TROTTING Three-Year-Olds Won 15 Of 31 Races On Circuit

Press, Issue 29236, 21 June 1960, Page 4

TROTTING Three-Year-Olds Won 15 Of 31 Races On Circuit

One of tie most pleasing featarw of the Netoon and Marlbo?&gh Trotting Chib* winter yttor, which virtually brought the carrtjt • in the South lafehd to a dope, proportion of sueceaafnl producer on thfc circuit. J’ ■. . .fe" : Altogether nine pMgr.Mil two Qglgisjy «to age group won 15 of the 31 races, ineloding divisons, decided on the two-day program** at Nelson and one day atfitaiheiHL

The most consistent and* with-T out a doubt the hardiest c«n*' painger among the pacers was Commonwealth, which contested , isix races on rain-affected tracta for three wins add two thirds. Commonwealth was successful twice in maiden class; on the fleet day at Nelson. Although hiw win over 12 furlongs in the second cap later in . the day even, more Impressive. In the third division Gt that race he < started from the 36 yard mark but still , outran the best of the others over 10 furlongs. , On i much heavier track on the second day Commonwealth con. tested the Winter and Vanguard Handicaps, the two main races on the programme.. He failed to reach a place in the Winter Handicap but shaped well to finish, third against the milers in the V a nßM ar< * Handicap.

Stamina

Commonwealth showed that he did not lack stamina when he was tried over two miles in the Winter Handicap at Blenheim last Saturday and beat all but Paddy’s Day and Resolution. Later in the day he regained winning form in the main sprint, the Farewell Handicap. In that race he showed extreme gameness for Resolution had reduced Commonwealth’s lead to a head about half- a fur-* long from the post but the younger horse did not wilt under pressure and held his advantage till the end. Commonwealth, which is raced by Mrs M. E. Holmes, a daughter-in-law of his West Eyreton trainer, F. G. Holmes, 18 a son of the 1953 New Zealand Cup winner Adoriah and Empire Lady, a useful race mare with a record of 4min 15 3-Ssec.

By far the best staying performance by a three-year-old pacer on the circuit was that of Peebles in the Nelson Winter Cun last Saturday week. He had far too much stamina for the best of his 19 rivals over the last furlong of a gruelling two miles. His effort was all the more impressive for his final sprint home was his second sharp run during the race. Nine furlongs out he had improved quickly from the middle of the field to reach a challenging position. The Nelson Winter Cup vzas Peebles’s only race at the meeting. Peebles Is trained at Ashburton ’by D. it. McGregor for Mrs R. Dunedin. He is a gilded jipffipf. the imported stallion iMpadoiEfefißlM_ an fl Doonholme. a ha^-siMei 1 * v? Rpy de Oro to the high clgjs (totter Acclamation.

jbwaT Winners Loyal-Brigade and the trotter. B»nny were both dual winners on the circuit

. Loyal. “Brigade won the first division wf the Arrow Handicap at gpod oidds.t|t his second start on the first day at Nelson. He was more confidently backed when tried against the improvers in the Pitt Handicap on the second day and did not have much bother justifying that support.

However, when tried over two miles in the Winter Handicap at BlenheJim he failed to stay and drifted to seventh after being prominent till the straight. In the main sprint later in the day Loyal Brigade lost all chance when he tangled hopelessly at the start. Bonny Rachael : Came through

both meeting! with two Win* and a second to her credit from three starts. Her campaign at Nflsqn did pot begin until the second day. She beat 13 rivals decisively over two miles at her first start.. When rehandicapped to 36 yards for the Bronte Handicap she beat all but Witch Doctor, which is also a three-year-old. Bonny Rachael’s only race at Blenheim was the Kekerengu Handicap, for which she was a firm favourite, and won going away by two lengths. Maiden Pacers Both clubs catered generously for maiden and improving pacers. Throughout the three dayi there were 14 races for maiden pacers. Seven of those were won by three-year-olds. Excluding Commonwealth, which won two, and Loyal Brigade, the other three-year-old maiden winners were Pearlyway, Storm Crest El Adem and Meadow Cheer. There were seven races for improvers and in addition to Loyal Brigade, Dark Signal and Gay Widow were three-year-olds which succeeded in this class. Dark Signal was at lucrative odds when he beat the milers in the Beatty Handicap, the second leg of the T.A.B. double, on the first day at Nelson. When tried in the faster class Winter and Vanguard Handicaps on the second day he shaped well to finish fourth each time.

Gay Widow failed to make any Impression after slow beginnings in each of her twp races at Nelson but she made.'rto mistakes in the second division of the Seddon Handicap at Blenheim and ran out an easy winner.