Field Chief’s Next Mission Sydney Cup

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28224, 12 March 1957, Page 4

Field Chief’s Next Mission Sydney Cup

*’The Press" Special Service

DUNEDIN, March 11. Field Chief will not race at Trentham on Saturday. His next mission will be the £12,500 Sydney Cup, of two miles, to be run at Randwick at the Australian Jockey Club’s Easter carnival, which begins on April 20. He is scheduled to leave Wellington on the Wanganella on March 21, and he will be ridden by an Australian jockey during his campaign. The trainer, A. E. Didham, returned today from Trentham to finalise arrangements for his large team at Wingatui. He will go back to Wellington on Wednesday for the last day of the autumn meeting, where Ma Reine, Lochie, and Pale Blue have engagements. These three are under consideration for the Australian trip and a final decision will be made after they race on Saturday. Ma Reine and Lochie have been entered in the £6OOO Doncaster Handicap, of one mile. This event will be run on the opening day of the A.J.C. meeting. It is almost certain that Didham will make the trip, which will be the sixth time he has been to Australia. It will be the first time in the role of trainer. As the jockey of the Dunedinowned First In, he won the Balaclava Stakes and the Malahoff Stakes at Caulfield and was sixth

,in the Melbourne Cup that Russia won.

It is likely that he will be accompanied by his son, A. N. Didham, and that an application will be made for a licence for his son-in-law, the jockey, R. L. Murray, to train the home team during his absence. Field Chief is one of the best horses trained at Wingatui in rei cent years. Including the £lOOO for second place money in the Autumn Handicap at Trentham on Saturday, this eight-year-old son of Royal Chief and Janefield has now won £19,070. Of this amount he has won £13,995 in the colours of his present owner, Mr D. McFarlane, of Christchurch. Mr McFarlane also owns Ma Reine, Lochie, and Pale Blue. The Sydney Cup, which carries a stake of £12,000 and a gold cup valued at £5OO, will be run on Monday, April 22, the second day of the meeting. Last year it was won by Sailor’s Guide, winner of the V.R.C. Derby and the A.J.C. St. Leger. The 1954 event was won by Mr E. N. Fitzgerald’s Golden Souvenir gelding, Gold Scheme This is the only New Zealand horse to succeed in the last 25 years. Redcraze is top-weight in this year’s race with 10-3. Sailor’s Guide has 9-5 and Field Chief 8-8. .