DR. STANTON

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25553, 22 July 1948, Page 7

DR. STANTON

TROTTING

CAST-OFF DEVELOPS INTO CHAMPION “Dr Stanton left no doubt as to his ability by his performance to set & world record of 2min 30 2-ssec for a mile and a quarter in the Consolation Pace at Santa Anita,” says the “Horseman and Fair World,” Indianapolis. "Dr. Stanton is a career horse, and probably only his owner-driver, Will Fraser, has any idea of his real capabilities. He won' the mile and a sixteenth Challenge Pacing Purse of 10,000 dollars in record time at Santa Anita on May 8. Later at the same meeting he again won the acclaim of spectators when he won the mile and a quarter Consolation Pace of 10,000 dollars. Dr. Stanton proved that hq is a top class pacer when he set a world record for the distance by peeing the first two furlongs in 29sec, half-mile in lmin 0 3-ssec. six furlongs in lmin 30 4-ssec, mile in 2min 0 2-ssec, and the mile and a quarter in 2min 30 2-ssec. “No harness horse within the memory of the local generation has caught the fancy of the racing public as has this ‘Cinderella’ fellow, which was bought as a cast-off for less than £2OO just two years ago. They cheer his every move, even when he comes out free-legged for the warm-up heats. And when he wins, which has happened in three of the four stakes in which he has been entered at the meeting, they make Santa Anita’s stand echo with their stamping and cheering.

“The good pacing ‘Doctor’ seems to have those 'come through and deliver’ qualities which made such reigning turf heroes out of the famous Seabiscuit and that illustrious marathoner, Malicious, among the gallopers, with the Santa Anita crowds some years ago.

“Dr. Stanton made an' inauspicious start of his racing career. He raced as a trotter until he was five years old, but he couldn’t raise any speed at that gait. It wasn’t until the veteran, W. L. Fraser, got him for the proverbial song, put the hopples on him and started him pacing that the ‘Doctor’ started to make progress. Even then it was mostly half-mile tracks for him and no major stakes until he raced at Santa Anita this season.

“Dr. Stanton had to wait until he was seven before he paced that winning local record mile of 2min 0 l-ssec in the Del Mar. That proved that he had arrived among the country’s top pacers. He followed that up with an impressive win in the San Diego. Dr. Stanton topped off his list of performances with his mile and a quarter record of 2min 30 2-ssec. By Bonnycastle from Mary Philistine, Dr. Stanton appears to be improving with each race, and he may set new figures before the season closes.” Jottings

Play Safe is now being trained at Epsom by P. Rogers. A gelding by Worthy Bond from Suncross, Play Safe showed his best form when trained at Templeton by N R. Berkett for his races earlier in the season to finish third to Pimpernel and Bonny Clare in the Eclipse Handicap at the New Brighton Trotting Club’s meeting on February 21, and fourth to Free Fight, Mountmellick, and National Velvet in the Preliminary Handicap on the first day of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s Easter meeting at Addington. Play Safe can pace fast when at his best, and he should do well in the Auckland district.

Mountain Hall, the winner of £BOO in stakes this season, should take a tight mark for M. Holmes, who is now training him at Yaldhurst.

Despatch is back in work in H. J. Smith’s team at Halswell. He is above the average, and he should carry on to good company next term. In Work at Nightcaps Brown Owl is a recent addition to B. Rushton’s team at Nightcaps. A daughter of Dillon Hall and Foreign Mission, Brown Owl was bred at Winton by Mr M. Duffy. Brown Owl was trained by T. Cosgrove, who raced her in partnership with Mr Duffy, and she showed good form for them as a three-year-old in the 1945-46 season to gain a win and three minor placings in four starts, her win being recorded over Trustee and Maori Home in the Three-year-old Handicap at the Invercargill Trotting Club’s meeting on March 2. Unfortunately Brown Owl went amiss and she was mated with the Australian-bred Black Globe, the result being a filly wjiich she produced last spring. The long spell from racing appears to have benefited Brown Owl and, if Rushton can persuade her to race up to the form she showed in the early part of her career, she should prove capable of winning in good company for him.

Spelling Our Babe created a good Impression when he won the Wai-iti Handicap at the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting on May 27, 1947, but he wss unable to show his best form in his races in the early part of the present season because of a growth. This nas now been removed and Our Babe is spelling before being put back into work.

Qualifying Trials Further consideration to qualifying trials for maiden horses was given at a meeting of the management committee of the Southland Trotting Owners’, Trainers’ and Breeders’ Association. Replies were received from the Winton Trotting Club, the Wairio Jockey Club, the Invercargill Trotting Club, the Southland Racing Club, tne Wyndham Racing Club, the Wyndham Trotting Club, the Riverton Racing Club, the Wairio- Trotting Club, and the Winton Jockey Club, all supporting the scheme outlined by- the association, says the “Southland Times." The Gore Racing Club wrote stating that it could not support the scheme, and the Gore Trotting Club advised that it was not prepared to endorse the proposals. A letter from the Gore clubs raising several issues was considered by the association. Members criticised the attitude of the Gore clubs, and it was contended that the clubs were considering their own interests and not those of the sport -of trotting as a whole. . , The president, Mr W. G. Clark, and Mr A. A. Wilson (Wyndham) were appointed delegates to attend a meeting which has been convened by the South Canterbury branch of the Owners’ and Trainers’ Association at Timaru,

Promising Young Pacer A. F. C. Rushton’s team at Addington includes a good type of rising two-year-old colt by U. Scott from a winner at the pacing gait in Real Burton, by Real Guy from Reflection, by First Water from the Australian-bred mare. Actress. To Great Audubon, Reflection left a successful trotter in Great Burton, which left winners in Burt Scott and Contraband to U. Scott.

Encouraging Display Sent out 7-8 in th® betting on the Winter Handicap at the Waimate Hunt Club’s meeting on Saturday, Retribution, which was driven by_ C. Waters, gave an encouraging disolay to finish in third place to Yours Truly and Sure Nut in the second division. A five-year-old gelding. Retribution is by Quite Sure from Alpha Axworthy, by Travis Axworthy from a winner in Alpha Bingen, which left winners in Alpha Wrack, Bingen Wrack, Wrackette, and Glenlee to Wrack.