Timaru-Bred Olive Branch Wins At Caulfield

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29220, 2 June 1960, Page 4

Timaru-Bred Olive Branch Wins At Caulfield

I From th* Australian correspondent of “The Press')

SYDNEY, May 31

Olive Branch, the New Zealand-bred galloper which created such a good impression when he opened his winning account at the autumn meeting at Caulfield, is back on the winning list. This time the form of this three-year-old, by Alonzo timp.) from Dawn of Peace, is even more impressive. Olive Branch won the Southern Handicap (one mile) at Caulfield on Saturday, beating Fiero and Lauriston Bey and a very strong field that included Nilarco, winner in the autumn of the V.R.C. St. Leger and the richly endowed Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

The field on Saturday was considered of such quality that Nilarco was favourite at 7 to 1 and it was only on the late betting moves that he was joined by Fiero and Saranover at that price. Very seldom in these days of high taxation on betting are bookmakers found offering such a long price about the favourites in a race.

Olive Branch was next in the betting, indicating that his stable was pretty sanguine about the return to form, and the judgment was correct because Olive Branch won very impressively. It was at Caulfield in February that Olive Branch won his first race. Two days before the meeting no-one worried at all about his presence in the field. Then moves in the inter-State betting markets gave a pointer that this unknown maiden galloper must have the respect’of his stable. On the day there was heavy backing for Olive Branch, which gained the decision on a phcto. Olive Branch went on to Flemington where his form improved and he won two races in good style. Prospect For Cups Now it looks as though he will be a force to take into account in the spring when the rich stakes are about.

Olive Branch was bred by Mr A. J. Parris, of Timaru, and has a special interest to Australian students of breeding because he descends from a half-sister to the celebrated stallion, Valais (imp.) which has direct descendants still siring winners in Australia. Alonzo (imp.) descended in direct line from Solario and Dawn of Peace is an imported mare by Dastur, the son of Solario.

The family gave Australian and New Zealand breeding other sires including Myosotis (imp.) which ended his days in New Zealand, High Art (imp.) and East Tor (imp.).

Dawn of Peace produced in New Zealand, Tensing, which also had the ability to run a distance.

In Sydney another New Zealand-bred horse was very much before the public, but for a different reason.

Chartwell, the half-brother to the Caulfie'd Cup winne Sir Blink, won the Encourage Handicap for which he was sensationally backed to favouritism, among the bets for cash being one of £5OOO to £BOO.

Chartwell won very easily, and, since a week earlier he was a rank outsider and ran only fourteenth in a similar type of r« ’e also at Randwick racecourse, the stewards opened an inquiry. They had before them the trainer, R. Roden, and the jockey, D. Weir, who had ridden Chartwell on each occasion.

Betting books were impounded to enable the stewards to make a complete survey of the operations of big punters, but as one of the part-owners of Chartwell is in hospital the further hearing was adjourned indefinitely since the stewards regard the evidence

from this partner as essential to their investigation. The surprise of the day’s racing was the defeat in Brisbane of the hot favourite for the Stradbroke Handicap, Fine and Dandy. which contested the Lightning Stakes run over five furlongs.

Fine and Dandy appeared to have the race at his mercy as he raced to the front more than a furlong from the post, but on a rain-soaked track the outsider Wallgar swooped down and won running away from the Sydney sprinter. But for all that Fine and Dandy is still regarded as having the best chance of those likely to contest the Stradbroke Handicap in Brisbane on June 11, and he remains a firm favourite.