TROTTING Bon Ton And Dignus Will Meet In Stakes

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28362, 22 August 1957, Page 4

TROTTING Bon Ton And Dignus Will Meet In Stakes

Tl)e meeting between Dignus and Bon Ton in the Metropolitan Stakes, a race restricted to four* year-olds, will be one of the highlights of the second day of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s national meeting at Addington on Saturday.

These fine pacers have not met since the Charles Cross Stakes at Addington on December 31. Then Dignus, which started from the front, won, with Bon Ton, which started from 36 yards, an unlucky fourth.

Dignus and Bon Ton were to have met in the August Handicap on the first day of the meeting, but Bon Ton was withdrawn from the race. Dignus was an unlucky second to Lauder Lady in the August Handicap. He was hopelessly hemmed in on the rails for most of the. race and it was not until the final furlong that he worked clear., Once in the open he finished brilliantly and his effort to get within a head of the winner was one of the features of the day’s racing. Dignus, winner of the Sydney Pacing Derby last season, is certain to have improved as a result of his race last week, and it is expected that he may be too good for Bon Ton. Dighus’s trainer-driver, J. D. Litten, won this race 12 months ago with another outstanding pacer in False Step. He was successful with Brava in 1952.

Bon Ton was one of the leading three-year-olds of last season and, but for an injury early in the autumn, his record would probably have been better. He has been working well at Addington lately, and would only need to strike a firm track to be the hardest for Dignus to beat Golden Hero’s Prospects Golden Hero winner of the New Zealand Sapling Stakes in 1955, looks to have the best prospects of the others in the race. He was a good second to Shantung in the Canterbury Three-year-old Stakes at the national meeting 12 months ago, and his form then fell away badly. He did not. win until the Ashburton meeting in June, his effort that day suggesting that he was on the way to high-class form. On the

second day at Ashburton he was a sound fifth in the New Zealand Futurity Stakes. Golden Hero worked well at Addington before the first day of the meeting, and he should earn some of the stake. Aksarben, a three-quarter brother to the record-breaking Local Light yearling of last season, has at times shown plenty of speed in his races and at trials. He is not always too reliable, in his races, but if at his best, he could add interest to the finish. Crimson Star and Sextant are the only other horses handicapped behind the limit. Crimson Star showed useful form at times last season, but he would have to improve to have much chance here. The same applies to Sextant, which looks too close to Dignus and Bon Ton at a difference of

only 24 yards in the handicap. Prospects of the winner coming from among the six horses on the front mark look remote. Teremoana and Stellar look the pick of them. Teremoana, a halfsister to the promising three-year-old, Sebau, created a good impression when she won at Ashburton in June. She has had only three starts to date, and she has improved with each of them. Although the class may be a little rich in this race, it will not surprise if she races prominently. Stellar recorded several placings in classic races last season, although her form in handicap events towards the end of the season was not strong. The Springbok—Star Ace mare is a good type of pacer and if forward enough she may show to advantage.

Compeer has been working well lately at Addington, and if he could be relied on to reproduce those efforts in his races he would be entitled to consideration. However, he is anything but reliable and will have to be taken on trust.

Arnhem, Ben Lee and Toka Boy make little appeal, and the finish should be disputed between Dignus, Bon Ton and Golden Hero. Winton President

Mr W. G. Clark, who has been president of the Winton Trotting Club for the last 17 years, has decided not to seek re-election in the coming year. Mr Clark was first elected to the committee of the Winton club in 1929, and as president in 1940. The new president of the club will be Mr J. W. Cahill, who has been a vicepresident for many years.

Win for Te Koi Te Koi, a member of P. Wolfenden’s Epsom team, gave a dashing display of pacing to win his heat of the free-for-all at trial? held at Auckland on Saturday Fifth most of the way, Te Koi worked clear with two furlongs to run, and he was not troubled to win by 10 lengths from Milldoria and Merrie Scott after recording 3min 16sec for the mile and a half.

The surprise of the other heat was the defeat of the speedy four-

year-old, Guiseppe, by Lee Scott. Guiseppe was always handily placed, but was no match for the winner over the final furlong and he went under by half a length. Lde Scott recorded 3min 22 2-ssec for the mile arid'"a half. Cabra’s Winnings

Cabra advanced his stake-earn-ings to £6410 when he won the Christchurch Handicap on the first day of the national meeting at Addington. The Dillon' Hall gelding is on 72 yards in the Winter Handicap, run over two miles on the second day of the meeting, and it will be most surprising if he fails to improve his record.

Cabra is now on a 4min 30sec mark for two miles. Recruit, which is on 4min 27sec for the same distance, has won £9855 in stakes. He was withdrawn from his engagement on the first day of the meeting, and is not being asked to give away starts of up to 108 yards in the Winter Handicap. He may have his next against the pacers. Addington Double Lookaway was a firm favourite for the first leg of the double, the Louisson Handicap, on the opening day at Addington. In a pool of 121,092 5s tickets, 40.370 were invested on Lookaway. Dresden Lady was second favourite with doubles investors, with 23,167. The winner, Highland Air, was third favourite with 19,687.

Lookaway’s position came because of off-course patrons, who invested 34,418 tickets on him in a pool of 88,867. Highland Air

was second favourite off-course with 14,595, compared with 13,417 on Dresden Lady. On-course Dresden Lady was favourite with 9750 tickets, compared with 5952 1 on Lookaway, and 5092 on Highland Air.

Dignus, with 7527 tickets, or more than one-third of the total on Highland Air, was a hot favourite for the second leg, the August Handicap. Derive was second favourite with 3070, and Ricochet third with 2482. The winner, Lauder Lady, was ninth favourite and carried 496 tickets.