Caduceus May Be Crowded In Inter-Dominion Final

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28836, 5 March 1959, Page 5

Caduceus May Be Crowded In Inter-Dominion Final

(N.Z. Press Association—Copy rig nt)

MELBOURNE, March 4. The most discussed aspect of the Inter-Dominion trotting final is whether rival drivers will allow Caduceus enough room to go arouna the field when he unwinds his run and in the belief that other horses will be taken extremely wide to keep Caduceus out, bookmakers today eased his price another quarter of a point. Caduceus will concede 12 yards to four rivals, and 24 yards to the six scratch-markers. Mr Dudley Moore, of Templeton, who races Caduceus in partnership with his brother Dennis, thinks his horse faces the toughest task of his career in the £lO,OOO final on Saturday. Mr Moore considers Dlabolo Don (NS.W.) and Dusty Miller (Victoria), off 12 yards and scratch respectively, will be hardest for his horse to beat. Mr Moore said today that this will almost certainly be Caduceus's last attempt at the Inter-Dominion title. Caduceus and the New South Wales finalist Mineral Spring, both eight-year-old stallions, are old Inter-Dominion rivals. Caduceus is making his fifth attempt at the championship, and Mineral .Spring his third. The pair have clashed several times. Caduceus’s heats wins and placings have been : 1955 (Auckland): One heat win. one heat third.

1956 (Sydney): One heat second (when beaten by Mineral Spring), one heat third, and third in the final (in which Mineral Spring finished second to Gentleman John) 1957 (Perth): Two heat wins, one heat third, and fourth to Radiant Venture in the final. In Adelaide last year. Caduceus was withdrawn from the series due to an injury after failing in one heat. In the present series, Caduceus has won three heats in fastest time for a maximum of 21 qualifying points. The Perth pacer Kodak has only an even chance of running in the final on Saturday, according to his trainer, W. F. Johnson. Johnson said today that Kodak was showing slight improvement, but the injuries to his near hind leg had not responded to treatment as well as he would have iiked. Kodak pulled a muscle behind his offhind leg and injured his hock and stifle in a mix-up with Beloro in the fourth heat of the third qualifying division on Saturday night. Today’s betting market on the Inter-Dominion final is as follows: Caduceus Dlabolo Don. Dusty Miller, First Kiss, Fiery Land. Super Royal. Mineral Spring. Billabong Scott, Young Pedro. Kodak. Gambling Raid.