RACING Tara’s Pride Justifies Purchase Price

Press, Volume C, Issue 29682, 28 November 1961, Page 4

RACING Tara’s Pride Justifies Purchase Price

Tara’s Pride, a close relative of. the Caulfield Guineas winner, Prince Lea, extended his record to three wins from four starts when he finished solidly to catch the Awapuni filly, Silver Theme, just short of the post in the Ruakura Juvenile Handicap at Te Rapa on Saturday. A brown colt by Pride of Kildare from Fox Amber, Tara’s Pride has now won £2260, almost twice as much as the 1250gns Mr C. W. Ansford, his Stratford owner, paid for him at the National Yearling Sales in January.

Tara’s Pride will have further opportunities to add to his record at the Auckland Racing Club’s summer meeting next month, where- one of his events is the £2OOO Great Northern Foal Stakes. A son of the Foxbridge mare. Fox Amber, Tara’s Pride comes from a family which has produced several good winners over all distances. Prince Lea. winner of the Caulfield Guineas and Christmas Handicap at Caulfield, was one of them, and others were Spiborough (Wellesley Stakes), Ruling Spi (W.R.C. Douro Cup), and Longs wood 'l2 wins and £11.375. including the Manawatu Cup and the W.R.C. Harcourt Stakes, Wellington, and Parliamentary Handicaps).- . Fairhome, winner of the Grand National at Riccarton In 1952, was from the family and so was Peter Boy. winner of the A.R.C. Easter Handicap and 10 other races. Tara's Pride was bred at Cambridge by Mr H. S. Duncan. He began his racing career on September 23. when he finished third to Kapok and Copper Joy in the Hastings Stakes At two starts between then and last Saturday, he was beaten, winning the Wellesley Stakes and the Karitane Handicap at the Wellington spring meeting at Trentham. On Saturday, carrying the top weight of 9-2. Tara’s Pride had to be shaken up to beat Silver Theme by a head. All going well, he will meet

Silver Theme again in the Great Northern Foal Stakes, but at better terms in the weights. The stakes is a setweight event, in which “colts> and geldings carry 8-10 and fillies carry 8-7. On that basis, Tara’s Pride, will drop 61b from his weight on Saturday, but Silver ■Theme will drop only 41b. Silver Theme and ‘ Gold Chick, which ran third on Saturday, were other good buys at the National Yearling Sales. Silver Theme, once first and twice second from four starts, was sold for 500gns. and Gold Chick, twice a winner add once second from four starts, brought 725gns. Gold Chick was clearly inferior to the other two on Saturday, but by the time they meet again at Ellerslie he may be a different proposition. Saturday’s race was his first for six weeks, after an attack of colic had interrupted his training. Gold Chick is a halfbrother to Gold Splice, the winner of four races, and is closely related to Foreign Coin, a Wanganui Guineas winner, and the Great Northern Champagne Stakes winner, Ladyship. Cabriere Another winner at Te Rapa on Saturday carried the same colours as Tara’s Pride. That was Cabriere, which beat Uplands Lad by a nose in the second leg of the off-course double, the A. S. Sutherland Handicap.

Both are trained for Mr Ansford by his private trainer, R, A. Tudor, at Stratford. Stradown, winner of the Frankton Handicap, the second leg of the on-course double at Te Rapa on Saturday; should have some good opportunities in hack events at Ellerslie next month. Stradown has now won enough to-take him into open company, but was nominated for Ellerslie before he won ?n Saturday; ' four-year-old gelding by from Don’t Touch. Stritdown is trained by L. Collett at Te Rapa for. Mr N. Wallace, who took' him over three starts back from Mr H.JTenderson. He- ’has not been beaten since, winning three raceson end and’earning £865. Smith jo Live In Melbourne Press Asm-—Comiright) 'MELBOURNE. Nov. 27. The former New Zealand jockey, W. A. Smith, has decided to settle in Melbourne. He said today he would return to Sydney for three Weeks to honour two riding obligations and settle personal affairs. Smith said he would return to Melbourne in time for the Christmas and New Year meetings. He. has been offered good mounts in the Auckland and Wellington Cups in New Zealand but is unlikely to accept them.