TROTTING Light Nurse’s Fine Form At Addington

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28984, 27 August 1959, Page 5

TROTTING Light Nurse’s Fine Form At Addington

Light Nurse, one of the most consistent performers at the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s national meeting, will attempt to emulate the deeds of her dam, Loyal Nurse, by winning the New Zealand Cup at Addington in November.

i Light Nurse’s win in the Nat--1 ional Handicap brought her back ‘to a 4min 23sec mark for two ; miles and unless the limit is changed, she will start from the ; front in the big Addington race, i Loyal Nurse won the Cup 10 i years ago when trained by C. R. I Berkett for Mr T. S. Harrison. ; Berkett trained and had a share in Light Nurse until late last season. She was then transferred to H. S. Donaldson’s successful ■ stables at Tinwald and since then ' she has been raced by Mr Harrii son, who has had a long associa- ’ tion with trotting both as a breeder and as an administrator. He was president of the Meth- ! ven Trotting Club for many years i and for some time he was a member of the executive of the New Zealand Trotting Conference. ! Light Nurse showed that she retained all of her former speed when she raced at Addington. She • forced nearly all the pace in the i Louisson Handicap on the first i day and finished second to Showdown. Later in the day she had trouble getting clear along the inside in the Lightning Handicap and she had to be content with [fourth placing in a close finish. I Light Nurse had been placed in I both the Louisson Handicap and the Lightning Handicap on two previous occasions. She finished third to La Mignon and Invicta in the Louisson Handicap in 1958, and 12 months earlier she was third to Highland Air and Dresden Lady. She finished third to Trueco and False Step in the ' Lightning Handicap in 1957, and beat Thunder in the same race 12 months ago.

Narrow Win i Light Nurse had little to spare over Guard’s Brigade and Blue Emperor in the National Handicap at Addington last Saturday. She fought back gamely when I challenged and had a neck to spare at the post. She gave a j grand sprinting effort to beat all i but Caduceus in the Farewell I Handicap. She had an interrupted : run in the straight and she fln- ! ished boldly for her placing. ! Light Nurse, an eight-year-old ' mare by Light Brigade from Loyal Nurse, will probably have her next start at Ashburton on ! October 3 when she will contest the Ashburton Flying Stakes, an invitation race over one mile and a half.

Light Nurse has always shown plenty of ability over all distances. She finished second to La Mignon in the New Zealand Sap- ■ ling Stakes, and the following season she won the Canterbury Three-Year-Old Stakes and the Robert Mortlock Memorial Stakes at Hawera. She also finished second to Don Hall in the New Zealand Futurity Stakes. Wins in the Kaikoura Cup and ■ : the Burwood Handicap at New Brighton were her only wins as a : four-year-old, but the following 'season she gained four wins and [nine placings, her platings in- ' eluding seconds to Glint in the ' Ashburton Cup. She failed to win ■as a six-year-old, and last season her only win was at Addington in August. Her form then :fell away so badly that it was i thought unlikely she would be persevered with. She has done particularly well since being trained by Donaldson and looks to have a great chance of extending her record in the next few weeks.

At Orari Bargee is at present being pre- j pared at Orari by his owner, • L. G. Vernail, and he is booked: to resume racing at the New | Brighton Trotting Chib's meet-! ing on Saturday week. Bargee! created a good impression when l he won at the first three of; seven starts last season from Hi R. Henderson's Chertsey team.! His wins included the Rangiora Challenge Stakes and the Charles Cross Stakes. His form then fell! away and he was put aside after! •railing in the Nelson Cup on i February 2. Bargee has more | ability than most in his class! and great interest will centre in! his effort in the mile and a quar-| ter Cambridge Handicap, a race which should suit him admirably.j Brilliant Speed I Ordeal's performance to finish third (she was subsequently promoted to second) in the Winter Handicap at Addington last Sat- ' urday was one of the highlights of the day. She broke [soon after the start and again

before the end of two furlongs. She was behind Durban Chief racing through the back straight the first time and she was two lengths behind him at the six furlongs. She followed Durban Chief racing to the straight and passed him and beat him by three lengths. Durban Chief broke 3min 6sec for his last mile and a half and Ordeal’s time must have been better. She is an entry for the Spring Handicap at New Brighton next week and in spite of her long handicap mark she will be in demand. Did Not Work Clear

Neither Zany nor Cassado received a clear run in the straight in the Wildwood Handicap at Addington last Saturday. Zany was close to the lead all the way. but she was badly blocked in the straight and finished sixth. She will race next at New Brighton on Saturday week when she will contest the Electric Handicap over 10 furlongs.

Cassado. an impressive winner on the first day at Addington, was badly placed on the inside behind 10 horses at the halfmile and she had not improved by the straight entrance.. She had to change course several times in the run home, but was never really in the clear. She was not far from Zany in eighth place and looks ready to win again at short notice. She has not been entered for next week's meeting at New Brighton.

Light Nurse’s record is:— Age Starts Wins Placings Stakes 2yrs 6 — 2 330 3yrs 12 2 5 1375 4yrs 20 2 10 1572 5yrs 23 4 9 4132'i 6yrs 15 — 3 400 7yrs 7 1 1 750 8yrs 4 I 3 1185 Totals 87 10 33 9744' 2