RACING 3-Year-Olds Hard To Beat In Spring Races

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30214, 20 August 1963, Page 4

RACING 3-Year-Olds Hard To Beat In Spring Races

Three-year-olds are usually hard to beat in open sprints in North Island spring racing. A year ago, Tatua, Rapido, Donald Dinnie and others established good records for the three-year-olds in spring races, and in summer events as well.

The second-season performers have started the present season even more promisingly. Cicada and Dandeinee were the only three-year-olds in the Stewards’ Handicap at Matamata on Saturday, but they were the dominating figures in the finish and ran first and second. Cicada is a quality filly by Marco Polo II from Babinda (by Foxbridge) and she should be a powerful contender for the spring classics. She won four of her 10 races at two, and the ability she showed to win first time against open sprinters on Saturday showed she has made normal improvement with age. R. F. Verner trains Cicada at Takanini for Mr L. S. Otway, proprietor of the Trelawney Stud. Won At Trenthani Two wins in his first season made Dandeinee an open class performer. One of his wins, in the hands of W. D Skelton, was at Trentham last January. Dandeinee is by Khorassan from Durain, by Boissel, and he might go far as a sprinter. Altogether it was the three-year-olds' day at Matamata. Maria Mitchell, from Taranaki, won the County Handicap to stir some interest in her sire, El Mughar, which had little patronage after coming to New Zealand from England. Nantucket, the dam of Maria Mitchell, was got by Resurgent from the good winner. Panope, a daughter of Foxbridge. Tatua belongs to this family. Somerset Lodge and Corbassiere shaped like three-year-olds of promise in winning the divisions of the Piarere Handicap, for maidens. Somerset Lodge is a tall, rangy gelding by Resurgent from Gay Rosina, and is a brother of Shirley Downs, a good handicap winner. He is also a half-brother of Grand Son, the runner-up in the hurdles the race before Somerset Lodge is owned by Mr B. A. L. Millen, who raced Somerset Fair in partnership The three-year-old belongs to the same family as Somerset Fair and, while it is too much to hope for one as good

as that former star, he could be better than average.

Son Of Hy-Spin Corbassiere, surprise winner of the other division, is by Alpenhorn from Hy-Spin, a plucky Manawatu galloper a few seasons ago. Hy-Spin won up to two miles and earned £14,000. Corbassiere’s win gave the Takanini trainer, G. Smith, a change of luck. Smith has had Little success since the death of his father, Fred Smith. Another promising three-year-old at Matamata was Ski, which ran fourth. He is by Sabaean from Winter Sport, and is a half-brother to Switzerland. Mr W. S. Goosman owns him. Impressive Colt Favouritism for the McLean Stakes. • the first two-year-old race of the year in the South Island, was probably settled at the Otago Hunt meeting on Saturday. Easily the most impressive in a parade of two-year-olds was Cascade Lad, a Canter-bury-bred colt in A. I. Powell’s Wingatui team. Cascade Lad is from the first crop of the Abadan horse, My Pal, which was at Inglewood Stud until earlier this year. The dam of this promising youngster is Waterfall, which was one of the best winners for Mr J. B. Douglas-Clifford for several years. Cascade Lad was offered at the national sales last January, and bought by the Wingatui trainer, H. A. Anderton, on behalf of Mr E. J. Smart for 325gns. Cascade Lad sprinted approximately a furlong and three-quarters on Saturday in 20sec, and went two seconds faster than the winners of the other two divisions. Petite Ami (My Pal— Rosemante) was in front at the half furlong, but Cascade Lad dashed away and beat her by three lengths. In the second division there

were only heads between Perfect (Targui—lncomparable), Proud Miss (Bellborough— Alvalon) and Beillite (Bellborough—Simple Rule) with We’ll Find Out, Suede and Khiruzan in the second line. A Targui—lndulgent filly from J. C. Hobbs's Oamaru stable won the third division narrowly from the Bellborough—Salericho filly from D. G. O’Neill's team and a Zarabanda—lndulgent filly trained by A, N. Didham. There was a length to the Jekyll—Skyion filly trained at Waimate by R. P. Langford. The only other runner, a sister to The Wanderer, dropped her rider soon after the start.