TROTTING BLUE WILL BE STRONG FAVOURITE IN STAKES

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28528, 6 March 1958, Page 5

TROTTING BLUE WILL BE STRONG FAVOURITE IN STAKES

Blue will be backed down to extremely short odds to win again in the £750 Timaru Nursery Stakes at Washdyke on Saturday. The speedy Local Light colt has not started since he convincingly won the Canterbury Park Juvenile Stakes on a heavy track at Addington a month ago. The going should be firm at Washdyke on Saturday and some idea of Blue’s great speed should be gained. Last season he established a world record for a yearling of 2min 9 l-ssec for one mile. If the speed is on in Saturday’s race, Phantasy’s race record of 2min 44 3-ssec, established in 1955, should be threatened. Only a brave investor will be prepared to bet heavily against Blue. But there will no doubt be reasonably strong support for Adroit, which won the New Zealand Golden Slipper Stakes at Waimate and the Invitation Stakes at Orari. Between those wins he was beaten into fourth place in the Canterbury Park Juvenile Stakes. In that race he failed to cope with the track conditions and he tangled several times. There was considerable merit in his placing. Adroit, a son of Johnny Globe and Tactics, has good stamina, and with a smooth beginning, he is the one most likely to trouble the favourite.

Cheam, Prince, Ceremonial, Fair Loan and Court Out have all raced well enough to add interest to the race. The third and fourth place should come from these five. Cheam had her first race start at Orari on February 22. She was slow away and followed Adroit through when he raced to the lead approaching the straight. She did not look a serious threat to the winner, but held second place six lengths in front of the third horse. Prince. Cheam is a speedy-looking filly and it will be surprising if she fails to show to advantage again on Saturday. Two Placings Prince has been placed at his two starts to date and he will be popular with place betters. He chased Blue home at Addington and was third at Orari. Both times he drifted early and came home strongly. A most promising pacer. Prince should be running on more strongly over the final furlong than most of his rivals and he may be placed once more. Ceremonial is the only acceptor having its first start at a totalisator meeting. Owned and trained by B. Grice, she is a likely type of filly by a grand pacer in the U. Scott horse, Morano, from a classic winner, Tradition. Ceremonial finished within a head of Cheam at the recent Ashburton trials and she looked to be doing as well as the winner at the finish. She is expected to show marked improvement at short notice.

Fair Loan had her only start in the Canterbury Park Juvenile Stakes. She was slow away, but moved up smartly to be second racing to the straight. She then tired slightly in the heavy going and finished third. A filly by U. Scott from Bellisima, she is owned and trained by C. R. Berkett. The firmer going expected at Washdyke should suit her better than the heavy feoing she encountered at Addington. Court Out, a member of N. E. Browne’s Yaldhurst team, finished a useful fifth at Addington, but at Orari she was eleventh after meeting trouble in the running. She is a speedy filly capable of making a bold showing. She is another expected to appreciate firm footing. Stormlea and Laika finished fifth and sixth respectively in the Invitation Stakes at Orari and they will form a useful bracket for J. G. Crofts. They Will have to show improvement to have much chance of extending Blue, Adroit and Cheam. Registration of Sulkies As calls on the sulky fund have been very heavy, the executive of the New Zealand Trotting Conference has under consideration a scheme to register all sulkies used in races.

Examination of Drivers The executive of the New Zealand Trotting Conference has decided that a direction should be i given to the stipendiary stewards that after every accident the horsemen involved must be medically examined and a certificate obtained before they are permitted to drive again in < later events. Increased Penalties

For some time past the executive of the New Zealand Trotting Conference has been concernd with interference in races, bad barrier manners of horses, and undue use of the whip. An improvement has resulted from the firmer action taken by the stipendiary stewards, but the measures taken have not been completely effective and the executive has decided that the penalties in . future should be increased.

Change of Stables The nine-year-old Logan Derby gelding. Tapuwae, is now a member of R. Young’s Addington team. Raced by Mrs M. Adams, he was

formerly a member of J. Steward’s Te Awamutu team. Tapuwae has been unplaced in seven starts this season, finishing hear the rear in all of them. He has shown plenty of speed, but has broken hopelessly in most of his appearances. His last win was at Auckland in January, 1957, when he beat Worthy Admiral and Sunny Smith in the Rowe Memorial Cup. Tapuwae will be eligible for the main trotters’ races at Addington.

For Addington The Huapai owner-trainer, A. B. Levy, intends racing Canyon and Sergeant Sandy at the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s Easter meeting at Addington later this month. His main mission will be to qualify Canyon for the next New Zealand Cup. The Bill B. five-year-old is on 4min 25sec for two miles and requires one win over a distance to graduate to cup class. Canyon will be driven at Addington by R. Young. Levy will probably drive Sergeant Sandy. Canyon won three races at the last Auckland Cup meeting, recording the good time of 3min 28 4-ssec for the mile and five furlongs when he won the Premier Handicap on the final day of the meeting. Sergeant Sandy, an aged gelding by Sandydale from Roma Grattan, has not won a race this season. His best effort from seven starts has been a fourth in the Cambridge Trotting Cup won by Epsom Hall on January 4. Sergeant Sandy will have numerous opportunities at the Addington meeting.

Strong Representation The Wyndham Trotting Club’s autumn meeting usually proves most popular with Canterbury trainers and this year’s meeting, Which opens on Saturday, is no exception. Among the northern horses down to race there are Sure Patrick and Wimpy, trained by R. H. Butterick; Gay Polka and Elope, trained by W. E. Lowe; Banquier and Fame, trained by S. D. Edge; Leithton Lass and Jackaleen, trained by A. J. Bromby; Dismiss. Super Attack and Battle Hymn, trained by D. G. Jones; King Star and Crimson Star, trained by D. C. Jessop; and Diamond, trained by W. J. Marshall.

Limits are changed in a number of races on the second day of the meeting on March 15 and several other Canterbury horses are expected to parade. They include Rockn Roll, Wainoni Loyal, Golden Hero, Spreadeagle, Capull, Dalene, Darkest, Putna, Allard, Red Antrim, Allanah Marie, Commander Spangle, Achates, Captain Free, Keff and Wraith.

If all the Canterbury horses go south, the Wyndham club should have a most successful meeting.