EPSOM MEETING ON SATURDAY

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27147, 17 September 1953, Page 4

EPSOM MEETING ON SATURDAY

C. L. RHODES SHOULD BE WELL REPRESENTED C. L. Rhodes, the Templeton'ownertrainer, should have a profitable trip to the Auckland Trotting Club’s meeting, which will open on Saturday, with Jack Petefcson and Au Revoir. Both horses are very fit and, if they are not affected by the long trip, they should be prominent in their races on Saturday. Jack Peterson is engaged in both the September and Takanini Handicaps. Au Revoir will be opposed by a strong field of improvers in the second leg of the double, the Franklin Handicap. The South Island representation is smaller than for many years at Auckland, and the only other southern horses engaged on Saturday are Authie, Bronze Indian, Midnight and Regalia. Jack Peterson has only seven horses opposing him in the September Handicap, and, although he may find Petite Yvonne too seasoned for him, it will surprise if he is not placed. At his only appearance this season Jack Peterson showed that he had lost none of speed when he finished fourth behind Young Charles, Burns Night, and Petite Yvonne in the Farewell Handicap at Addington last month. The Jack Potts gelding lost a lot of. ground in the early stages of the race, and he was back with Burns Night at the end of a furlong. His effort to finish within three lengths of the winner was one of the features of the race.

Jack Peterson has always shown an abundance of speed, but he has not always been an easy horse to handle. If conditions suit him at Epsom, he should more than pay expenses. Au Revoir, which has previously raced well on the Auckland course, should rlso be prominent in his engagements. The Springfield Globe pacer is a much improved horse this year, and he may yet live up to the promise he showed in his early racing. He showed that he was right back to his best at Addington last month, when, after finishing a good third to Poranui and Aladdin on the first day of the meeting he gained a decisive win over Brava and Fair Annette in the Improvers’ Handicap on the second day of the meeting. In the latter race, he paced the two miles in 4min 17 3-ssec and won, easing up, by four lengths. Mr Rhodes will also be represented at New Brighton, where His Majesty, a brother to Fallacy, will resume racing in the Farewell Handicap. The Light Brigade, six-year-old has brilliant speed, and he, should be an improved horse this year. Last season he lost a number of winning cnances through waywardness at the barrier.

Trainer Injured The West Eyreton owner-trainer, F, G. Holmes, broke a leg when he was kicked by a horse recently. It will be some time before he resumes driving. Till then his horses will be driven in their races by, his son, G. Holmes. The latter will drive Forward, one of the early favourites for the Henry Mace Handicap at New Brighton on Saturday. Ashburton Match Race The connexions of Barrier Reef, Dictation, Gold Horizon and Vodka have agreed to the conditions laid down by the Ashburton Trotting Club for the match race to be run at the club’s meeting on Saturday, October 10, and it is certain that the event will be run. The race, which will be run from a flying start over one mile, will probably be held after the second or third races, when atmospheric conditions are at their best. The club has made application to the New Zealand Broadcasting Service to have commentaries on the match race and the All Aged Stakes broadcast. Roseliaven At Templeton The Southland-owned Black Globe mare, Rosehaven, is now being trained at Templeton by D. G. Jones. She won one race and was five times placed last season. She should be capable of further improvement. She has proved her ability over all distances and on most types of track conditions. Jones should have little difficulty in placing her to advantage at minor meetings in Canterbury in the next few months. She is a six-year-old mare by Black Globe from a fine mare in Brown Owl, by Dillon Hall from Foreign Mission, the dam of other winners in Monastry Hill, Foreign Lady, and Stormy Ways. New Brighton Brackets The following horses will be bracketed on the totalisator at the New Brighton Trotting Club’s meeting on Saturday:— Introductory Handicap: Special Globe and Kuhla, Cincinnatus and Warren Grattan. Sea view Handicap: Pacific Pace and Early Delivery. Nicoll Handicap: Fingal’s Cave and Battle Cry, Quick Silver and Ecosse. Bowhill Handicap: Lady Jane and Royal Hall. Pacific Handicap: Brave Company and Countermark. Farewell Handicap: Eureka Scott and Defendant, Fair Annette and Spring Edition.

To Resume Racing Superior Lawn, last season’s leading two-year-old in the North Island, will resume racing in the Improvers’ Handicap at the Auckland meeting on. Saturday. The Master Lawn filly is reported to have done well during the winter, and it is expected that she will run out a solid two miles. Last season, she showed plenty of speed. She had three wins from four starts. Her failure was in the New Zealand Welcome Stakes, in which she was not driven to the best advantage. She is a good type of pacer, and it will surprise if she fails to win a race during the two days at Auckland. Winner in U.S. Believed to be the first New Zealander to drive a winning .horse in the United States, Mr Raymond Harding, formerly of Auckland, drove Gay Ellis A to win at Lebanon, Ohio, last June. Gay Ellis A, a trotter, is owned by Mr Harding’s daughter, Mrs C. Schmidt, of Gold Manor, Cincinnati, who married her husband when he was a member of the United States forces in New Zealand. Gay Ellis A is a brown mare by Ellis A, a half-brother to Greyhound, which holds several world records, including Imin 551 sec for one mile, 3min 2Jsec for one mile and a half, and 4min 6sec for two miles. Her dam is Alberta Wise, a daughter of Wise Girl, a top performer in her racing days. Now Pacing Bulls Eye has been reconverted to the pacing gait. He is reported to be working with plenty of dash for his Forbury Park trainer, A. J. Osmond. The Quite Sure gelding, now a 14-year-old, originally raced as a pacer, and showed, great speed. He was later prepared as a trotter by R. J. Jones at Ashburton, and he won three races at that gait—the Roxburgh Cup against a useful field of pacers, the Intermediate. Handicap at Addington from Sandy’s Epic, And the Reta Peter Handicap on the same course from Signal Light, Barrier Reef, and Dictation. Bulls Eye is now in the veteran class, but he carries his years lightly, and he could still win a race before his retirement. He is assessed at 2min 45sec for one mile and and quarter and 4min 25sec for two miles. Direct Link

As a result of a good second behind King’s Order at New Brighton last month,

Direct Link was made a 3, 1 favourite for the Rakaia Handicap at the Ashburton County Racing Club’s meeting last Saturday. After breaking the start, the U. Scott mare was well back with five furlongs to run, and she then began to make up ground. She was about nine lengths from the leaders with three furlongs to run, and was still improving her position, when she encountered trouble and had to be pulled up. R. S. Clayton, of Methven, has her in great order at present, and she will have bright prospects of making amends in the Bowhill Handicap at New Brighton this week. This race has drawn a field of poor class, and Direct Link will only need to receive a favourable run to be one of the hardest to beat. She will not be at any fancy price on Saturday. Likely Improver

Adan had his first start for two seasons and the fourth, of his career when he paraded in the Selma Handicap at Ashburton last Saturday. The Dillon Hall fve-year-old Was accorded surprisingly trong support, and he started a 3, 3 favourite. He began smartly and led out of the straight, where he was steadied behind Kingsdown Grattan. He -was handy to the straight when his condition gave out, and he drifted over the last bit. His effort was a pleasing one, and he should be greatly improved by the run. He had his previous start in 1951 at Addington, when he finished third to Forward and Black Wings in the Canterbury Three-year-old Stakes. He injured a bone in a foot soon afterwards, and had a long spell. He will probably have his next start at Methven on September 26, and he may. make a forward showing. Night Trotting

His club would strongly support the introduction of night trotting into New Zealand, said Mr _A. Ferguson, president of the Forbury Park Trotting Club and a member of the executive of the New Zealand Trotting Conference, recently. His club would apply to the conference for Its support in holding meetings at Forbury Park, where there was an ideal se b. up £ or . a Perfect lighting system. The Forbury Park Club had only six days of trotting during a season, and if had made application for a further two days several years ago, he said. However, these permits had not been granted. If night trotting was introduced in New Zealand, it would clear up the present unfortunate position of clubs’ dates clashing during the season. The rapid growth of night trotting in Australia had proved beyond all doubt the popularity of the sport, and the growing demand for its Introduction into New Zealand should influence the authorities to grant several special permits during the year, said Mr Ferguson.