TROTTING Staraider's Success At Holiday Meetings

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

TROTTING Staraider's Success At Holiday Meetings

One of the most pleasing features of racing in Canterbury and on the West Coast during the holidays was the success of the Paralder mare. Staraider, which gained three wins and an unlucky third from four starts for her Islington trainer, G. Bennett. Her win in the Greymouth Cup on Monday could not have been more popular with followers of the sport on the West Coast.

The Bennett family has had a long association with trotting on the West Coast and Staraider’s trainer has had horses at Greymouth meetings for more than 30 years. However, he has met with only moderate success and Staraider’s win was his most important success on the coast.

Bennett, as well as being known as a trainer, is also recognised as a skilful blacksmith. After his mare's win on Monday, he said he had shod many fine horses, two of the most notable being Highland Fling and Certissimus. A pleasing feature of Staraider’s wins was that in all of them she was driven by probationary horsemen, two of her successes being in races restricted to these drivers. R. Curtin drove her to win at Ashburton and in the Greymouth Cup, and B. Pringle, aged 16, a son of the well-known trainer, J. B. Pringle, handled her in her winning run in the Probationary Handicap at Greymouth last Saturday. That was Pringle’s second drive at a totalisator meeting and his first win. He showed much of the Pringle family’s skill in driving in front when he took Staraider clear with five furlongs and a half left and held off a late challenge from Buren by half a head.

Owned in Westport Staraider is owned by her former Westport trainer, D. R. Cleal, and she is raced on lease by Bennett, who at one stage could have purchased her for a few pounds. Her three wins and one placing from four starts over the holidays have been worth £785, a total which should be greatly increased in the next few weeks. She is adept in bad ground as well as on firm tracks and she can both sprint and stay. Staraider is a seven-year-old mare by the Australian-bred sire, Paraider, from Margaret Grattan, by Grattan Loyal from Letitia, by Lord Elmo. She is a half-sister to True Comrade, Loyal Globe and Mighty Globe. Paraider met with only moderate success at the stud in New Zealand, although he left several useful winners in Australia. Staraider was the outsider of the field in the McLean Handicap at Ashburton on Boxing Day and she paid £B5 12s for a win and £l7 16s for a place, when she held off Buren by half a head. She started next in the Reefton Cup on December 30, but did not receive a good rim and was an unlucky third, half a length and half a head behind Empire Globe and Wimpy. Staraider was again at good odds when she won. the Probationary Handicap at Greymouth last Saturday. She started from 36 yards and after covering some extra ground in the middle stages, she ran on too strongly for her rivals. Curtin took Staraider to the front with about nine furlongs left in the Greymouth Cup on Monday. McGimpy attempted to wrest the lead from her with about half a mile left, but he could not pass her. They raced together over the last three furlongs, but when the pressure was applied Staraider had too much in reserve and she won most convincingly by a short length. Not Produced Solemnity was not produced at

the Greymouth meeting on Monday because of the state of the track. The Josedale Grattan gelding is in great order at present and he will be a prospect at the Timaru Trotting Club’s meeting on Saturday when he will race in the Kerrytown Han* dicap and the Taiko Handicap. Tourie’s Sister

Gay Flame, which raced consistently among the trotters on the West Coast holiday circuit, is a five-year-old sister to Tourie, a winner at Ashburton last month at the pacing gait Gay Flame is owned and trained at Seddonville by A. J. Rogers, who purchased her for 35gns as a two-year-old at the national sales. She has proved a great bargain so far and gives the impression that she will be a good winner later on. She stays strongly and can handle all types of track conditions. Change of Stables

Scottish Fair, which met with considerable success when trained at Tinwald by H. S. Donaldson, was transferred to J. W. Williamson’s Kerrytown stables after failing in the Ashburton Cup on December 26. He had his first start for his new trainer in the C. S. Howell Handicap at Addington on January 1, but could not handle the going and was not a possibility. Scottish Fair is a capable pacer on his day and he may not be long adding to his record. Plans For Gentry Gentry, runner-up to Highland Air in the Auckland Cup last month, will leave for Australia about the middle of next month, according to his owner, Mr H. S. Barry. If suitable races were available, Gentry would have one or two starts in Melbourne before the Inter-Dominion Championship series opened in Adelaide in March, he said.

Gentry will be in the care of his Papatoetoe trainer, P. Stewart, but so far no driving arrangements have been made for him. On his return to New Zealand Gentry will be spelled. He will probably resume racing at the Auckland Trotting Club’s spring meeting. After that he will be set for the New Zealand Trotting Cup in November. Promising Trotter

Peppercorn created a big impression in his three starts at the Greymouth Trotting Club’s meeting last week-end and he looks as though he will develop high-class form later for his Riccarton owner-trainer, J. S. Shaw. Peppercorn had two starts on Saturday and at his first appearance he was very slow early, but he gave a good display once into his stride.

He did not look like paying a dividend, but was not far away at the finish. He began well later in the day, but was forced to race three wide most of the way. He was about fourth into the straight, but droppeiTout over the last furlong. He could not handle the heavy track on Monday and was not persevered with.

Peppercorn is engaged in the Kingsdown Handicap at Washdyke on Saturday and it will not surprise if he takes a prominent part in the finish.

A fine type of brown gelding. Peppercorn is a four-year-old by the U. Scott horse, Scottish Star, which took a tight assessment for his Waikuku owner Mr W. Hosking, from a useful trotting mare in Carissima. Peppercorn was bred by Mr Hosking, who handed him on to Shaw. Answer To Correspondent

"No Luck,” Armagh street.— Cat’s Luck was a starter in the Steward’s Handicap at the Canterbury Park Trotting Club’s meeting on January 1.

Brackets For Timaru Brackets for the first day of the Timaru Trotting Club’s summer meeting at Washdyke on Saturday are:— Kingsdown Handicap: Attract and Fiametta. John Hole Memorial Handicap: Guard’s Brigade and Johnny Hall, Dinnie Daley and Kyle Nurse. Kerrytown Handicap: Blacksmith and Morere. Pareora Handicap: Gay Alabama and Greenstone, Radiotron and Red Antrim. Taiko Handicap: Reticent and Seafield Lad. Veterinary Care For Caduceus (NJZ. Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY, January 8. The New Zealand pacer, Caduceus, has shown no improvement in his condition in the last 24 hours and is under continuous veterinary care. Caduceus arrived from New Zealand yesterday in the Monowai and a veterinary surgeon was called immediately to examine him. The horse has not eaten properly for more than a week, and the veterinary surgeon was disturbed at his loss of condition. He has prescribed a course of tonics for Caduceus to restore his appetite.

Timaru Scratchings Girl Brigade (John Hole Memorial Handicap) and Banquier (Pareora Handicap) have been scratched for the first day of the Timaru Trotting Club’s meeting on Saturday.

Rehandicaps For Kumara

“The Press" Special Service GREYMOUTH, January 8. Rehandicaps for the Kumara Racing Club’s meeting on Saturday are:— Jack Reedy Memorial Handicap: Royal Vai, 61b to 8-9. Gilbert Memorial Handicap: Lucky Sal, 71b to 8-3. Dillmans Hack Handicap: Royal Vai, 71b to Bushman’s Handicap: Lucky Sal, 71b to 8-4. Levin Rehandicap.—Happy Monarch has been rehandicapped 81b to 8-1 for the Champion Hack Handicap at the Levin meeting on Saturday.— (P.A.)