NELSON WINNER COST OWNER 1400 GUINEAS

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28302, 13 June 1957, Page 4

NELSON WINNER COST OWNER 1400 GUINEAS

Modest brought a welcome change of luck to his East Eyreton trainer, F. G. Holmes, when he gained two wins and one second placing from three starts at the Nelson Trotting Club’s meeting last Saturday and Monday. Modest cost Holmes 1400gns three years ago when Holmes auctioned all the horses he owned in partnership with Mr G. Aitchison, of Hampden. .. Modest’s wins at Nelson were not unexpected as he had shown brilliant speed in his races at Hutt Park a week earlier, and also at trial smeetings over the last few months. Nervousness at the start of his races has prevented Modest winning long before this. Now that he has struck form, he should carry on to good company. He may race again at the Waikouaiti meeting next week.

The same day Holmes purchased Modest he paid 1050gns for a three-year-old sister to him. This races as Shy, and to date she has had only one win. She was also taken to Australia late last season, but failed to strike winning form, although she was placed. Modest is a five-year-old gelding by U. Scott from the Timaru Nursery. Stakes wjnner, Admiration, dam also of Esteem and the promising two-year-old, Zany. Admiration traces back to Bonilerte, founder of a highly successful family, including Adorian, Morano, Bonny Bridge, Denbry, Bayard, Captain Morant, Lookaway, Red Valley, Secure, and Guiseppe. Gay Alabama and Our Neil also graduated from maiden company at the Nelson meeting. Gay Alabama was third to Overdrive and Stellar in the New Zealand Oaks in December, and her win was long overdue. Raced by Mr F. Smith, she is trained at Addington by K. Purdon. She is a bay filly by Medoro from Alabama, by U. Scott from Social Funds. Our Neil, a member of F. Wilson’s Blenheim team, gained a well-deserved win in the Probationers’ Handicap, in which he was driven by M. L. Edwards. Our Neil came away from his field in the straight and won easing up by four lengths. Our Neil is a four-year-old grey gelding by Landmark from Esther Madeline, by Lusty Volo from a mare by Denver Huon. Esther Madeline is also the dam of Tehana, which is by Stylish

Wilkes. Our Neil looks as though he will be a useful winner later on. Southern Winner Canteen, which is trained by S. W. Kirby at Wyndham, had a well-deserved win in the first division of the Stewards’ Handicap at Nelson on Monday. Canteen was the only Southlandtrained horse at the Nelson meeting. On the first day he beat all but Tonga in his division of the Advance Handicap. An aged gelding by Colossal from a winner in Janet Hall, Canteen may never go far, but when he next strikes a field of similar class to that he beat at Nelson, he should extend his record. Melbourne Statistics Springfield Globe, with £8829 ss, the result of 15 wins and 33 placings, was the leading sire at the Melbourne Showgrounds during the season which ended last month. Second on the list was Light Brigade with £6193 ss, the result of 12 wins and 18 placings. Noble Scott took fourth place with £4BBB 10s, the result of 13 wins and 54 placings. He just beat this sire, U. Scott, which had £4522 10s, the result of 11 wins and 21 placings. The New Zealand-bred Grand Monarch (Light Brigade—Safari)

was the leading stake-winner with £2675. G. Rothacker was the leading trainer with 17 wins and 35 placihgs worth £B6ll and he was the leading driver with 19 wins worth £9320. He had a big lead on both lists. Remained .In North

Upward did not return to Southland after being campaigned in Canterbury in the last few weeks and he is at present a member of A. Holmes’s Yaldhurst team. Upward, which is raced by Mr W. E. Hazlett, of Invercargill, is now on a 4min 33secf mark for two miles and he is well outside Southland limits. He has been a good winner from J. A. Flynn’s team and his recent form suggests that he will not be long extending his record in Canterbury, where he> will have plenty of suitable races. Upward was most impressive when he gained an easy win in a race at Washdyke last month and he followed that effort up with an unlucky third to Vierosa and Fourth Edition over one mile and a half at Addington. On the first day at Ashburton he finished strongly for third to Genghis Khan And Fourth Edition in the Durbar Handicap, but he failed to run on on the second day and was unplaced. ■ Upward is a five-year-old gelding by Dillon Hall from Stirling Lady, the dam also of Stirling Hall, Stirling Castle, Onward, Mineral and other winners. Upward has been entered for the main sprint race at the Waikato Trotting Club’s meeting next week. Lexeter, Peace Pipe and Michael Hall are other South Island horses entered for the same race. J