Rising Fast’s Trainer Might Buy Heavily At Trentham Yearling Sales

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28157, 21 December 1956, Page 4

Rising Fast’s Trainer Might Buy Heavily At Trentham Yearling Sales

[From the Australian Correspondent of “The Press’*}

SYDNEY, December 19. Sydney’s leading trainer, T. J. Smith, will have his biggest buying commission at the New Zealand yearling sales at Trentham in January. The sales will be held on January 18 and 23. Smith’s application for allocation of exchange to cover projected purchases will break all records.

Last yar, Australian buyers found buying difficult under the quota system, which allowed commissioners a set amount of money for their total purchases.

Smith, for one, allowed some yearlings to pass through because he feared to bid lest he should find himself with no exchange for horses later in the sales.

Smith said: ‘T missed a few yearlings I would have liked very much because of this, and then found at the end of the sdles that I could have operated and remained within the limits of the quota allowed me. “But the experience taught me quite a lot and I’m going to approach the job this time from a different angle. “I’ve had so much good luck with New Zealand horses that my stable patrons are already busy looking through the catalogues which have just arrived.

“I’ve already got some knowledge of the yearlings listed, but there are a lot I have to see; in fact it’s one of the best catalogues the auctioneers have ever listed.

There s going to be plenty to pick from: the trouble will be to fine them down.”

For the last two years Smith has come back from New Zealand with something more than yearlings to add to his large string. At the 1955 sales arrangements were made for him to train Toparoa, who in due course won the Melbourne Cup. At the sales last year he was given the job of training Redcraze for an Australian campaign and won the Brisbane Cup, the Metropolitan at Randwick, the Caulfield Cup, and went within strides of winning the Melbourne Cup. Smith will not be drawn on "the subject of whether there has been any approach to him to train another New

Zealander for ths next winter and spring handicaps. But people “in the know” want to bet that in due course he will add another stayer from New Zealand to the team. „ , In the 1955-56 season. New Zealandbred horses racing in Australia won a total of £283,000 in stakes. Redcraze’s wins and places this year gave the New Zealanders a good start but there was a bit of a halt in their progress because of the successes of the Australian-bred Evening Peal. Pandie Sun, Sailor's Guide and Baystone. Australian newspapers do not go out of their way to publicise New Zealand horses, for no other reason than the fact that once a New Zealand horse is absorbed into racing here he is regarded just as much Australian as any other horse. . . Rising Fast’s New Zealand origin ceased to have any emphasis once he was “adopted” by Melbourne race crowds. Sydney has known the dual Derby winner, Monte Carlo, for so long that already he is “Australian.” Melbourne newspapers include the letters “N.Z.” after the name of a horse owned in New Zealand or who raced in New Zealand before coming to Australia, but Sydney newspapers seldom use the letters in any circumstances.

There is room for a continued campaign by New Zealand breeders to capitalise the tremendous- publicity New Zealand-bred horses have given them “for free.”

Count Oman Will Not Start At Auckland “The Press” Special Service AUCKLAND, December 20. The good two-year-old colt. Count Oman, will not compete at the Auckland Racing Club’s summer meeting. This was stated yesterday by his trainer, F. Smith. Count Oman has been eased in his work through shin soreness. Count Oman, which has won three of his four starts, is an acceptor for the Great Northern Foal Stakes on Boxing Day. Cardigan is not a certain starter in the Avondale Challenge Stakes, according to his trainer, E. Ropiha, who considers the horse not in need of further racing. Cardigan was the best of the Auckland Cup horses at Ellerslie this morning, when he beat Sombrero, Gillace, and High Quality over a mile in Imin 45sec, 55 feet out on the course proper. Marsden also* worked well over nine furlongs, the last six in Imin 22sec, but Column was disapopinting, being beaten by Great Peter over a mile and a quarter in 2min 20sec. Khisdar is unlikely to contest the Coronation Handicap at Avondale on Saturday on account of his wide barrier position.

SCRATCHINGS The following scratchings have been issued for meetings tomorrow:— Avondale Shorts Handicap: Bunyarra. Empire Hack Handicap: Dunray. Cambridge Karapiro Trot Handicap: Four Winds. Bruntwood Trot Handicap: Tyrone Bell. Christmas Handicap: Bronze Arrow. Motukarara New Brighton Trot Handicap: Marawiti. Canterbury Park Handicap: Shemara, Spring Rae, Lafene. Banks Peninsula Handicap: Reticent. First Waihora Handicap: Rosslyn Rowan. Second Waihora Handicap: By Pass. Metropolitan Handicap: Kawa. Paparua Handicap: Coronation Hall, Stylish Grattan. Wingatui Trial Handicap: Hearth Rug. Dunedin Cup: Montrose. Mornington Hack Handicap: Post.