Prestbury Now Eligible For Top Trotting Races

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27962, 8 May 1956, Page 5

Prestbury Now Eligible For Top Trotting Races

TROTTING

Prestbury won his way to the best trotting company when he outclassed the field in the Railway Handicap at Forbury Park on Saturday. That win was his third at the meeting and his fourth since he has been trained by J. L. Behrns at Chertsey. Prestbury has always shown speed in his races, but earlier in his career he was most unpredictable. He repeatedly broke at the start of his races and refused to settle down.

Since being trained by Behrns he has gradually improved. His performances at Forbury Park stamp him as a highly-promising trotter and more will be heard of him next season, when, if he races as well as he did at Dunedin, he should be among the best horses of his gait. On Saturday Prestbury began smartly from 36 yards, but met trouble before the end of a furlong from galloping horses. He lost about 36 yards in the incident and at the end at the end of two furlongs his prospects looked hopeless as the leaders were setting a strong pace. When Behrns asked him for an effort in the back straight, with less than .half a mile to run, Prestbury settled the issue in a few strides. Over the final furlong he was not asked for an effort to win easing up by 10 lengths. He trotted the mile and a half in 3min losec, the fastest time recorded by a horse of his gait on the course. His time is only 2 2-ssec outside Dictation’s New Zealand winning record. Dictation holds the New Zealand record at 3min 10 4-ssec. The time was for a minor placing. Raced by his breeder, Mr W. H. Denley, of Ashburton, who trained him until he joined Behrns’s team last November. Prestbury is an eight-year-old gelding by the Australian-bred Radiant Walla, from Gwita Grattan, by Grattan Loyal from Tipperary Girl, by Rey de Oro from a mare -by Harold Dillon.

Gwita Grattan, which was foaled in 1942. is now in the New Zealand Stud Book. Prestbury is Gwita Grattan's only living foal. She missed in 1948 and died after foaling a filly to Radiant Walia in 1949. Prestbury started racing as a four-year-old and he has started' 55 times for seven wins and nine placings. worth £2453 15s. a very small total for a horse which will have to race against the best trotters in commission. All but £558 15s of his total has been won this season.

Should Make Amends Radar was handily placed in the Fairfield Handicap at Forbury Park when she was badly checked and sent towards the rear of the field. Another check put an end to her chances and she was pulled up with six furlongs io run. D. J. Townley has the Swordsman mare very fit at present and she should soon make amends for her defeat at Forbury Park. Lead Increased

M. Holmes has increased his lead on the drivers' list for the season to 19 His two wins at 'the Auckland club’s meeting on Saturday brought his total for the season to 48, compared with 29 by W. R. Butt, who is second on the list. Butt has a lead of 18 over his nearest rival on the trainers’ list Butt trained two winners on Saturday, bringing his total to 38, compared with 20 by C. S. Donald. Broken Girth

Barravey’s girth broke at the start of the Railway Handicap at Forbury Park on Saturday and the Light Brigade gelding went to a break. He

lost a big stretch of ground before he settled down, and in the circumstances did well to finish fifth, even though he was a long way from the winner, Prestbury. Barravey looks in great order at present and he may not be long showing winning form. For Canterbury Park Brandon and Cardena, members of J. Malcolm’s Nightcaps team, will probably be campaigned at the Canterbury Park Trotting Club’s winter meeting on May 26. Both horses failed in their races at Forbury Park on Saturday. Cardena, which won on the course in January, finished fourth in the Southland Handicap, and Brandon finished well back in the Peninsula Handicap after failing to show any dash.

Win For His Majesty His Majesty, which is held on lease in Western Australia from Mr C. L. Rhodes, of Christchurch, won at a country meeting in that State recently. Starting at 5 to 1. His Majesty was handicapped on 36 yards and he paced the mile and three-quarters at a 2min 12sec mile rate. He beat Oregon, which was joint favourite with Bronze Gold at 5 to 2. The Light Brigade stallion’s performance created a good impression and it has been predicted that he should more than hold his own when raced at Gloucester Park, Perth. Another Good Effort Dourglo recorded another smart effort at Forbury Park on Saturday when he finished fifth in the Farewell Handicap. He broke badly at the start and was well out of his ground at the end of a furlong. He was running on strongly at the end of a fast run race and he did well to finish so close up. He did not flatter his supporters in the Queen's Handicap, for which he was the 5, 5 favourite, earlier in the day when he stood on the mark and took virtually no part in the contest. Dourglo may race next at the Canterbury Park Club's meeting at the end of the month. Well Beaten

Lady French and Super Royal, the first and second favourites respectively for the Peninsula Handicap" the second leg of the double at Forbury Park on Saturday, were among the first beaten in the race and although Lady French finished fifth and Super Royal sixth, they did not look like finishing any doser. They were both under pressure with two furlongs to run and did not improve after having every chance. Of the 8720 j 10s tickets on Mighty Fine, winner of the first leg, 4136 were redeemed on Lady French and Super Royal, with 24831 on Lady French. In Canterbury Barcola, Signor and Haddon Hall, which were formerly trained in Southland, are now members of Canterbury teams. Barcola has been secured by Drs. A. C. and A. S. Sandston, who race Thelma Globe and Belle Renarde. and he is being trained at Templeton by J. B. Pringle. Signor and Haddon Hall have joined O. G. Oakley's Yaldhurst team. Signor, which has been twice placed this season, is a brother to Barcola. He is raced by Mr G. C. Cruickshank, a member of the executive of the New Zealand Trotting Conference. Haddon Hall, which is raced by Mr A. W. Broad, of Invercargill, is an aged gelding by Dillon Hall from Rough Diamond. He has had one fourth placing from five starts this season.