TROTTING Strong Canterbury Team For Auckland

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28888, 7 May 1959, Page 4

TROTTING Strong Canterbury Team For Auckland

Canterbury stables will be strongly represented in the main races at the Auckland Trotting Club’s winter meeting which will begin at Alexandra Park on Saturday. Our Tim, Bon Ton, and Lady Shona are Engaged in the £l3OO Adams Memorial Gold Cup, the principal event and first leg of the double. They

will also contest the main sprint, the Telegraph Handicap, in which Papatawa will help to strengthen the chance

of a southern victory. Papatawa also has an earlier engagement in the Cornwall Handicap in which he will start from the 12-yard mark. Zany, a stablemate of Our Tim, is also an acceptor for this race. She qualified to start off the limit in the Cornwell Handicap by impressively winning the Beach Handicap at Forbury Park last Saturday. Captain Free, an acceptor in the Adams Memorial Gold Cup and the Telegraph Handicap, will not be taken north. His withdrawal from those races was inadvertently overlooked when acceptances closed on Monday. Captain Free will contest the Oamaru Jubilee Cup this week.

Our Tim, which is off the front in the Adams Memorial Gold Cup, has been a good winner this season for Messrs J. R. Clark and W. E. Desmond, who race him in partnership. His record since August, from 18 starts, is four wins, four seconds, and two fourths. His most recent success was at his last start in the twomile J. McCloy Handicap at Methven on April 18. Three starts earlier he had won the New Brighton Cup, also of two miles. Firm Going

Both those successes were gained on rain-affected tracks but he has proved just as capable of handling firm going. When he succeeded over a mile and a half at Motukarara in October, the track was good, and his win in the Shirley Handicap, one mile and five furlongs, at the New Zealand Cup meeting in November was gained on a fast track. Our Tim has not been campaigned in Auckland previously but if he handles the right-handed course competently he should more than pay his way at the meeting. Bon Ton has won one and been runner-up in two of his 11 races this season. His first placing came at his third start when he beat all but Lucky Hall home in the Farewell Handicap at the National meeting at Addington in August. One start later he was successful in the Henry Mace Handicap at New Brighton. Six successive failures came before he showed a return to his best in the Easter Cup at Addington in March when he followed Thunder home. Bon Ton has not raced since but should be in good order to compete at Auckland where he has raced well in the past. D. A. Morland, the ownertrainer of Bon Ton, will also have Bon Deed on hand to contest the Great Northern Trotting Stakes. Bon Deed, a two-year-old half brother to Bon Ton, finished fourth in the Wellington Autumn Stakes at Hutt Park last Saturday. Minor Placings

Bon Ton is off 12 yards in the Adams Memorial Gold Cup and Lady Shona, on 24 yards, is cobackmarker with Heather MaryLady Shona has had an exasperating string of minor placings from her 19 starts this season. Her only win, however, was an excellent one in the Allan Matson

Handicap at Addington in November. In that race she came from the tail of the field and recorded 4min 16 l-ssec for the two miles. Her most recent placing, two starts back, was a third behind Thunder and Bon Ton in the Easter Cup. Although she is not set an easy task at Auckland Lady Shona would only have to race up to her best form to earn some of the prize-money. Two of Papatawa’s three wins this season were at Alexandra Park in December. He was then trained at Woodville by G'. S. Bradley. Immediately after those successes he was taken over by the Yaldhurst trainer, M. Holmes, but he has failed to improve his winning record in the South Island. Since he has been here Papatawa has raced nine times and it is only recently that he has shown form of any worth. At his last three attempts he has been placed, the latest being a fourth in the Winter Handicap at Forbury Park last Saturday. It is likely that Papatawa is close to his best again and because he is familiar with the right-handed way of racing at Auckland he is certain to be strongly favoured. D. G. Jones Wins Trophy

The Templeton trainer, D. G. Jones, won the trophy presented by the Wellington Trotting Club to the most successful driver at its autumn meeting which concluded on Saturday. Jones, with an aggregate of 18 points, was well ahead of D. C. Watts, who was runner-up with 11 points. At the two-day fixture Jones drove four winners, two seconds, and two thirds. He was successful behind Little Dictator, Super Cloud, Tryst and Dark Wonder, second with Tryst and Whippy Dillon and third with Mentone and On Side. Tryst and Mentone are both trained by Jones. Easy Win

Chelsea Lady, whose best effort from 11 starts earlier in the season was a third at Manawatu on April 18. left maiden class impressively by winning a double at Hutt Park. On the second day the Johnny Globe filly won a division of the Wallaceville Handicap by one of the widest margins at the meeting. She took the lead early and increased it all the way. eventually coasting home eight lengths ahead of True Guest. Chelsea Lady is a three-year-old daughter of the Jack Potts mare. Lightning Lady, which has left other useful performers Dresden Lady, Ladyship, Chandelier and Luminous. She is owned by Miss B. Langley and trained at Templeton by D. G. Nyhan.