AUSTRALIAN SPRINTS

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28480, 9 January 1958, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN SPRINTS

Strong Fields Likely (NJZ. Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY, January 6. Sprint races in Australia in the next few months are not going to be easy to win. New Zealand trainers who contemplate bringing horses across for the racing in Melbourne in Feruary-March, Sydney at Easter time, and Brisbane in June-July will have more chances if they concentrate on horses which have stamina. Events in recent weeks suggest keen competition in the feature events—the Oakleigh Plate, Newmarket Handicap, Doncaster Handicap, Stradbroke Stakes, and the Doomben Ten Thousand.

In Sydney the two latest to join the list of outstanding sprinters are Dubbo and Gold Stakes. Dubbo is a three-year-old by Newtown Wonder (Imp.), and Gold Stakes is a three-year-old by Star Kingdom (Imp.). The two sires have been on top of the list of stallions with successful two-year-olds for the last three seasons, and their sons and daughters are providing Australian raeng with many good sprinters. Dubbo won the seven-furlong New Year’s Gift at Randwick on New Year’s Day as he liked. On Saturday, Gold Stakes, resuming after a spell, ran away with the Flying Handicap at Canterbury Park, running close to the six-year-old record without being extended in the finish.

These three-year-olds look worthy rivals for New Spec, the four-year-old Newtown Wonder gelding which looks to be the best sprinting proposition in Australia at the moment. New Spec is from the same mare as Teranyan and Lelspec, both good winners. Teranyan has won a Doomben Ten Thousand besides being placed in a Stradbroke Handicap and a Doncaster Handicap, but the opinion is that New Spec is a better sprinter by far.