TRENTHAM THREEYEAR-OLD FORM

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25327, 29 October 1947, Page 4

TRENTHAM THREE-YEAR-OLD FORM

RACING

NO OUTSTANDING PERFORMER

The Wellington Racing Club’s spring meeting failed to reveal an outstanding , three-year-old. and the issue for the New - Zealand Derby appears as open as ever. /Die Wellington Guineas winner. Thimble, ■was making only his third appearance for ithe season and his sixth to date when ‘he won that race. He won the race well [and was doing better than Distinction at the finish, but he does not appeal as like'ly to run out a mile and a half. He is fa bay gelding by Theio from Seamstress, Ithe dam of a good little stayer in Don [Quex. which ran third in the New Zealand Cup and won the Wellington and •Manawatu Cups. Practically all of Theio’s [stock have been out and out sprinters and ( very few of them have made much of a ■showing beyond a mile. Even though he •is stoutly bred on his dam’s side, the ! odds are against Thimble’s staying the Derby distance. Distinction, the runner-up, might have pressed Thimble closer had his rider, J. ’McFarlane, not had his whip break half [a furlong from the post. Distinction <iid ;«ot get quite as good a run as Thimble, .and was giving the latter a few lengths 'at the straight entrance. He came home ‘well and was second to Thimble at the ’furlong, but on the day was not quite igood enough to head the winner. On Distinction looks the more likefly to run out a mile and a half. He is [by Foxbridge from Arawa Rose by Musketoon from Wee Rose by Wairiki and is closely related to the Queensland Derby winner. Fearless Fox. and Thornbridge. The New Zealand Oaks is likely to be the main mission for Sweet Nymph, but she is also engaged in the Derby. Sweet Nymph’s third placing in the Wellington Guineas was a distinct improve- . Trent on her fourth placing in the Desert [Gold Stakes a week earlier. She finished :strongly with a late run over the last 'furlong and looked as if she would not -be troubled by a longer journey. Sweet Nymph is a filly that will go on improving for some time yet and she may not be out of place in any three-year-old field. Bronstar Improves One of the unlucky runners was Bronstar, which had rather an interrupted passage and then finished strongly into fourth place. On Monday Bronstar came out and won the mile Ruahine Hack Handicap with 8-9. a good weight for a three-year-old competing against older horses on a heavy track. Judging by the way Bronstar finished on in his races he should run out longer journeys comfortably. He is a good-looking chestnut colt by Balloch from Restrain by Lord Warden from Solrose by Solferino from She’s Named by All Red. Although many of the winners from this family in recent years ttave been sprinters, Bronstar has some sound staying blood in his pedifree. The failure of Great Trek was due to his lack of racing condition. He has developed into a good type of three-year-old and has plenty of size, but it is im- ’ possible to judge him on last Saturday’s effort. He is likely to improve rapidly after his race and may snow his true worth the next time he starts. Kartikeya was never likely and finished only a fair sixth. He was running on at ’ the finish, but the firm going seemed to j trouble him. He was very tender in the Ifeet later and could not be started on Monday. On an easier track he would have been troublesome. Liebestraum and t Zorro finished just behind Kartikeya and [were not impressive. Liebestraum has ibeen sore and did no better when started fin the Harcourt Stakes on Monday*. Lieibestraum has already won up to a mile and three furlongs, but the best of him may not be seen for some time yet. Favours Soft Going On the firm going Renowned did not make as good a showing as she did in ’the Desert Golti Stakes. She is light in condition and finished fourth in the Harcourt Stakes. The performances of Night School in his two races at Trentham does not say Such for some of those that finished bend him in the Great Northern Guineas, dn which he finished third to Shirley Fox and Foxbay. Night School finished tenth in the Wellington Guineas and was unplaced in the Ruahine Hack Handicap, won by Bronstar. Magnaform made a poor showing in the Wellington Guineas, but showed distinct 'improvement in the heavy going- on (Monday, when he was rather unluckily 'beaten in the Hinemoa Handicap of one imile and three furlongs. It was a good I performance as Magnaform is actually [not yet three years old. He is a small • horse but comes, from a family of good ’little hordes, several cf which have stayed really well. The New Zealand Derby will be run on New Zealand Cup day, November 22, land this year the race looks more open .than usual. A good many winners in the [past have had few recommendations beifore the race, but they seldom failed to [show their class afterwards. Improved with Racing Musselman showed considerable improvement after his race in the Wellesley Stakes. He ran just a shade greenly when She finished second to the speedy Air Belle in the Karitane Handicap last Saturday, but he was going much better than the winner at the post. On Monday he simply ran away from his opponents in the Roseneath Handicap and made light of the going. Musselman is a solidly-made gelding by Bulandshar from Dungloe. a sister to a good Winner in Duncannon, and was purchased as a yearling by his owner, Mr D. McFarlane, for BOOgns. He has now returned his purchase money as his first and second placings at Trentham won him £6BO in stakes. Musselman looks as if he will be prominent in the longer two-year-old races, and apparently inherits his dam’s ability to handle load going. Covered Extra Ground Longs word's success in the Harcourt Stakes on Monday brought his stake winnings to £11,373, of which £6975 has been won at Trentham. As he was ridden by a little-known rider in R. N. Hewitt, Longsword went, out at very good odds, and although he covered a good deal of extra ground in the running he. finished I too solidly for Bruce, which, made a i gallant effort to win. Longsword will not [have many opportunities in future, but ;on heavy tracks he must always be rein spite of the weights he will receive. Ran Another Good Race '■ Royal Scot ran another good race tinder a big weight when he ran third to Carmelita find Battle Survey in the Nainai Handicap at Trentham on Monday. In his three starts at the meeting Royal Scot registered two third and a fourth. On Saturday he was onlyehalf a length behind the winner, Caivnelita, which was receiving 361 b. Royal Scot is a five-year-old bay gelding by Foxbridge from Highland Queen by Spear Dance frcm Whitianga by Absurd, and is trained at Matamata by G. Cobb. He has been a very 'ccyisistent performer and seems tg be no less so under big weights.

Beaten by the Going Voltaic’s best performances have been on hard tracks, and he was ’beaten by the going in the Pearce Handicap. He was fourth into the straight and held this place to the furlong, but never looked like improving any further and eventually finished eighth. Although not very big. Voltaic is a solid little horse, and. though he will have to carry good weights in future, he should be in line for further successes. f Capable Sprinter

It is unfortunate that Battle Survey is not very sound, as he has the ability to win a good race. Citation was just a shade too solid ft* him in ; the Shorts Handicap on the first day at Trentham. and on Monday the lighter-weighted Cartnelita.in receipt of 211 b, just got up to head him in the Nainai Handicap. Battle Survey was never further back than third in the running, and battled on well over the last furlong. He is a five-year-old horse by Croupier from Conflicting a xnare related to Marsa, the dam of Nightrnarch, and is trained at Hastings by G. W. B. Greene.