AT NEW BRIGHTON TODAY

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27131, 29 August 1953, Page 4

AT NEW BRIGHTON TODAY

TROTTING

Battle Cry Favoured In Spring Handicap

BLUE ADMIRAL SHOULD RUN WELL One of the finest fields of improving trotters seen for some time is down to meet in the Spring Handicap, one of the feature races at the New Brighton Trotting Club’s meeting today. At least six of the acceptors have shown outstanding form over the last six months. Battle Cry, Blue Admiral and Flammula are expected to take part in the finish of today’s race, and there should not be much between them. Both Battle Cry and Blue Admiral will start from 24 yards. Battle Cry is one of the best-performed young trotters seen out for some years and he should soon graduate to the best classes. He won six races last season, a grand effort for a three-year-old. It is doubtful if he was ever really forced to do his best in those races and it will be interesting to see how he fares against older and more experienced opponents today.

Blue Admiral has in his favour the fact that he is two years older than Battle Cry, and he has had much more hard racing during his eareer. However, whether he will have the brilliance of his younger opponent is hard to predict. Nevertheless, he should be placed if his impressive win at Addington can be taken as a true guide. Flammula has not raced since she won at Addington in June, recording 3min 37 4-ssec for the mile and five furlongs. In that race she led from end to end and fought on under a very hard drive to win most convincingly. Iler Ashburton owner-trainer, J. Wilson, has a very high opinion of her and she is expected to develop good winning form this season.

W. R. Butt, last season’s leading trainer, will produce a strong bracket in Black Light and Ascot. Black Light ran a useful race at Addington last Saturday after starting from 84 yards. He should be a much improved horse and it will not surprise if he wins. He has run some of his best races at New Brighton and his two wins last season were gained there.

Ascot has also raced well at New Brighton. Last Saturday he made all the pace in the Winter Handicap, only to fade out in the straight He is not set an easy task from 48 yards, but if he can make his own rules out in front he will be hard to catch. The bracket will be popular with place investors.

Father s wish, which shares the 48 yards mark with Ascot, has taken a new lease of life and her two placings in good company at Addington were efforts above average. She has previously raced well at New Brighton and she could easily gain a well-deserved win here. Madam Grattan ran a sound race on the first day at Addington and she looks handily placed on the front mark. She is usually a most reliable trotter and her solidity may gain a placing for her. Quite Soon and Ecosse showed fair form last, season, while Deportment showed more than average ability in patches. They may find Battie Cry, Blue Admiral and Flammula too good for them today. The Doubles Races Bronze Indian, which has been working well at Addington, is expected to be one of the hardest to beat in the Avon Handicap, the second race and first leg °5 , j double. The Indianapolis gelding should find the mile and a half journev to his liking. The trotter. Barrier Reef, and Kola Veyor have the best form of the others, but there is plenty of room for an upset, which may come from Casacando or Gretna Green. Betting will be more widely spread in we second leg of the double, the Johns Handicap. N. L. Berkett’s pair, Aladdin and Schwanda, both of which showed useful form at Addington last week, will probably be favourites for the race. Both should run out the two miles in solh fashion.

Brave Company, a brother to Battle Cry, will be making a fresh start for the season, but he should be well forward and is expected to give a good account of himself. Authie, a stablemate of the likely favourite for the first leg of the double. Bronze Indian, can also be expected to show to advantage. He has been working well and it will be surprising if he fails to show up. Sea Rover, a good fifth in his race at Addington on August 19, seems to be near his best and he may show up. The best of the remainder may be Paia Royal, Red Chase, and Brucus. The Hinds-owned and Rakaia-trained

U. Scott mare, Merval, may open her winning account for the season in the Oxford Handicap, which has drawn an open field of improving young pacers. Merval has brilliant speed, and if she is not allowed to drift too far in the early stages of the race she is unlikely to bebeaten.

Brava, a very fit member of J. D. Litten’s team, the unlucky Trout Stream, a consistent pacer in Rosy Morn, Aik in, and Spring Edition, are all capable pacers on their day, and they are certain to offer stern opposition to Merval. If Tactics begins well she should win her second race in a week in the Electric Handicap. The Light Brigade—Nell Grattan mare, a member of M. Holmes’s team, can both sprint and stay, and she is entitled to be one of the favourites.

Countermark showed improved barrier behaviour at Addington when he had one win and one second placing, and he is certain to be one of the hardest to beat, especially if he can get to the front early. Forward, a half-brother to the dual Addington winner, Adorian, has not raced for some time, but if he is near his best he will be prominent, as will Duncraig, Brucus, Gay Dene, and Sydney Victor. Selections are:— Welcome Handicap.—General Lee, Black Pegasus, Fingal’s Cave. Avon Handicap.—Bronze Indian, Barrier Reef. Rola Veyor. Brighton Handicap.—lnvicta, King’s Order, d’Artagnan. Johns Handicap.—Aladdin - Schwanda bracket. Brave Company, Authie. Spring Handicap.—Battle Cry, Blue Admiral. Flammula. Cambridge Handicap.—Royal Cameo, Scottish Note. Distant Star. Oxford Handicap.—Merval, Brava, Trout Stream. Electric Handicap.—Tactics, Countermark, Forward. Acceptances are:— 11 a un.—

WESTPORT CLUB At the annual meeting of the Westport Trotting Club last evening the committee was instructed to make a further appeal to the New Zealand Trotting Conference for one or two extra days* racing in the year. in his review of the club’s work during the year, the president (Mr W. H. Roche) said he had received promises from the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr W. A. Bodkin) and the executive of the Trotting Conference that when extra permits were oeing granted, Westport’s case would be considered as a top priority. Mr. Roche said that the club had been m a happy position to be able to reduce its mortgage by half and, with the prospects of a generous allocation from the Totalisator Agency Board, there would be a good sum in hand to carry out any minor improvements. No major works were necessary. The following officers were elected:— patron, Mr J. M. Robertson: president, Mr Roche; vice-presidents, Messrs C. F. Schadick and T. M. Scanlon; treasurer, Mr Schadick; committee, Messrs P. Colvin, M. Coyne, R. Curragh, R. Powell, H. Taylor, J. Craig, J. P. McEnaney, J. R. Woodcock, J. Lorimer, E. Rooney, K. Pain, and K. McLaughlin. Trials on Tuesday The qualifying trials, which were to have been held at Addington on Thursday last by the Canterbury Owners’ and Breeders’ Association, will now be held on Tuesday, starting at 2 p.m. Stakes Increased The Greymouth Trotting Club has increased its stakes for the forthcoming October two-day fixture overall by £2OO, with the main increases likely to be brought about in the maiden pacers* and trotters’ events.

WELCOME HANDICAP, Of £375. Trotters 3min 38sec class. One mile and a half. Bedelia (2) scr Redale (4) 24 Idealist (1) scr Royal Marine Fairy Dell (2) 12 (2) 24 Little Ann (1) 12 Sure Phoebe Alandale (5) 24 (3) 24 Black Pegasus Fingal’s Cave (7) 24 (1) 36 Combateer (8) 24 Crystal Excellenza (6) 24 Light (1) 60 General Lee (1) Oaktree. 11A5 ajn.— AVON HANDICAP. Of £650. 3nun 25sec class. One mile and half. Bronze Ballymena (1) 12 Indian (6} scr Barrier Case an do (4) scr Reef (4) 12 Cincinnatus Gretna (2) scr Green (5) 12 Jack’s Maid Myra (2) 12 Luck (5) scr Scottish Rola Veyor (1) scr Greetings (3) 12 Wentworth (3) scr 12.30 p.m.— BRIGHTON HANDICAP. Of £375. 3min 33sec class. One mile and a half. Charleston (17) scr Marching Cherry Queen (11) scr Girl (8) National scr d’Artagnan (18) scr Lady (7) scr Direct Nouvelle (14) scr Link (2) scr Pacific Flower Pace (3) scr Girl (16) scr Sayonara (4) scr Grattan Sheffield's Bay (12) scr Pride (9) scr Invicta (5) scr Springwater King’s (10) scr Order (13) scr Sure Terra (1) scr Lady French First Class (15) scr (2) 12 Marathon (6) scr Lady Jane (1) 12 Rocky Reef (3) 12 Bracket: Pacific Pace and Rocky Reef. LU pan.— OHNS HANDICAP. Of £1250. 4min 32sec class. Twn miloc Authie (3) scr Paia Royal (3) 12 Defendant (1) scr Relight (2) 12 Springston' Sea Rover (4) 12 Pride (2) scr Aladdin (1) 24 Brave Schwanda (2) 24 M5) 12 36 (1) 12 and Schwanda.

2 p.m.— SPRING HANDICAP, Of £650. Trotters. 3min 33sec class. )ne mile and a half. Crystal Light Sandy (5) scr Duval (2) 12 Dainty Joe (2) scr Battle Cry (2) 24 Flammula (4) scr Blue Admiral Madam (3) 24 Grattan (3) scr Deportment (1) 24 Quite Soon (1) scr Black Light (2) 36 Silver Pine (6) scr Ingenuity (1) 36 Battle Royal Roderick (1) 12 Dhu (3) 36 Ecosse (4) 12 Ascot (2) 48 Sabre Father’s Dance (3) 12 Wish (1) 48 Bracket: Black Light and Ascot. 2.45 pan.— CAMBRIDGE HANDICAP. Of £500. 3min 30sec class. One mile and a half. Penno’s Makarewa (2) 12 Pride (3) scr Royal Rewa Scott (2) scr Cameo (8) 12 Robin Gay (4) scr Scottish Royal Hall (1) scr Note (1) 12 Christmas Shillelah (3) 12 Spirit (7) 12 Black Distant Star Wings (3) 24 (6) 12 Lucky Scholar Early (4) 24 Delivery (5) 12 Sally WaUa (2) 24 Excelsa (4) 12 Wyvern (1) 24 Brackets: Rewa Scott and Early Delivery, Makarewa and Shillelah. 3.30 D.m.— OXFORD HANDICAP. Of £650. 3min 23sec class. One mile and a* half. Bonny Brogue Fair Annette (5) scr (6) 12 Brava (3) scr Kapeen (8) 12 Regalia (4) scr Lindy Lou (1) 12 Reko (6) scr Merval (4) 12 Rosy Mom (1) scr Ohio (3) 12 Trout Stream (2) scr (7) 12 Alkin (11) 12 Royal Brigade Clean Swep (9) 12 ri2) 12 Spring Edition Eureka Scott (10) 12 (2) 12 Virginia Scott Bracket: Fair Annette and Spring Edition. 4.15 p.m.— ELECTRIC HANDICAP. Of £750. 2min 45sec class. One mile and a uarter. Brucus (2) scr Inglewood (7) scr Countermark Sydney Victor (3) scr (8) scr Fallacy (6) scr Tactics (0) First Mate (1) scr Duncraig (2) S 12 Forward (5) scr Imperial Trust Gay Dene (4) scr (1) 12 — ■ i