Excellenza’s Good Form At Addington Meeting

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27751, 31 August 1955, Page 4

Excellenza’s Good Form At Addington Meeting

TROTTING

Excellenza gained two long overdue wins when she won the main races at the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s Grand National meeting, which concluded at Addington on Saturday. Those wins were worth £l3OO to- her Weedons owner-trainer, L. F. Berkett. for whom she has rjoW .won £4560, the result of nine wins and 20 placings from 64 starts. Excellenza was capably driven in her Addington wins by N. L. Berkett. In the Christchurch Handicap on the first day of the meeting she pulled her way to' the front with six furlongs to run and held on well under pressure in the straight to beat Demimonde by a long neck. On Saturday she trailed Damimonde until the final furlong and she came on to win comfortably by three lengths from the galloping Superfortress. About 70 yards from the post Superfortress was catching Excellenza, but even if she had trotted solidly, it is doubtful whether she wbuld have caught the winner. In her second win Excellenza trotted the mile and a half in the good time of 3min 15 l-ssec, 2 3-ssec outside Dictation’s New Zealand winning record Excellenza is getting on to a tigh mark,' but she is now such a solic trotter that her owner-trainer should not find it hard to place her to advantage over middle or sprint distances in the next few months. Excellenza is now a 10-year-old. She is by Quite Sure from Loris, by Maxegin from Lorelei, by Wrack frcm Gianella, tracing back to Polly, ancesstress of a host of winners in New Zealand and Australia. Excellenza is closely related to Tempest, Grand Canyon, Red Spur, Gibraltar, Gallant Ruth and other outstanding winners. She was bred at Hinds by Miss J. Cuff, and is a very plain-looking mare. Race Career

Excellenza did not begin racing until she was a six-year-old. She had eight starts that season for one placing. At her first start the following season she caused a major upset when she beat Kowhai in the Welcome Handicap at Oamaru. She won two other maiden races that season, one at Westport and one at Nelson. Her form as an eight-year-old was more than useful. She gained four wins and eight placings from 21 starts. Her first win was over Redale at New Brighton at the end of August and then she beat Royal Marine in the Bayfield Handicap at Forbury Park in October. A fortnight later she beat Ascot and Battle Cry in the Churchill Handicap on the same course. On New Zealand Cup day she beat Vodka in the Spring Handicap. One of her best placings was at the Royal Cup meeting when she finished third to Slipstream and Vodka in the Freyberg Handicap after trotting the mile and five furlongs in 3min 30 4-ssec. Last season Excellenza failed to win a race, but she was placed in six of her 11 starts. She was fourth in the Christchurch Handicap at Addington in August and on the second day of the meeting she was third to Battle Cry and Precaution in the Winter Handicap. She was fourth in the Stewards’ Handicap at the Canterbury Park summer meeting won by Slipstream, and two days later at the same meeting she was third to Fingal’s Cave and Madam Grattan in the Hornby Handicap. On the first day of the Addington Easter meeting she was beaten by half a neck by Red Valley in the Stewards’ Handicap. On May 7 at Forbury Park she was third to Slipstream and Fingal’s Cave in the Dunedin Handicap. Excellenza’s full record is:—

Horse Omitted Distant Star (12) scr was omitted from the list of acceptors for the Avon Handicap at the New Brighton meeting published yesterday. Double Grattan has drawn five and Kyle Lass four in the Introductory Handicap. Overdue Win

Lynette gained a long overdue win when she beat Reciprocate in the Second Matangi Handicap at Claudelands on Saturday. Lynette won at Thames last February and since then she has gained seven seconds, two thirds and one fourth. Now that she has struck winning form, she should not be long in extending her record, particularly when raced over a sprint distance.

Showed Speed First Mate showed speed in the Farewell Handicap at Addington when he finished a close sixth, almost in line with Our Roger and Tactician. The Grattan Loyal gelding had only Au Revoir and Brahman behind him with half a mile to run and he was not in the first nine at the straight entrance. Under the circumstances he did well to finish so close up. He is a candidate for the Electric Handicap at New Brighton on Saturday and he will have prospects of reaching a place. New Brighton Brackets The following horses will be bracketed on the totalisator at the New Brighton Trotting Club’s meeting on Saturday:— Introductory Handicap: Scotch Girl and Light Nurse. Oxford Handicap: Centennial Star and Buller’s Pride. H. E. Goggin Handicap: Barcola,. Belle Renarde and Count Grattan, Lodestar and Lynberne. Electric Handicap: Black Douglas and Our Kentucky, Brave Company and Lassoloc, Jaunty and Brahman. Scott Wrack and First Mate.

Returning to Form Lightning Note trotted well for third in the Addington Handicap on the final day of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s meeting on Saturday. She was in front as the field reached the straight, but her condition gave out then, and she drifted slightly. She was well beaten, but trotted her two miles in the smart time of 4min 29 2-ssec. Her Ashburton owner-trainer, W. J. T. Lochhead, should not have to wait long before she gains her first win for him. She is a candidate for the Spring Handicap at New Brighton on Saturday, and should again race prominently.

Cheap Horse Drucilla looks as if she will prove a cheap horse for Mr V. Parsons, of Epsom, who purchased her last February for 275gns at a special sale held at Auckland while the Inter-Dominion Championship meeting was being run. She was offered on behalf of Mr H. W. Drewery, of Christchurch. By Dillon Hall from Sure Potts, she is trained by G. Cole, and on Saturday in the Fairfield Handicap at Claudelands she was driven by the Hawera reinsman. D. R. Grantham. She took the lead with three furlongs to run, and was not troubled to beat Simon by two lengths. She will probably be on hand for the Auckland Trotting Club’s September meeting next month.

Pointer Impresses Pointer faced the toughest test for a three-year-old in New Zealand when he raced in the Queen Mary Handicap at Addington on Saturday. The Intruder gelding came through with honours, and his effort stamped him as one of the best horses of his age in the country. He was handily placed most of the way, but he dropped back a place or two to be seventh at the straight entrance. Once he worked clear along the rails, he finished on in great style, and was only half a neck frpm the third horse, Don HalL Pointer paced the mile and a half in 3min 12 4-ssec, only 3-ssec outside the New Zealand record for a three-year-old held by Caduceus.

On the first day of the meeting Pointer impressed when he finished second in the Canterbury Three-Year-Old Stakes. He conceded the winner, False Step, 24 yards and attempted to lead over the final nine furlongs. He looked a much improved horse on the second day of the meeting, and his next appearance will be awaited with interest.

Answer to Correspondent “Herb,” Runanga.—Gold Peg beat Highland Fling twice in the one day at New Brighton on February 15, 1947. The track was very heavy that day, and Gold Peg beat Highland Fling by one length in the £l5OO New Brighton Cup, and by six lengths in the £750 Flying Handicap. Gold Peg did not beat Highland Fling twice in the one day at Addington. Mr A. L. Matson Honoured

At a special meeting of members of the New Brighton Trotting Club yesterday afternoon, Mr A. JU Matson was elected an honorary life member of the club, in recognition of his services to trotting.

Age Starts Wins PlacStakes ings £ 6yrs .. 8 0 1 20 7yrs .. 22 3 5 550 8yrs .. 21 4 8 2060 9yrs .. 11 0 6 630 lOyrs .. 2 2 0 1300 Totals 64 9 20 4560