PLANS FOR HIT PARADE

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28251, 12 April 1957, Page 5

PLANS FOR HIT PARADE

Another Ellerslie Double

“The Press" Special Service STRATFORD, April 10. Hit Parade is being prepared fhr another tilt at the Great Northerns on similar lines to the methods employed by his Taranaki owner-trainer, Mr A. M. Hignett, last year when he triumphed in the Great Northern Steeples and Hurdles fields at Ellerslie. Earlier he won the Waikato Steeples. After his unsuccessful campaign at the Grand National meeting. Hit Parade returned to his farm quarters, where after a short rest he was soon fighting fit again. He has been used as a farm hack for the last three or four months and, last week-end, went to Lepperton for a run at the local hunt meeting. Though he was suffering from an attack of greasy heel. Hit Parade jumped brilliantly and relished the run. Afterwards he was inclined to favour the affected foot, but Mr Hignett hopes that it will yield to treatment within a week or two, and that the glamour horse of 1956 at Ellerslie will be fit for a similar programme this year. The only two factors likely to weigh heavily against Hit Parade will be poundage and another year on to his age.

His winter campaign will be as near as possible, in the early stages at least, to that of last year. Entered at Te Rapa on the middle day and the concluding day of the Waikatn Racing Club fixture, as he was last year, Hit Parade has also been nominated for a mile hack race, the concluding race ort the third day’s programme.

Depending somewhat on track conditions. Hit Parade might this yeai include the Wellington Steeplechase meeting in his campaign. ,

Mr Hignett also has high hopes of another horse of his. This is Perspective, a five-year-old mare by Survievt from Brofoce, which also shows much abilit'y as a steeplechaser. This mare was lightly raced before she was bought by Mr Hignett.

SYDNEY CLP FAVOURITE

Llanisfair’s Great Gallop (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY, April 11. Bookmakers drastically slashed the price of the New Zealand stayer Llanisfair in the £12.500 Sydney Cup. for ■ which he is favourte, after a sensational gallop at Randwick today. I lanisfair scored an eight lengths' victory over Monte Carlo in a snecial mile gallop at Randwick. The winner’s time. Imin 42.1 sec. was brilliant, and it would have been faster had he been ridden right out.

After the gallop Llanisfair’s trainer T. J. Smith, declared that the New Zealand gelding would win the Sydney Cup.

Danish Life-Guards for Edinburgh.—A detachment of 87 men from the Royal Danish Life Guards will take part in the Scottish Tattoo of 1957. They will leave Copenhagen on August 4. Their visit to Scotland will also include five days' sightseeing. The Danish Guards will train for the Tattoo in their spare time.— Copenhagen (Reuter).