TROTTING EASTER MEETING AT ADDINGTON

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27628, 7 April 1955, Page 4

TROTTING EASTER MEETING AT ADDINGTON

Denbry Likely To Win Easter Handicap

RECRUIT SELECTED TO BEAT TROTTERS

Denbry, easy winner of the Rattray Handicap on the first day of the meeting, is selected to win the £2lOO Easter Handicap, the main race for pacers and the second leg of the doable on the final day of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s Easter meeting at Addington on Saturday. He failed to take any part in the race for the Electric Stakes last Saturday, but that, no doubt, was only a temporary lapse.

Denbry is one of the best pacers in commission, and from 36 yards on Saturday he is certain to be prominent His trainer, N. L. Berkett, will have a worthy second string in the Methvenowned Aladdin, which has not raced since he finished a good second to Denbry in the Rattray Handicap on March 26. Aladdin is one of the most capable pacers in his class and off the front, he must be coneeded a great chance. His prospects would be enhanced on a heavy track. The Belfast trainer, C. S. Donald, will parade another strong bracket in Brahman and Jaunty, both of which will start from the front mark. Brahman failed in the Rattray Handicap, but he did not receive a good run. Jaunty failed in the same race, but last week finished, second to Excelsa in the Williams Handicap. Jaunty may do the better of the pair on. Saturday.

Merval will be better placed on 24 yards in this race than for some time. The U. Scott mare made up a lot of ground for fourth in the Rattray Handicap, after receiving a bad cheek Wt the end of half a mile. On the strength of that placing, she is entitled to be one of the favourities on Saturday.

The Williams Handicap winner. Ex--4 celsa, will be in demand after her ' brilliant performance last Saturday. There are few more capable pacers about than this daughter of Young Bob, and with a smooth beginning, she is certain to be one of the hardest • > to beat 1 Laureldale and Petite Yvonne, i ■ which will share the 36-yard mark with Denbry, have both been working i _ with rare dash at Addington lately, and if they reproduce their best form. < | they should be prominent *» The others in the race would need j to show improvement on their recent - efforts to have any chance. The best . ’ at them may be Poranui, which win be making a fresh start i - Becruit win be a short-paced fav- I ounte for the Hew Zealand Hamble- - lonian Handicap, one of the main races , on the calendar for trotters. The < - Light Brigade griding was a most . convincing winner in the Beta Peter < •: Handicap last'Saturday, and a reproduction of that effort would make . -him unbeatable this week. . Benult } is one of the most promising trotters in the country, and he could develop " into cue of the fastest horses of < •7 Ms gait C. B. Beckett's bracket of Fingal's 4 r Cave and Battle Cry win be a popular 1 .combination. Fingal’s Cave was a’ I A good second to Becruit in the Beta J •t Peter Handicap last week, and if she ' - trots as wen again, she win have < £ prospects of reaching a place. Battle 9 : , Cry will meet Becruit on 12 yards’ J !r- more favourable terms this week, but ' whether he will be able to catch him ! is doubtful. On bis day. Battle Cry * ,is brilliant, but his efforts so far i at the meeting suggest that he is < not quite so good as when he won J at his three starts at Auckland in 2 February. Nevertheless, he should 5 be prominent. J » SHpctream has trotted two fine races ( ao far at the meeting, and he has « finished third at his two appear- ' ances. He has not run a really bed J race Oils sreson. and another bold « effortcyi be expected from him. * IMriatton was rather disappointing in his race last week, though he con- , ceded starts of up to M yards. The i limit foe Saturday’s race is one second tighter, and it wiU net surprise if the Joerdale nfaluinr gelding is promiExcenerua. Fair Isle and Vodka are . an at their peak at present, and * they expected to de best of , Our Kentucky win probably be j favourite for the first leg at the 9 double, the Members’ Handicap. The J Dillon HaU gelding has created a ’ good impression in his two apprarances at the meeting. He gamed a convincing win On the first day of the meeting, and last Saturday from 36 yards in the Plains Hanaican. he did well to finish fourth after pacing the two miles in 4min 17 l-ssec. He might have finished closer if he * had not been forced very wide racing . to the straight On Saturday, Dur ( Kentucky will start from 12 yards, 1 and he should be prominent, J Secure also win be more favour- < ably placed than in his two earlier starts at the meeting. The Grattan Loyal four-year-old has plenty at , speed and stamina and he will need i cnlv to begin smartly to be placed • Stadium Chief is a fine stayer, and ! he has probably been improved by his race on the first day of the meeting. . If he races up to his best form, he < may surprise, King's Order, Whispering Smith, 1 Fairy W.nd. and Roy Grattan have shewn speed in their races at the meeting, and they may do best of the others. Change for Gay Dene Gay Dene, which has not raced since January 3, is selected to win the Au Revoir Handicap, the main sprint race. The Sandydale gelding has always shown plenty of ability, and he should be well suited by the mile and a quarter. J Dancing Years is a capable sprinter, ? and off the front, bis chances must * be highly regarded. With a trail to J the final furlong, he could outsprint < C the others. Dancing Years showed 1 ; fine sprint farm earlier in the sea- • son. and it will be surprising if he - fails to show up. Super Nurse and Recent Choice,’ both ! capable sprinters, will form a useful : bracket for their Springston trainer, J. H. Winter. Neither horse has had much hick in the running so far at the meeting, and either could upset calculations on Saturday. Aladdin and Excdsa, both of which wiU be engaged earlier in the Easter Cup, have useful sprint efforts to their credit, and they should and interest , to the finish. Both will be handily placed on the front marie. Starbeam has some outstanding staying and sprinting form this season. but her sprint performances have been in comparatively weak company. The Light Brigade mare is not always reliable at the start of her races, but if she begins smoothly, she will have prospects. Real Globe has worked well since her race on the first day of the meeting, and she is the pick of the others on the front. The handicapped horses will have to pass a capacity field on the front marks and their chances do not look bright. Moss Hall makes most appeal of those on 12 yards. Laureldale and Petite Yvonne will concede starts of up to 36 yards, and, with a favourable tun, they may be promlnant They have shown good form in tree-tor-alls. I • C *^ESsa , lBS*"’ “* A **“" IB*" «tose today (Thursday). April 7, ■ —Advt