Fountainhead In Good Form For Stradbroke

Press, Volume C, Issue 29516, 18 May 1961, Page 4

Fountainhead In Good Form For Stradbroke

(From th* Australian

corresponaeni of 'The Press I

SYDNEY, May 15.

The trainer, W. Jarvis, is pleased enough with the progress of Fountainhead in the horse's training for the Stradbroke Handicap to be run in Brisbane on June 10. Fountainhead was only fifth in the Flying Handicap at Tattersails meeting at Randwick on Saturday, but Jarvis smilingly said he had not expected the horse to run closer than fourth, anyway. Fountainhead is not ready to show his best form, and Jarvis is of the opinion that he will not be until he has at least one more race.

He proposes to run Fountainhead in the Flying Handicap at Rosehill next Saturday, but has not yet completed arrangements. The winner of the race on Saturday was the favourite, Fine and Dandy, which put up one of the best performances of his career, in that he beat a fairly smart field almost in a few strides, and then ran away with no possible risk of being beaten. Fine and Dandy had not raced since he won the Doncaster Handicap in the autumn, and. therefore, will probably be improved by the run. in fact, the trainer. H. Plant, said Fine and Dandy would get another race before the Brisbane event, and after that he expected Fine and Dandy to be in top form.

Sharply Does Well Fine and Dandy was second last year to the outsider, Wallgar, now racing in Melbourne in preparation for another attempt on the £lO,OOO race over seven furlongs.

S’rangely enough on Saturday in Brisbane. Sharply, winner of the Sydney Cup <two miles), also had his first run since that success and amazed spectators by running away to win the sprint race on the Queensland Turf Club’s programme at Eagle Farm. Just as Fine and Dandy’s

performance made him a firmer favourite than ever for the Stradbroke Handicap so did Sharply’* win bring him into greater favour for

the Brisbane Cup (two miles).

In fact he is regarded now as having an equal chance with Tulloch, which was installed favourite the moment the handicaps were declared, showing him at 9-12.

New Zealand-bred horses were quiet last week, but this week they again made themselves prominent in racing in Sydney and in Melbourne.

Most interesting of them in Sydney was f he three-year-old filly Winnipeg, which won a race for fillies and mares in excellent style. Winnipeg, which is by Pride of Kildare (imp.) was bred by Mr D. Blackie, who bred Tulloch, both of them at Trelawney Stud. Mr Blackie said it was his hope that when Winnipeg, which he races in partnership with Mr L. S. Otway, retires, a mating will be arranged with TuUoch.

Winnipeg was second to Wenona Girl in the Adrian Knox Stakes (one and a half miles), Sydney’s equivalent of an Oaks, and by the way she is shaping she is undoubtedly the second best filly in Sydney, even if she is not equal to beating Wenona Girt Another of the get of Pride of Kildare was a winner in Melbourne where Prince Lea won the second division of the Lonsdale Stakes run over six furlongs. Prince Lea was one of the most promising of the three-year-olds of last season, but until he won on Saturday he had not had success in the Metropolitan area since October. 1959, when he won at Caulfield. Another New Zealand-bred winner at Caulfield was the filly Girletta, which is by Alpenhom (imported) from Sally O and which won the first division of the Latrobe Stakes (seven furlongs) starting at odds on. It was Girletta’s fourth win as a two-year-old and she has never been further back than sixth in her nine starts.

Her trainer, J. P. Mulcahy, has great hopes of this smart galloper developing staying ability, and this was the second time she has won really well at seven furlongs.