TROTTING Progeny Of New Sires Impress At Addington

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28822, 17 February 1959, Page 5

TROTTING Progeny Of New Sires Impress At Addington

The important part sires imported from the United States in recent years are going to play in improving the standard of New Zealand trotting was emphasised again in the Canterbury Park Juvenile Stakes at Addington on Saturday. Nine of the 16 runners were from the first crops of five sires imported from the United States. The new sires were Hal Tryax, which had four runners, Stormyway, which had two, and Garrison Hanover, Meadow Chief and My Chief, which had one each. Flying Song, another stallion imported at the same time, did not have a representative. Next season, the first of the progeny of Captain Adios ana Thunder On, two well-bred horses, will race, and they will add considerable interest to juvenile racing. The horses in Saturday’s race were, with few exceptions, a handsome lot, and they seemed to be the best-looking lot of horses to parade for any two-year-old race in recent years. The race on Saturday resulted in an easy win for Sun Chief, which at his other start gained a narrow win in the New Zealand Golden Slipper Stakes at Waimate in December. Sun Chief just managed to hold off Arania at the finish of the Waimate race, but on Saturday he left her struggling over the last furlong and- won by five lengths. Many of the horses which finished behind Sun Chief shaped pleasingly, and with more experience, they will make . the Oamaru colt work much harder for victory in future classics. Raced by Breeder Sun Chief is owned and trained by his breeder, S.' Easton, of Oamaru, whose son, A. Easton, imported My Chief. He is out of the Dillon Haff mare, Jenny Dillon, which won races at the trotting gait. My Chief, which was foaled in 1947, was got by Chief Abbedale, a son of Abbedale, which sired Sandydale, a successful sire in New Zealand.

Sim Chief suffered from a cold after winning at Waimate and he missed a lot of work. He improved quickly and was a much better horse after racing in the qualifying trials for the Addington race. He hit out cleanly in Saturday’s race and did not look like wilting after taking Imin 4sec for his last half-mile. D. J. Townley had no anxious moments with him as he began very fast and the combination will be hard to beat in future classics.

The Southland youngster, Blue Prince, was a firm favourite for the race, but he could do no better than sixth after losing about 72 yards at the start. His driver, K. Balloch, said later that Blue Prince,'' which drew the second line, was starting to rear as the barrier was released. He failed to strike his hopples and like many clean-gaited horses he broke hopelessly and had to be pulled almost to a walk to return to a pace. This was the first occasion on which . Blue Prince had ever broken. , Once into his stride, Bide Prince was allowed to run along without being asked for a serious effort. He did well to finish so close up. He made short work of Sun Chief when they met in a qualifying heat • for the race. Whether he would have been capable of troubling the Oamaru colt on Saturday is a matter for conjecture. All arguments on the subject will be settled when they meet again, which may be in the Timaru Nursery Stakes or the New Zealand Welcome Stakes, which will be run next month. • „ , ' Blue Prince is by Hal . Tryax from Princess Shiela, the dam also of Blue Jay. He has more ability than most .of his age and he should at least win one race? before the season ends. Second Again The U. Scott filly, Arania, again paced a sound race for second. She started from the outside of the second line, accelerated quickly and was soon handily placed. She was no match for Sun Chief in the straight, but showed gameness to hold on for second. Like many of the .progeny of her sire, she

may be best served by time. She has plenty of size and should eventually be a good winner.

Arania is out of Local Gold, a Gold Bar mare which showed fine form some years ago. She is a half-sister to Local Light, the sire of the champion pacer JBlue. Sally Boy, one of the bestlooking youngsters in the race, began as well as Sun Chief and was steadied in behind. He finished on well for third, half a length from Arania, and looks to have a bright future. Owned and trained by E. T. he is by Garrison Hanover, which was imported by Mr L.' M. Denton, of Yaldhurst. Garrison Hanover was a well-performed horse in the United States. He was got by a champion, Billy Direct, from Gloria Hanover. Sally Boy’s dam, Sally Walla, was by Eruce Walla, tracing back to First Water, founder of a z highly-suc-cessful family. Sally Boy has plenty of ability and he looks to have a bright future. He is booked to race next at Geraldine on Saturday week. Commonwealth, which just managed * to qualify for the Addington race, paced soundly for fourth. He is a gelding by the New Zealand Cup winner, Adorian, from a smart race mare in Empire Lady. He is trained by F. G. Holmes at West Eyreton for his daughter-in-law, Mrs M. E. Holmes. He looks a likely type.

Calumite did best of the two youngsters by Stormyway in the race. He came home well for a close fifth. Raced by Mr J. Cocks, of Ashburton, he is trained at Methven by C. V. May.

Stormyway, which was imported by Mr J. M. Connelly, of Geraldine, was a big winner in the United States. He was by Volomite (the sire of Light Brigade) from a champion mare in Del Frisco, which took a mile record in Imin 59|sec as a three-year-old. Calumite is out of a grand trotting mare in Calumella. which was raced by Mr Cocks. Covent Garden paced a useful race for seventh without being knocked about. He drifted early and showed speed once properly balanced. Raced in partnership by his trainer, M. Holmes, and Mr B. J. Wilks, of Christchurch, he is by the Adios horse, Meadow Chief, from Primo. He is closely related to winners in Likely and First Victory.