Centennial Star Left With Northern Trainer

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28089, 3 October 1956, Page 5

Centennial Star Left With Northern Trainer

TROTTING

Centennial Star, a place-getter in his two starts at the Auckland Trotting Club’s meeting last month, was left in the north to be prepared by P. Stewart at Papatoetoe. The 'Quite Sure gelding will probably have his first start for his new trainer at the Auckland club’s meeting latey this month. D. G. Jones, who formerly 1 rained Centennial Star, is now preparing Precaution and White Caps, both of which will resume racing in the next month or two. Centennial Star, which is raced by Messrs W. A. Craddock and R. Curragh, more than paid his way when trained by Jones. However, he was not always top reliable in his races or his record would have been better. Centennial Star raced consistently last season for four wins and eight placings from 24 starts and he earned £1770 in stakes. He beat Thelma Belwin in the Eastbourne Handicap at Hutt Park last September, and 12 months ago he won the Welcome Handicap at Forbury Park from See All. He gave a glimpse of his ability when he outstayed Margaret Scott in the Rawhiti Handicap at New Brighton in December, and he did not win again until his last start for the season. That was at the Canterbury Park Club’s winter meeting when he beat Deportment and See All in the Holmes Handicap. Centennial Star looked likely to win the Royal Oak Handicap on the first day of the recent Auckland meeting, but he broke near the straight -entrance after forcing all the pace and he was beaten into third place. A week later he went under to the promising Sunny Smith in the Whitford Handicap. Centennial Star will have plenty of rich opportunities in the Auckland district in the next few months and it will be surprising if he fails to win a race. - Good Trotter

Precaution, which has been off the scene since last March, will not have any races to suit him until the New Zealand Cup meeting. The Casanova stallion is one of the most tightlyassessed trotters in commission. Last season he showed useful form when he gained one win and five placings from 11 starts. His win was in the Greyhound Handicap at the New Zealand Cup meeting when he beat Vodka. He finished fourth in his two races at the Addington Auguft meeting, but was promoted to third in his second start after a horse had been disqualified for breaking. He was secopd to Slipstream in the Worthy Queen Handicap on New Zealand Cup day, and was fourth in the Dominion Handicap won by Recruit He was also a good third to Vodka and Slipstream in the New Zealand Trotting Free-for-all.

Precaution has always shown plenty of ability and on his day he is one of the best stayers among the horses of his gait. He is far from being a spent force, and although he will have to give away big starts in his races at Addington next month, he may more than pay his way. White Caps, a four-year-old mare by Intruder from a grand race mare ’ n . P ocal Gold, the dam also of Loral Light, wort two races last season. Her most impressive effort was recorded at Epsom last May when she beat Singlena and Cashier in the Manukau btakes. She has a useful turn of speed and may not be long showing rorm at minor meetings in Canter- ? ur X-. She will have numerous opportunities of extending her record in the next few months. Hororata Matinee The Hororata Trotting Club has had “P° st P° n e ite annual non-totalisator meehng until Tuesday, December 11. slub5 lub , was to have raced this a ’ terations have been would not e ? rack^ at Hororata and it week 1 haVe been available this Badly Cheeked When Double Talk broke at the end of about a furlong in the President'l ? an A lca P at Ashburton on Saturday he checked Jack’s Luck and Fervent Scott. A surprise 2, 3 favourite for the race, Fervent Scott met further .rouble in the running and he dropped post. S °° n af ‘ er passing ‘he half-mile Two-year-old Parade The Kaikoura Trotting Club has i rUn a parade for two-yea?-Th’ tS meetmg on Monday, October 29. The parade, which will start about Jt.MS’ku ™ n over six furlongs. The emb has decided to give a trophy tc the value of £lO to the owner of the winner, while it will also pay £5 towards the transport of each horse. For Cup Meeting Cabra, a winner at Addington in August has been kept going at Gore by J. Walsh and he will probably race next at the New Zealand Cup meeting next month. Cabra’s win last month qualified him for the main trotting races at Addington. He stays well and as he will be handily placed in his races, it will not surprise if he extends his record. He is an aged gelding by Dillon Hall, the majority of whose progeny favour the pacing gait, from Drumbunnif. Surprise Favourite Astrol, which was having her third race start, was a surprise favourite for the Chertsey Handicap at Ashburton on Saturday. She was very slow over the first furlong and was not afterwards dangerous. She finally finished twelfth, a long way from the winner, Manana. Astrol, a member of C. S. Donald’s team, is a four-year-

old mare by Josedale Grattan from Single Star, the dam also of Riviera and Petro Star, two fine winners at the pacing gait. Astrol has a good style of trotting and with more ex-j perience she may not be long winning. From Bashful The Gore -trainer, H. R. Reid, is working a two-year-old colt by Lucky Hanover from Bashful for Mr J. Peterson, who purchased him at the last yearling sales for 550gns. The colt is a half-brother to Guiseppe, unbeaten in three starts in the Auckland district this season and one of the most promising three-year-olds seen in the north for some years. The Lucky Hanover colt, which was bred in Christchurch by Mesdames D. T. McCormick and E. G. O. Rutherford, is showing promise in his work, and if he trains on may race in classics later in the season. / Gay Belwin’s Brother Stormy Belwin, a six-year-old brother to a grand trotter in Gay Belwin, justified the strong support for him in the Waiuku Handicap at the Franklin meeting on Saturday when he beat all but the favourite. Super Snipe. Stormy Belwin, which is trained at Mangere by J. Mclntyre, was having his first start at a totalisator meeting and he was a surprise 3, 3 favourite. Lack of race experience told against him over the last furlong and he went under by a length. It was a most impressive debut and it suggested that he will not be long gaining his first win. Showed Speed Lady Helmer had only two horses behind her in a strung-out field just after the start of the Seafield Handicap at Ashburton on Saturday. She improved her position in the back straight and was third racing to the last furlong. She ran on solidly in a fast-run race and held this position at the post just over two lengths from the winner. A five-year-old mare by U. Scoit from Ingle Belmer, Lady Belmer has more ability than most in Hhr class and she may not be long returning to the outstanding effort she recorded when she won at New Brighton last month. She is trained at Methven by D. J. McKinley for Mrs P. A. Watson. McKinley, who was successful with several members of J. B. Pringle’s team last autumn during the latter’s absence in Australia with Thelma Globe, is now private trainer for the Methven breeder, Mr P. A. Watson.