TROTTING Arania Favoured For Oaks At New Brighton

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29068, 3 December 1959, Page 4

TROTTING Arania Favoured For Oaks At New Brighton

The Yaldhurst trainer, G. B. Noble, will produce the favourite bracket of Arania and Samantha in the New Zealand Oaks, a feature race at the New Brighton Trotting Club’s summer meeting on Saturday.

Samantha and Arania were the only fillies capable of earning stake-money in restricted age races at Addington last month and they appear to dominate the Oaks field, which includes five horses which have not yet started at a totalisator meeting.

Unfortunately both horses have drawn the second line, Arania being on 20 and Samantha being on 21. Such a draw is often better than drawing an outside position on the front line, but on occasions horses starting in behind are hampered in the early rush for positions by other horses which do not begin cleanly. Aranja is a splendid beginner as a rule and if she escapes trouble in the early running, she should run out a decisive winner She gave a dashing display of pacing to finish third to Stormont and Sun Chief in the New Zealand Derby Stakes after taking 3min 12 l-ssec for the 12 furlongs. Her time equalled the previous race record established by Fallacy. A win for Arania would be well received as she has raced with distinction against one of the best crops of colts and geldings seen in New Zealand She has fast times to her credit over distances up to 12 furlongs and if any of the others are capable of forcing the pace, she could threaten Glint’s race record of 3min 13 2-ssec. Arania was a fair fifth in the Churchill Handicap run over 13 furlongs last Saturday at Addingtoq, She received a shocking cUfi Biroughhut and she was far, from; dwg raced. She should be a much different proposition in this race. Smart Youngster Arania’s stablemate, Samantha, has also shown plenty of ability

in her races this season. She finished third to Blue Prince and Calumite in the New Zealand Metropolitan Challenge Stakes at Addington on November 13 and eight days later she was sixth in the New Zealand Derby Stakes. Samantha stays well and she is certain to take a prominent part in the finish

Lanthea, which was eliminated from the field for the New Zealand Derby Stakes, has failed in two starts this term. Last sea.Jn she was runner-up to Jonboy Star in the New Zealand Sapling Stakes and later she won an open handicap race at Nelson. She is one of few horses of her age to win in open company in the last few seasons, one of the most recent in her age group to win such a race was Bounden Duty, which raced in the same interests as Danty Star Lanthea showed that she was making rapid progress with a bold showing at last week’s Methven trials. The Van Dieman youngster came home in grand style after being well back to the straight. If she races as prominently in this field, she will be hard to beat. She may be driven by M Holmes. Orient Night gave promise of developing first-class staying form lagt season. She has not raced since finishing sixth in the Oamaru Juvenile Stakes in May The Attack filly was often slow away last season, but she finished strongly If she is forward enough, she may be capable of surprsing in this field

Won At Greymouth Cele was having her first race start when she won at Omoto last Saturday; She, too, showed pleasing ability at the trials last week. She may not be experienced enough to win on Saturday, but she could be prominent. She will be bracketed with Chantilly, which has shown ability at trial meetings lately. Mystic Star and Velvet Drive are the only others in this field with wins to their credit. Mystic Star, a member of R. Young’s team, showed ability at times last season, but her inability ybegin smoothly was against hei Young won the Oaks last year with Fair Loan Mystic Star has failed in three attempts this season and she will have to improve to be a threat.

Velvet Drive graduated from maiden company at Ashburton in October. Since then she has failed in three starts. She has useful speed and must be given a chance. Pierette showed ability when she finished fifth at Kaikuura early last month. Since then she has worked in dashing style at Addington. She is a half-sister by Garrison Hanover to a speedy trotter in Beau Clair. She has improved with every run in recent weeks and looks a likely improver Van Brabant showed speed m some of her races last season, but she was not always too reliable at the start. She has a splendid style of pacing and if she is forward enough, she could add interest to the finish

Mary Mavis, a member of J. D. Litten's West Melton team, finished third at Kaikoura when having her first race start. By Garrison Hanover from Grattanello, she looks a likely type of pacer, but it is doubtful whether she will be experienced enough to beat fillies such as Arania. The others in . this big field have done nothing to suggest success at New Brighton and the finish should be disputed by Arania, Lanthea and Orient Night.