SMITH ONCE TRAINED HIGH SOCIETY

Press, Volume C, Issue 29565, 14 July 1961, Page 5

SMITH ONCE TRAINED HIGH SOCIETY

[From the Australian Correspondent of "The Press”)

SYDNEY, July 10. High Society, the son of Dalray, won the Doomben Cup avainst many class horses on Saturday. There was a touch of irony about the success for the trainer, T J. Smith. Smith had High Society in his stables at one time but could not .win a race with him. and sent the horse back to Brisbane. 'With High Society out of the way Smith' might have wcti the cup with the New Zealand horse Oreka, which was narrowly beaten for second by the Stradbroke Handicap winner Perisan Lyric. Oreka worked hard in trying to peg back High Society after that galloper had taken charge at the top of the straight. In doing so Oreka struck trouble and this enabled Periscn Lyric to beat him home. Dalray has done remarkably well as a sire since he went to Queensland, where he stands at Canning Downs Stud on the Darling Downs. When he was first tried it was thought that Dalray had a weak heart and that he would not continue as a stallion. It was then that the experienced horseman. C. E. B Barnes, whose family has owned Canning Downs for generations, stepped in and acquired the horse. Mr Barnes was right in hi' assessment of Dalray. which has a full book each season and which has a very high fertility record. People now send mares to Canning Downs from all parts of Australia because of Dalray’s success. Not only do his stock race as two-year-olds. but they train on. High Society will be sent south again for mother campaign in the major distance handicaps during the spring.

The New Zealanders who bought the grey stallion Byland (imp.) from Woodlands Stud secured one of the bargains of tihe year. Since By If rd was exported his stock have won race after race, and on Saturday one of his sons was seen in a new role—that of middle-distance performer. Byland (imp.) was a sprinter, although bred as a stayer on his dam’s side, and his early winners looked sprinters. One of them, Bytone, also began that way but on Saturday Bytone was tried over 11 furlongs at Canterbury and led all the way. It might be well if owners of mares bore this in mind when booking to Byland (imp.) this season. Time and again horses which were sprinters prove sires of horses which can run over distance. Star Kingdom (imp), the top sire in Australia, is one such case, having sired two Derby winners. Lucky Bob Lucky Bob won his first Australian race when he beat Persian Duke and Swiftfield narrowly at Canterbury Park on Saturday. Lucky Bob ran fairly prominently at his previous start and benefited greatly from that experience. On Saturday he was not in the running until the last furlong, when he began an amazing sprint that carried him on to narrow success. It was a very profitable win for close followers of the stable, because bookmakers had come to regard Lucky Bob as a "wash-out.” Now that he has struck winning t form Lucky Bob should continue to further success. He is a particularly attractive horse, which is likely to be better suited as a three-year-old. particularly over distance.