From Stud And Stable Auriette Could Keep Up Family Tradition

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29801, 18 April 1962, Page 4

From Stud And Stable Auriette Could Keep Up Family Tradition

Thirteen years ago Citril set the seal an her fame as a handicap sprinter by winning the Great Easter Handicap under 9-7. This made the race something of a family affair, as her sister Derene had won two years earlier, Citril was retired from racing after she won the Challenge Stakes five days after her Great Easter Handicap win in 1949. Her owner, the late Mr Frank Roberts, could not have had any high hopes of the Defaulter mare leaving one as good as herself—not for six years, at least. In 1960 Citril foaled Adaris, and he was a moderate. Citril missed in 1951, slipped twins in 1952, and slipped a foal in 1953. But in 1954 she foaled a filly to Oman. This was Sarcelle which emulated her dam’s and aunt’s feats by winning the Great Easter in 1958. Now there is every prospect of another Great Easter victory by another daughter of Citril. Auriette, a daughter ' of Summertime and Citril, certainly has strong form claims for the race this year, and could start favourite next Monday. . Auriette campaigned without distinction in Sydney last year, but she did not take long to develop good form back in New Zealand. Auriette’s last six starts have produced two wins, three seconds, and one third, and one of those wins was over seven furlongs at Trentham last month. Mr B, Wood, a North Islander, bought Auriette from the late Mr Roberts when she was a yeatling, and she has been prepared for all her racing by the former jockey, J. A. McFarlane, who won the Great Easter Handicap on Master Dash in 1944. Mr Wood also owns and McFarlane also trains Le Plus, a two-year-old by Oman from Citril, and an acceptor for the Champagne Stakes at Riccarton next Monday. Le Plus, it seems, has much of the family speed. Earlier this month he won the Nursery Handicap, six furlongs, at Hastings. Auriette and Le Plus will have certainly done Citril proud if they carry off the Great- Easter - Champagne Stakes double on Easter Monday. Considerate Act The Riccarton trainer, I McClure, stands to win fairly handsomely if his old charge Navarro wins the

Sydney Cup on Easter Monday And he will not have to risk one penny to do so thanks to a considerate act by the Sydney trainer. Frank Dalton, who is preparing the Christchurch-owned stayer for the race. A few weeks back Dalton made a fairly substantial bet on Navarro in the Sydney Cup, securing odds of 8 to 1 Then he wrote to McClure and advised him that he had placed the bet on McClure’s behalf. Dalton said he thought it was only fair he should give McClure a chance to profit from any possible win from one of his old charges. He pointed out that a Cup horse did not come the way of a trainer very often. As he reminded McClure, Navarro would .have been unlikely to enter the Dalton team if McClure had taken the Sabaean gelding to Melbourne last spring. A start in the last Melbourne Cup was planned for Navarro after he won the Great Autumn Handicap a year ago. McClure then planned to take Waverley to Australia, too, but there was a late change of plans. McClure stayed behind with Waver-

ley and Mr and Mrs E Rutherford sent Navarro to be trained by Dalton in Sydney Navarro did not capture his New Zealand form, and was put aside He has done much better on his present campaign and became one of the early favourites for the Sydney Cup when he won a middle distance race in Sydney last month. McClure _ says he would have valued the experience if he had gon a, on with his trip to Melbourne with Navarro last spring. But had he done so, it is unlikely that he would be training Gay Filou, winner of five of his last six races and the favourite for the Great Autumn Handicap on Monday. Gay Filou established himself as one of the young staying finds of the season when he won the President’s Handicap over a mile and a half at Trentha-m last month There are few if any prepared to visualise his defeat in the Great Autumn Handicap. and if he does win and Navarro comes out on top in the rich Randwick race an hour or so later a competent young Riccarton trainer will have won an unusual double