THREE WINS IN SIX STARTS

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26529, 18 September 1951, Page 4

THREE WINS IN SIX STARTS

LORD FORT’S GOOD AVERAGE

Lord Fort winner of the John Grigg Stakes at Ashburton on Saturday, is hardly likely to stay well enough to win a Derby, but his brilliant speed should enable him to build up a good record as a sprinter for the South Canterbury owner, Mr J. A. C. Bain. The Broiefort gelding has only raced six times, but he has had three successes, and he is already the holder of track records at Ashburton and Trentham. Lord Fort will probably be much more successful for Mr Bain than his older brother. Bayfort. In five seasons Bayfort, a 320gns purchase at the national yearling sales, has won £2195. Lord Fort cost lOgns less than Bayfort, but already, just starting his second season, he has won £lB4O.

Lord Fort and Bayfort were bred from the Phaleron Bay mare, Bayadeer, whose dam was the imported Bayloch (by Bay drop). Bayadeer is a half-sister to Whernside, Bay Tree, Belle Modele, and Azalea, winners in Australia and New Zealand. Azalea left Haeropo, which had 12 successes in New Zealand and Australia, and Omapo, winner of eight races.

Lord Fort had a smooth run close to the leaders on Saturday, and the merit of his performance was equalled if not excelled by the efforts of Sinister and Bustler, which were second and fourth respectively. Earlier in his career Sinister often prejudiced his chances by his behaviour at the barrier. On Saturday he again began slowly, and with the field being carried along at a sizzling pace by the Wingatui colt Liberty, his chances of recovering even some of his lost ground looked remote. But over the last furlong the Pherozshah colt gamely responded to vigorous riding by K. Nuttall, and Lord Fort was all out to win by half a head. Rustler, the win favourite, was accidentally checked by Lord Fort at barrierrise and by the time this big Defaulter gelding got into his stride the pacemakers had a long lead.

Unlike Sinister. Rustler made little improvement racing to the home turn, but with an impressive long-striding burst of speed he flew into fourth place and in a few more strides he would have been up with Lord Fort and Sinister.

Rustler has been nominated for the Great Northern Guineas on October 6. He will be taken to Wingatui for the Dunedin Guineas on September 2S. A mile should show Rustler to the best advantage. Disappointing

The disappointment of the John Grigg Stakes was Royal Voyage, which in his two-year-old racing gave promise of developing top class form this season. On Saturday the Royal Chief gelding was one of the smartest beginners and H. W. Hibberd soon had him well positioned handy to the pace-making Liberty. Royal Voyage could not respond when called on for an effort in the straight and he finished a moderate seventh. He will possibly race better over further ground, but it is difficult to imagine him making the necessary improvement to win the Dunedin Guineas. Slow To Confirm Promise

At the Ashburton spring meeting two years ago Entrancing toyed with a useful field of hack milers in the Penscroft Hack Handicap, winning by four lengths. It seemed then that she would quickly win her way into open company, but her performances later that season and early last season, good as most of them were, were not good enough. She had a change of luck at the South Canterbury summer meeting last December when she won the hack sprint and she tried once more, without success, to win her way out of the hack ranks.

Entrancing started off in open company at the Banks Peninsula autumn meeting, contesting the sprint She ran fourth. But at her next start she won the Great Easter Handicap at Riccarton, narrowly beating Spectral, which had also just entered open company. At Ashburton on Saturday Entrancing and Spectral won the two open handicaps. Entrancing convincingly took the honours over a mile and a quarter after leading for the last seven furlongs and a half. Travesty was her only challenger in the straight but he never looked like heading her. In her present form Ukitranclng’s winning run should' not have ended. She shows her real ability only on firm tracks and she should have conditions to her liking at future meetings.

Travesty, the win favourite, had the run of the race close behind Entrancing but he war unable to muster sufficient finishing speed to run past the Man’s Pal mare. It was his firat attempt in open company over one mile and a quarter and It left the inyrression that a slightly shorter journey suits him better. Travesty was taken north yesterday with his stablemates. Spectral and Deraa, to race on the Otaki-Masterton-Thames circuit.