TROTTING Robert Dillon Now In Team At Tinwald

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29859, 27 June 1962, Page 4

TROTTING Robert Dillon Now In Team At Tinwald

The former Invercargill trainer, J, L. Ferguson, who trains at Tinwald, was a visitor to Southland last week. When he returned north at the week-end he took back with him Rustic Lad, Robert Dillon, Tryax Hall and a three-year-old filly by Light Brigade from Reality.

Rustic Lad, which failed to make any impression in his racing as a five-year-old this season, has been spelling since December. He has developed a good deal since he last raced and the Flying Song gelding is expected to come back better than ever.

Rustic Lad was a smart three-year-old. He won five races—four of them on end —at this age, and as a four-year-old last season he won a qualifying heat of the InterDominion Championship series at Addington, recording 2min 35 4-ssec for the 10 furlongs. His racing at the Inter-Dominion carnival was on an interrupted preparation and this was probably the reason for his form falling away in his later racing. Robert Dillon, a cup class horse, has failed in his two starts this season. Last term he won two races when trained by C. R. Berkett. One of these was a qualifying ■ heat at the Inter-Dominion Championship series when he won over one mile and five furlongs in 3min 24 3-ssec—-a 2min 6sec mile rate. His last winning appearance was at Forbury Park in June of last year when he won the Queen’s Handicap on a soft track over one mile and five furlongs. Robert Dillon, one of the last of Dillon Hall’s stock racing, was foaled in 1952 and is far from a spent force Tryax Hall, a big, overgrown three-year-old, has not raced this season, being put aside after two races as a two-year-old Raced by Mr K. Larsen, of Dunedin, vicepresident of the Forbury Park Trotting Club, Tryax Hall showed marked promise when previously in work with Ferguson. He is a Hall Tryax gelding from the Dillon Hall mare. Native Hall, a sister to a free-for-all winner in Maori Home. The rising three-year-old Light Brigade filly from Reality, is to be raced by Mr M. W Falconer, who races Rustic Lad in partnership with Ferguson. Mr Falconer bought the Light Brigade filly as a yearling at a sale of trotting stock on behalf of Mr C. L Rhodes, for 475 ■guineas. Her dam. Reality, was by U. Scott from Gallant Maid, by Gallant Knight from the great producing mare, Rustic Maid. Caduceus Colt A rising three-year-old colt by Caduceus from Contrast has been registered with thr New Zealand Trotting Conference as Reigh Count. This

youngster, which is raced by Mrs L. M, Bradley, of Aylesbury, who is at present in America with her trotter, Ordeal, was bred by Mr A. J. Nicoll, of Ashburton. He was the first of the progeny of Caduceus to be offered in the sale ring in New Zealand and was bought for 1100 guineas by Mrs Bradley at the 1961 yearling sales. Reigh Count has been worked for some time and he is reported to have shown considerable ability. For Sydney This season’s leading North Island three-year-old filly. Gay Reel, is expected to do her future racing in Australia. She has resumed work with L. McFarlane at Papakura and if she comes to hand as well as expected, she will be sent to L. Chant’s Sydney stables. Gay Reel’s stablemate, Lead On, might also join Chant’s team. Lead On showed great promise when produced at trials in Canterbury by his former Prebbleton trainer, A. M Purdon, who sold him at Easter. A two-year-old colt by Morano from Gay Edith, he gave the impression that he would develop top-class form later on. Cardigan Bay Cardigan Bay is due to resume training with P. Wolfenden this week. Wolfenden is hopeful that Cardigan Bay will be fit to resume racing in September or October. Although it might be some time before it is certain that Cardigan Bay will stand up to another preparation, Wolfenden is confident that the Hal Tryax pacer will make a come-back. Four months ago, after an accident on a

training track on the eve of the final of the Inter-Domin-ion Championship series in Perth, it was feared that Cardigan Bay’s racing days might be over. If he trains on satisfactorily, Cardigan Bay’s main mission in the spring will be the New Zealand Cup at Addington in November. New Association An effort is to be made to establish a North Island Trotting Owners. Trainers and Breeders' Association. The new body, if formed, will be independent of the New Zealand Trotting Owners and Breeders’ Association. The secretary of the Auckland Trotting Owners. Trainers and Breeders’ Association, Mr M. T. Willis, said that he had been instructed to approach sister bodies with a view to forming a North Island association. It was felt, said Mr Willis, that there were problems which were peculiar to the North Island and that they could be best tackled by themselves. Auckland delegates to the last annual meeting of the New Zealand association in Christchurch had been disappointed at the lack of interest in the North Island’s problems on the part of South Island delegates, said Mr Willis.