FLAGSHIP’S WIN AT ADDINGTON

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26196, 21 August 1950, Page 6

FLAGSHIP’S WIN AT ADDINGTON

HALF SHARE IN HORSE GIFT TO TRAINER

FALL IN TOTALISATOR FIGURES

The half share which the Addington trainer, V. Alborn, holds in Flagship, winner of the semi-classic, the Canterbury Three-year-old Stakes, at the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s meeting on Saturday, was a gift from the breeder, Mr E. J. August, of Christchurch.

The winning stake was £555, £l5O 10s more than was won by Flagship’s dam, Midshipmaid, in her three successes and eight other placings in 41 starts. She was a smart mare, running 3min 18sec for a mile and a half on the grass track at New Brighton when a four-year-old. Bred by Mr C. Ireland, of Methven, Midshipmaid, which was by Man o’ War—Betty Wild r was bought as a filly by Mr Alborn, who raced her and bred Royal Maid, Sand Maid, Lusty Maid, and Flinders Bar from her before selling her to Mr August. The price was “a good one for those times,” said Mr Alborn. When Flagship was a yearling Mr August gave Mr Alborn a half share in him.

As two-year-old Flagship was “a wee bit frightened at the barrier,” according to his trainer-driver, and his only placing was a third at Oamaru. “But he is getting over that,” he continued, “and he went very well today. He went away well and he did everything right.” The big race ahead of Flagship this year is the New Zealand Derby, for which he has been entered.

A black, Midshipmaid began racing at Reefton for Mr Alborn in January, 1934, and ran second at Oamaru in her 10 races that season. She opened her winning career at the October, 1934, meeting at New Brighton, beating a big field, in which the favourite was Gamble. It was the day on which Harold Logan set a then world’s record of 2min 36 3-ssec when he won the Avon Handicap, of one mile and a quarter, from the 84 yards mark when he was eleventh favourite. Midshipmaid was herself eleventh favourite when she won the Wakanui Handicap on Boxing Day at Ashburton from 48 yards, doing 3min 18sec from a 3min 39sec mark. On the same day the sensational War Buoy, in the tightest class of 3min 21sec, won in 3min 17 2-ssec.

In the 1935-36 season Midshipmaid had six starts for a second and a third placing, worth only £39 10s, and after starting four times without getting into the money in the 1936-37 season she was retired to the stud. Muddy Track The- track had improved wonderfully by the time Flagship ran his race on Saturday. Men associated for many years with trotting could not recall a heavier track when the racing began. Orr infrequent occasions the •course has been sloppier but never puggier. The horses were going inches deep into the heavy mud. After heavy rain on Thursday and Friday all hope of reasonably good going disappeared with Saturday’s frost. Horses literally “walked past the post.” In the. earlier races horses began to drift soon after the starts and although the xyinners revelled in the mud, many of the other starters went to a walk. Such conditions are unusual at Addington and were responsible for the early racing being without the sparkle and excitement of close-running, changing fields which have made trotting so popular there. When the track dried out, the standard of the racing improved, and the three later races were fully up to the established Addington standard. Although the day was sunny, patrons found conditions cold near the totalisators, and the bad going undoubtedly upset their “picks.” The fall in the betting figures was no surprise. The amount handled for the opening day of the National meeting was the lowest for six years. On the PpoJ of 19 » 214 tickets on the first leg. 5407 were on First Lord, which scored the easiest of wins, and five of the tickets were not redeemed on the second leg. A comparison of opening day betting is:—

£ }950 .. ' .. 121,499 19*9 .. 143.024 1943 . .. 133.094$ 1947 .. .. 155.357 1946 .. 147,387 1945 .. .. 130.754 19« .. .. 117,706$ ISIS .. .. 104,7551