N.Z. HORSES FOR AUSTRALIA

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27090, 13 July 1953, Page 5

N.Z. HORSES FOR AUSTRALIA

TROTTING

THREE TRAINERS PLAN CAMPAIGNS

During the last few years several New Zealand trainers have campaigned teams in Australia with great success, and this has prompted a number of other trainers to plan trips in the coming season. The Winchester trainer, T. H. Gunning, who has had a fair measure of success with horses he has taken to Sydney in the last 18 months, is due to leave tomorrow with another team. P. P. Gallagher will leave later in the month, as will C. H. Fairman, who will take five horses to start with. Gunning’s team will include Merry Man, Son’s Gift, Grand Forest, Lillian Mac, Merrymaker, Scotty Dillon, and Sergeant Major. Gunning has taken a number of hoses to Sydney this year, including Krakatoa, Believe Me, Cabot, Dual Flight and Emblazon, all of which have done well, particularly Krakatoa and Believe Me, which have monopolised races for straight-out trotters at Harold Park over the last seven months.

Merry Man and Son’s Gift, neither of which has shown any worthwhile form for some time, have a fair measure of ability, and they may show up. Grand Forest, a maiden trotter, should not be hard to place to advantage. The brother to Oaktree has shown speed, but he is not solid yet. He is rising six years. Lillian Mac is another trotter. She has shown more than average ability, and on the small turning tracks in Australia she should be a great prospect. Merrymaker, a brother to Tiberius and half-brother to Demetrius, will be eligible for rich handicap events in Sydney. He is well up to his present class in New Zealand. He is usually most reliable and can race anywhere in a field. Scotty Dillon, which showed fair form two seasons ago, is a good type of pacer if he strikes form, and he is a likely improver. Sergeant Major is a novice pacer with plenty of speed, although he has not carried it far in New Zealand. The small tracks in Australia should suit him. Team from Washdyke Gallagher’s team will probably leave Washdyke towards the end of the month. It will include Lorraine's Pride, Top Mast, Sylvette and Sandy Logan. Lorraine's Pride showed speed at Washdyke on July 4 when she was narrowly beaten by Don’t Regret in the Stoke Handicap. The Desmond’s Pride mare is still a maiden trotter, and she will have plenty of opportunities in Australia next month. Top Mast has. shown fair form in his ”ecent races without being placed. He should not be long winning. Sylvette is a solid trotter and she, too. will have prospects of winning a race in her first few appearances. Sandy Logan is finding it hard to win in his present class in New Zealand, but he seldom runs a bad race. He will not find the class so rich in Australia, and Gallagher should not find it difficult to place him to advantage. Gallagher will be accompanied by W. R. Wilmott. who will take the Dillon Hall gelding. Sheriff Hall. He has shown speed in his recent races, and, if he reproduces his best form, he may pay expenses on the trip. Prince Volomite and Prince Gaillard are another pair of South Island horses due to do their future racing in Australia. Prince Volomite, a half-brother by Light Brigade to Real Scott, has yet to live up to his breeding. He has shown speed in some of his track trials, but has been a failure in his races. He was tried as a trotter for a time, but was not reliable. Prince Gaillard is a good type of pacer now in the veteran class. He is on a

trotter for a time, but was not reliable. Prince Gaillard is a good type of pacer now in the veteran class. He is on a handy mark for Australian races. He is usually a splendid horse at the start of his races, and it will not surprise if he is an early winner in Australia. Flicka Boy, a good winner for the Hutt Park trainer, L. G. Greer, is another due to be campaigned in Australia, where he

should do well. Laurel Lawn, half-brother to Laureldale, and Neon Scott are two Auckland horses due to race in Australia. Both have a fair measure of ability, and they should pay their way on the trip. With- these and other horses which are expected to leave before the end of the year. New Zealand will be well represented in races around Sydney in particular. Representation in other states, while not as strong, is still good and, as has been the case during the last few seasons, they should win a high proportion of the major handicaps. Red Hackle Wins The Methven owned and trained Young Bob three-year-old, Red Hackle, graduated from maiden company with a narrow but decisive win in the Winter Handicap at the Waimate Hunt Club’s meeting on Saturday. Red Hackle was never further back than third, and when the pacemaker, Pacific Pace, drifted out with three furlongs to run, he went to the front. He was closely attended by Kingsdown Grattan and Horace Roy at the straight entrance, with a long gap to Sandra Kay and Princess Dawn. Red Hackle was challenged by Kingsdown Grattan inside the furlong, and although he was close to breaking, he held on well to win by a head. Red Hackle is a grand type of youngster by Young Bob from Straight. He has more than average ability and hd should do well next season. Kingsdown Grattan had every chance, but he found Red Hackle a slightly superior opponent over the last few yards. He was far from disgraced and may win if started at the South Canterbury Hunt Club’s meeting next Saturday. Princess Dawn, which had been well back after beginning slowly, made up a lot of ground m the straight to take third place, two lengths in front of Horace Roy, which ran his best race. Sandra Kav and Dainty Joe headed the others. The favourite, Pacific Pace, was one of the first beaten. His effort was disappointing, but he should not be long making amends.