Oakland Prospect For Brisbane Cup

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30127, 10 May 1963, Page 5

Oakland Prospect For Brisbane Cup

(From the Australian Correspondent of “The Press’! SYDNEY.

Oakland, the New Zealand-bred horse owned by the breeder of Tulloch, Mr D. 11. Blackie, is now a Brisbane Cup prospect.

On Saturday Oakland won over one mile and a quarter at Rosehill in a fashion which proved the contention of the trainer, T. J. Smith, that Oakland would develop as a stayer.

Oakland was the hundredth winner trained by- Smith in the current season. No trainer if. Australian racing history had won 100 races in a season in a Aietropolitan area.

Smith has won 92 races m Sydney and eight in Melbourne, and there are many more wins to come from the stable in the 11 weeks remaining in the current racing season.

Oakland was the horse over which Smith and Moore had an argument which led Gc their being fined heavily by the A.J.C. The argument has since been settled, and Moore, who had parted with Smith as regular stable rider, hoped to be associated with Smith and his hundredth winner.

But Moore still had engagements made during the rift, and, in any case, Smrh thought it would be Count Radiant which would even up the tally. Therefore. Moore made arrangements to ride Count Radiant, and the mount on Oakland w-as given to an apprentice, Allen, who had never won a race.

Allen handled his mount with care and astuteness, and with a great run in the strait* brought Oakland along to hold off a challenge by a fellow New Zealander, Kamikaze, and win handsomely. Oakland was least fancied of four horses heavily backed for the race, among them Kamikaze, which is getting along well in his preparation for another attempt on the Brisbane Cup, which he won last year.

The irony of the situation was that it was an engagement for Kamikaze that prevented Moore from taking the mount on Oakland, and later on. when Moore 'rode the “good thing.’’ Count Radiant, he had to be satisfied with third place behind Miss Hilliers and King Wilkes.

Smith is undoubtedly the outstanding figure among Australian racing identities. From most humble beginnings he has built an empire that grows stronger and Stronger.

Because of his pending record he was given perm is-

sion by the stewards to meet the horse which won the hundredth race and lead him in. Smith left at the week-end with commissions to look for horses in America and in England for prominent stud people. He wants stallions and mares and may engage in one of the biggest spending sprees in horseflesh ever attempted by an Australian. The ci>airman of directors of Woodlands Stud. Mr G. E. Ryder, who is one of Smith’s closest friends and patrons, is accompanying the trainer.

The two are going via U.S.A., where Woodlands Stud has a batch of two-year-olds bred at Woodlands to American time by the successful sire. Pipe of Peace. The two-year-olds are in training and are on the sales list.

In Melbourne on Saturday, Royal Centaur (Knight’s Romance-Lully) and Havelock (Targui-Vixenish) won their respective races, the First Lonsdale Stakes and the Gippsland Handicap, each starting favourite.

Royal Centaur had previously shown promising form when beaten into minor places, but on Saturday he was at his best.

Havelock showed his true form when he won the sandown Cup, run over 10 furlongs, and on Saturday he handled the extra two furtongs in the Gippsland Handicap in excellent style.

Chester Cup To Narratus (N Z P. A .-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, Mav 9 Mr D. Symond’s Narratus. ridden by David Yates, won the Chester Cup. run over two miles and-77 yards, at Chester yesterday. Mrs E. Goring’s Arctic Vale was second and Lord Astor’s Grey of Falloden was third.