TROTTING Sally Boy Favoured In Harrison Stakes

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29008, 24 September 1959, Page 4

TROTTING Sally Boy Favoured In Harrison Stakes

Sally Boy is selected to gain his second win for the season in the T. S. Harrison Three-year-old Stakes, one of the feature races at the Methven Trotting Club’s spring meeting on Saturday. He has not raced since winning the Canterbury Challenge Stakes at Addington last month in the smart time of 2min 38 4-ssec after leading all the way.

This week he will start from 12 yards in an unwieldy field of 20 and he will need plenty of luck to escape trouble in the early skirmish for positions.

This week’s race will be run over 12 furlongs, which might have the majority of the field struggling over the final two furlongs. The distance will be well within the reach of Sally Boy, an unlucky third in the New Zealand Sapling Stakes in May.

He showed that he had trained on well since his Addington race when he won over 13 furlongs at the Methven trials on Tuesday. Provided he escapes serious trouble in the first furlong, he should win. Calumite, which will start from the second line on the front impresses as a likely stayer. He finished fourth in the race won by Sally Boy at Addington.

He should not have to rush so hard early to hold a handy position in this week’s race and the Stormyway gelding could prove the hardest for Sally Boy to .beat. He showed considerable ability in his racing last season and he was placed in the Methven Two-Year-Old Stakes.

Samantha is a likely improver. She met trouble in the run home in the Maiden Event at New Brighton last week and did well to finish second to Admit. She has drawn the outside of the front line and with reasonable luck she should be in the money as she usually begins safely. Failed Last Week Stormont was solidly supported in the Maiden Event at New Brighton last week, but after beginning correctly, he struck a wheel of another sulky and went to a hopeless break. Like Calumite he has drawn the second line on Saturday, but one scratching will bring him to the front. A high opinion is held ot Stormont, which could easily upset calculations.

Gay Polka’s best form in the past has been shown over the shorter distances. Although she has previously been placed at two miles she has not shown winning form beyond one mile and five furlongs. This week Gay Polka is an acceptor for the S. G. Holmes Memorial Handicap at Methven. She is usually a reliable beginner so should escape early bother in this 23 horse sprint field. Good Record at Alexandra Park

Peebles, which showed ability in his racing last season, raced well enough at the Methven trials on Tuesday to be considered as a place prospect. In all his racing at trials Peebles has marked his efforts with solid finishing runs. By Meadow Chief from Doonholme, he is trained by D. L. McGregor. Mystic Star and Dark Wonder are the only others apart from Sally Boy to have won a race, and they will start from 12 yards. Dark Wonder was sixth at Addington last month, but he was found wanting at the end of 12 furlongs in the Maiden Event at New Brighton on September 5. It seems unlikely the pace will be strong on Saturday and this may enable him to take part in the finish.

Mystic Star raced in the middle of the field in the Canterbury Challenge Stakes on August 22 and she finished twelfth, hardly an encouraging effort for this race. The Brahman filly has plenty of speed and with a smooth beginning she may be prominent. Covent Garden, which showed speed at the Methven trials on Tuesday, will make a fresh start

in this race. He is not always too reliable, and seems to need plenty of room to race in. He has drawn favourably and if he begins smoothly he could be close up.

The remainder of the field have little in the way of worthwhile form to recommend them and Van Brabant, Rain Cloud and Whipdale could be the pick of them. However, they will need plenty in their favour to finish in front of Sally Boy. Calumite and Samantha. Close to Winning Form Gay Polka, which has not won a race for 18 months but has been a consistent place-getter, indicated that she is well forward for her immediate engagements by finishing fifth over two miles in the Pacific Handicap at New Brighton last Saturday. The Pacific Handicap was Gay Polka’s second race- this season. A fortnight earlier she had contested the Cambridge Handicap, one mile and a quarter, on the same course. In that race Gay Polka had been within challenging distance of the leaders until the home turn where she struck trouble and broke, losing all chance. Last Saturday D. J Townley had Gay Polka in a trailing position until the straight. She was under pressure early in the run home but fought on determinedly.

Scottish Command brought his record to three wins and two seconds from five starts under the lights at the Alexandra Park Raceway since February in the Takanini Handicap on the first night of the Auckland Trotting Club’s spring meeting last Saturday. Scottish Command finished brilliantly from the tail of the field in the Takanini Handicap but failed by half a head to overhaul Bobby Brigade. That effort is almost certain to assure him of favouritism for the Papqtoetoe Handicap this week. It was his first race since the Easter meeting at Addington in March. Scottish Command, a six-year-old entire by U. Scott from Mary Wootton, is trained for Mr R. A. McKenzie by J. S. Hunter at Upper Hutt. He graduated to New Zealand Cup class at Auckland in February. A win in the Papatoetoe Handicap at Auckland this week will not affect his assessment of 4min 23sec for two miles which allows him to start frqm the front mark in the New Zealand Cup at Addington in November.