Our Kentucky Has Won Nine Races And £4715

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27752, 1 September 1955, Page 4

Our Kentucky Has Won Nine Races And £4715

TROTTING

Our Kentucky proved beyond doubt that he is the best stayer to come to Canterbury from Southland for many years when he outclassed a high-class field in the Wildwood Handicap at Addington last Saturday. He is now on a 4min 24sec mark for two miles, and provided the limit remains the same as for last year, he is only one second outside New Zealand Cup class. He will probably have his final attempt to qualify for the cup in the £1575 Henry Mace Handicap at the New Brighton Trotting Club’s September meeting on September 17. Our Kentucky will start from 48 yards in this race, but he won so easily last Saturday that the task should not prove beyond him.

The Dillon Hall gelding has com- ? piled an outstanding record since being prepared at Halswell by S. A. Edwards, ‘ and in 10 starts for him he has had f four wins and four placings. He was ; unplaced at bis first appearance for Ed- ; wards and again on the first day of , the recent meeting at Addington, when J. he was an unlucky fifth in the Lightning Handicap. ’j r On Saturday Our Kentucky was j driven by R. Young.. who was associated with him when he gained his 1 first win in Canterbury. Young had Our Kentucky well placed at the end c of half a mile and from then on he E had the field at his mercy. Once he < strode to the lead with three furlongs < to run. he did not look like being 1 caught and he was easing up four J lengths in front of Roy Grattan and < Starbeam at the post. His 4min 12 i 3-ssec for the two miles is probably j the fastest two miles ever paced at 1 Addington iq August and his effort j stamped him' as a stayer of the best class. Our Kentucky is raced by two * young South Hillend farmers, Messrs ! L. Warden and J. C. McCallum. He { is an upstanding six-year-old gelding ‘ by Dillon Hali from Golden Grape, by | Arion Axworthy from a mare by ( Erin’s King from Kentucky Wood, by . Kerrwood from a mare by Kentucky. , Educated in Southland ’ Our Kentucky was educated at Invercargill by J. C. Purdue, who pro- ’ duced him to win at his first appearance at a totalisator meeting as a | three-year-old. That was at Wairio in March, 1953, when he beat Gang : Warily in the Wairaki Handicap. He was third to Scotch Orator and Thorn- . dell at Winton soon after, and at his other start that season was beaten, a nose by Trout Stream in the Forbury Handicap at Roxburgh. He had three wins as a four-year-old. his first being at Invercargill in November, when he beat Real Class in . the First Stewards’ Handicap. He naced his mile, and a half in 3min 16 ?-ssec. a smart effort on the slow Invercargill track. At Gore on December 26 he beat Kaka Hall in the F. Wallis Memorial Handicap, and on the same course a month later he beat Chimera in the Summer Handicap. Last season he beat Scottish Brigade in the Gore Cup after pacing his two , miles jn 4nlin 22sgc before he* was sent north to join Edwards’s team. At his ; second start Jor* bis new trainer he : gained a decisive win over King’s Order id the Fendaltdn Handicap at Addington on March 26. A week later he was fourth in the Plains Handicap won by j Starbeam and on the final day of the meeting he was third to Lassoloc and ?; Whispering Smith in . the Members’ Handicap. He was taken to Forbury Park on May 7, where he beat Secure in the Beach Handicap. A fortnight « later on the same course he was beaten d by a nose in the Queen’s Handicap by h Secure, and by half a head by Rowan g Star in the Farewell Handicap. In [- both races he looked a little unlucky. 4. He finished the season with an easy rt win over Ice Drift and Secure in the a Winter Handicap at the Canterbury s- Park Clubs winter meeting on May

Four of Our Kentucky’s nine wins have been over two miles. His full record is:—

Trained at Washdyke Clearburn, which has not raced for more than a season, is due to make a reappearance in the Introductory Handicap at New Brighton on Saturday. A seven-year-old gelding by Van Logan from Chenolo. he is now being trained at Washdyke by J. M. Bain, who will be strongly represented at Hutt Park on Saturday. At Greymouth - F. G. Lynch, who until recently trained at Rolleston, has shifted his team to Grey mouth. Grattan Bay is the only handicap horse in his team. He has a three-year-old colt by Lucky Jack from Lady Ann, the dam of winners in Northern Lass, Lass o’Mine, and Caledonian Lass. A five-year-old mare by Springbok from Northern Lass favours the trotting gait Poor Support South Island stables have practically ignored the races for trotters at the Wellington Trotting Club’s meeting on Saturday and the Kaiapoiowned and trained Kauru Boy will be their sole representative. The Sandydale gelding has a fair turn of spqed on his day, but he will find it hard to foot it with some of the Auckland horses with good recent form, to their credit

Brother to Van Dieman General Bruce, a candidate for maiden races on the first day of the Wellington Trotting Club’s meeting at Hutt Park on Saturday, is a member of J. G. Hampton’s Belfast team. He is a five-year-old by U. Scott from Reno, the dam also of Van Dieman. General Bruce was a late foal. He showed a fair turn of speed when he qualified and Hampton should not find it hard to place him to disadvantage. Wellington Brackets

The following horses will be bracketed on the first day of ’ the Wellington Trotting Club’s meeting at Hutt Park on Saturday:— Wellington Handicap: Hyperbole and Lucky Spot. Advance Handicap: Lord Leon and Mac’s Luck, Anxiety and Royal Leaf, Jonathan and Sweet Jewel. Ferry - Handicap: Hyperbole and Lucky Spot. May Make Amends

The speedy three-year-old filly, Glint, will be a warm favourite foi the Cambridge Handicap at New Brighton on Saturday after her grand third in the Canterbury Three-year-old Stakes a fortnight ago. In her Addington race, she lost a -lot of ground when she broke in the first furlong and she showed speed to finish close up. The race should do much to bring her to her peak and she should be more forward than most of her opponents on Saturday. Glint will be a strong candidate for the distinction of being the best filly of her age this season. She is raced on lease oy her Springston trainer, R. H. Negus, who has her sire, Whipster, at the stud. Answer to Correspondent

"Herb,” Runanga.—The meeting at which Gold Peg beat Highland Fling twice in the one day in February, 1947, was run by the New Brighton Trotting Club at Addington, not New Brighton as stated yesterday.

PlacStakes Age Starts Wins ings £ 3 years .. 3 1 2 155 4 years .. 11 3 — 735 5 years .. 10 4 4 3010 6 years .. 2 1 — 815 — ' ii i r - ■ II ■ Totals .. 26 9 6 4715