conditions, Pardons Me meets most of the• field on better terms than she would in a handicap event in which the field would be assessed as follows Willie Winkie, Gelert, Rerewaka, Mistydale, Toushay, Fire Water scr; Pardon Me 12; Fantom 24; Will Cary, Range Finder, Forewarned 36. An aged mare with a two-mile record of 4min 24sec to her credit, Pardon Me is by Swordsman, which took a two-mile record of 4min 33 2-ssec, after being imported to New Zealand in 1935 by F. J. Smith. A product of the famous Walnut Hall Farm m Kentucky, Swordsman is by Peter Volo from the Lee Axworthy mare, Lydia Lee. A successful sire, Swordsman’s progeny earned £9370 for 20 wins and 37 minor placings in trotting events last season.

Troop Carrier, the dam of Pardon Me, was bred by Mr A* J. Corrigan, Hawera. By Worthy Bingen, she is out of Queen Elizabeth, by Man o’ War from Queen Chimes, by Coldstream Bells from Vanquish, by Vancleve from Victress, by Abbotsford. Queen Chimes, the second dam of Troop Carrier, left a grand trotter in Worthy Queen, which established the mile record for trotters of 2min 3 3-ssec at Addington in 1934. The excellent condition in which Pardon Me was paraded last week was a credit to C. H. Fairman, who trains her for Mr W. Hosking, and, if J. B. Pringle can persuade her to reach her best speed quickly, she should add the Addington ‘Trotting Free-for-All to her record on Saturday.

Jottings x Mr A. L. Matson, the president of the New Zealand Trotting Conference, has been elected an honorary life member of the Oamaru Trotting Club.

A slow beginning cost Pre-Eminence any chance he had in the Speedway Handicap at Addington on Saturday. Noble Triumph was placed at the Thames Trotting Club’s meeting on Saturday and he may follow up with a win in the Huntly Handicap at the Waikato meeting this week. J. Washington has Gamble King looking well, and a win for him may not be far away. Blackdale was never dangerous after breaking in the early stages of the Intermediate Handicap at Addington on Saturday. Renown’s Pride, which is trained at Templeton by H. E. Fine, failed to begin correctly in the Islington Handicap at Addington last week. Gay Note should race well in the Brighton Handicap at the New Brighton Trotting Club’s meeting on September 6. Won at Last Start

High Command raced well at his last start to win the Washdyke Trot Handicap by two lengths from Crimson Trail at the South Canterbury Hunt Club’s meeting on July 19. On that form he must be conceded a chance from the scratch mark in the Metropolitan Stakes at the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club's meeting on Saturday. A well-bred gelding, High Command is by Dillon Hall from Marion Drive, Which left a winner in Saskatoon to Sandydale. Marion Drive is by Adioq Guy from Logan’s Drive, by Logan Pointer from Pleasant Drive, by King Cole from Queen’s Drive, by General Pet. Bred at Hinds . Impartial appeared to have lost his chance in the Puriri Handicap at the Thames Trotting Club’s meeting ton Saturday when he dwelt at the start and then paced in a slovenly manner at the rear of the field for 13 furlongs. However, over the concluding stages of the race he paced in fine style and was going better than anything else in the field once the straight was reached, eventually winning by a length from Fly On. By Quite Sure, Impartial, which was bred at Hinds by Mr J. McQuilkin, is out of a winner in the Oinako mare, Glenville, which left a smart pacer in Parauri to Nelson Derby. May Do Better , . . x Gold Bar, which was making his first appearance after a spell of more than four months from racing, thrilled the crowd at the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s meeting at Addington on Saturday when he set the pace for more than a mile in the Lightning Free-for-All. Once into the straight, Gold Bar was soon passed by Highland Fling, Emulous, and Nyallo Scott, but his effort was promising. With the benefit of the race he may prove capable of upsetting calculations in the August Pacing Free-for-All this week. Matinee Meeting at Oamaru The Oamaru Ti otting Club plans to hold a matinee meeting for maiden pacers and trotters in October. The Ohmaru Club is a keen supporter of trotters and the programme for its Labour Day meeting will include three races for the square-gaiters.

Finished Strongly Dundee Sandy's chance in the Winter Handicap at Addington on Saturday appeared hopeless when he had 17 horses in front of him with a mile and a quarter covered, but the Grattan Loyal gelding sustained a fast run over the last six furlongs which carried him into second place behind Highland Fling. Dundee Sandy has not been rehandicapped for his placing and, with better luck in the early stages, he should go close to winning the National Handicap on Saturday. Place Proposition

After giving away starts of up to 24 yards to most of the field in the Speedway Handicap of two miles at Addington last week, Fancy Goods gave a pleasing performance to finish in sixth place to Worthy Gold, Radical, Sprayman, Dillondale, and Gamble King. Fancy Goods is nicely placed on the 12 yards mark in the Advance Handicap of one mile and five furlongs, and she may be seen to advantage over the shorter distance on Saturday. Ivy Goodwin in Form Ivy Goodwin registered her fourth success over 10 furlongs when, after taking charge with a mile covered, she stayed on well to win the Kopu Handicap from Gold Strand at the Thames Trotting Club’s meeting on Saturday. A five-year-old daughter of Peter Bingen and Ivy Axworthy, Ivy Goodwin should race well from the scratch mark in the City Handicap at the Waikato Trotting Club’s meeting on Saturday. A Fast Mare Bel Hamed showed her best form last season to finish in second place to Captain Gaillard in the fast time of 4min 19 l-ssec in the Cashmere Handicap at the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s meeting on April 5 and a repetition of that form should earn her some of the prize-money in the. Queen Mary Handicap on Saturday. Should be Placed Although she had no chance of catching Flinders Bar, which outclassed his field in the Kerepeehf Handicap at the Thames Trotting Club’s meeting on Saturday, Palette gave a sound performance to finish in second place and a winning turn may coma for her in the Te Rapa Handicap at the Waikato Trotting Club’s meeting this week. By Desmond’s Pride Stray Shot showed some ability as a three-year-old last season to finish in fourth place to Temple Star, Conceit, and Pat Review in the New Zealand Trotting Stakes at the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s meeting on March 28. and th; i performance entitles her to consideration in the Addington Trotting Stakes on Saturday. By Desmond’s Pride, Stray Shot, which is trained at Pleasant Point by D. Teahen, is out of Honora Bingen, by Nelson Bingen from a hack maje. Ashburton Racing Club’s Entries Nominations for the Trotting Events at the spring meeting close with the secretary at 8 p.m. on the Ist September, 1947. —Advt.