CANDIDATES FOR AUCKLAND

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27225, 17 December 1953, Page 4

CANDIDATES FOR AUCKLAND

CANTERBURY HORSES TO LEAVE TODAY OTHERS TO FLY NORTH . LATER A number of Canterbury horses with engagements on the first day of the Auckland Trotting Cup meeting on December 28 will leave Christchurch today for Auckland. Among the horses to cross to Wellington tonight are Roderick Dhu, Excellenza, Adonian, Esteem, Soangetaha, Thelma Globe, Clontarf, Johnny Globe, Midnight, Alkin, and Local Light. Some horses will be flown to Paraparaumu on December 22, and go from there by rail to Auckland. The rest of the South Island horses will be flown direct from Harewood to Auckland on Boxing Day. There will be eight horses on the last-named trip, and they will return to Christchurch on the night of the final day of the meeting on December 31. Some of them may race on the second day of the Canterbury Park Trotting Club’s meeting on January 2. The horses to be flown north on Boxing Day are Sandy Scott, Heather Dillon, Defiance, Young Wexford, General Lee, Young Charles, Vodka, and Battle Cry, The i Gore-owned and trained Scottish Brigade, a candidate for the North Island Challenge Stakes and the Great Northern Derby, will be among the horses flown north on December 22.

The South Island- contingent this .year may not be so strong numerically as in some other years, but it makes up for its lack of size by the class of horses engaged. The five horses engaged in the Auckland Trotting Cup should race well, and it will not be surprising if this cup is brought south again. The New Zealand Cup winner, Adorian. will not have an easy task from 48 yards, but he is very fit, as he showed when he followed Johnny Globe home in his race at the Hororata Trotting Club’s matinee meeting on Tuesday. Adorian is certain to be prominent. His stablemate, Esteem, may race well in races for three and four-year-olds. Soangetaha’s Prospects

Soangetaha, on 36 yards, will attempt to win the Auckland Cup for the third successive year. The Light Brigade pacer finished third in the last New Zealand Cup, and recorded one of his best efforts at Addington since the Inter-Dominion Championship meeting in 1951. Soangetaha has run most of his best races at Auckland, and he is certain to have solid support in his engagement on December

28. Young Charles, a brilliant pacer when right, will race in the cup without the benefit of a run since he won a sprint race at Addington in August. He is reported to be standing up well to the work allotted to him, and he should be fit for his Auckland engagement. His stablemate. Battle Cry, a disappointment at Addington, may do better racing on the right-hand Auckland course. Battle Cry is a high-class trotter, and he should perform well at Auckland against strong opposition. J. M. Bain, of Oamaru, should have a profitable trip with Heather Dillon (Auckland Cup), Sandy Scott (three-year-old events), and Defiance (improvers’ races). Heather Dillon .will be handily placed on the front mark of the Auckland Cup ; and could surprise. Her prospects would be enhanced on a heavy track. Sandy Scott, a smart three-year-old and a brother to Te Maru, looked well when worked after the Waimate meeting last Saturday. He is greatly improved, and it will be surprising if he fails to pay expenses on the trip. The third member of the team. Defiance, has also made good progress, and he should win at least one race. Tire Springfield Globe stallion can both sprint and stay.

Thelma Globe, J. B. Pringle’s cup candidate, looked very well at Addington, but she did not race up to her appearance. This Springfield Globe mare is a grand stayer on her day, and, if she could be made to begin smartly, she would have prospects in the £5OOO race. She will be accompanied north by Clontarf, another disappointing but capable pacer. Derby Prospect Local Light, a member of A. Holmes’s team, was an impressive graduate from maiden company recently. The Light Brigade colt has had only two starts to date, and may find some of the other three-year-olds more seasoned. However, he i> reported to be above average in ability and he should show up. Alkin and Midnight are other members of Holmes’s team. Both have raced wei without much luck this season. Givei favourable conditions at Auckland, thej should race well. L. F. Berkett has a likely pair of trotters in Excellenza and Roderick Dhu, both of which won at the New Zealand Cup meeting. Both are grand stayers, and, although they will be on handicap marks, they should race well. Young Wexford, a smart three-year-old, has made good progress since the New Zealand Cup meeting, and he may rade well against horses of his own age. A member of J. Young’s team, he is a brother to a smart pacer In Excelsa. General Lee is being taken north with Young Wexford. He will be driven in his Auck-

land engagements by R. Young, who will also drive Dawnlight and Modern Globe. The Gore-owned and trained Scottish Brigade, winner of the New Zealand Welcome Stakes last season and the Riccart«nr Stakes last month, will be one of the favourites for the Great Northern Derby. The Light Brigade three-year-old was an unlucky fourth in the New Zealand Derby Stakes last month. On the strength of that effort, he should have very bright prospects in the Auckland race. He will leave Gore at the weekend for Christchurch, and will be flown from Harewood on Tuesday to Paraparaumu.

Highland Fling’s Brother Queen Ayesha has foaled a colt by U. Scott, and she will be mated with Light Brigade. Queen Ayesha is the dam of two champions in Highland Fling and Highland Kilt. Her latest foal has already changed ownership. He has been bought by the Methven owner-trainer, G. McKendry, who has had consMerable success in the last few years with Burns Night. Rangiora Brackets The following horses will be bracketed on the totalisator at the Rangiora Trotting Club’s meeting on Saturday:— First Introductory Handicap: Con Scott and Topaz. Second Introductory Handicap: Kingsdown Grattan and Rowan-Star. Rangiora Cup: d’Artagnan and Sir Benjamin. Coldstream Handicap: Adriatic and Toby Shad- , President’s Handicap: Copper Globe and Lucky Scholar. Westport Club Withdrawals for the Westport Trotting Club’s meeting on December 26 and 28 close with Secretary, Box 92, Westport, today (Thursday), December 10, at 5 p.m. —Advt.