Orbiter Back In Work

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30470, 18 June 1964, Page 4

Orbiter Back In Work

As well as the New 7 Zealand Cup, Bagrie has the Inter-Dominion Championship series at Dunedin next February included in the tentative programme for Orbiter, which is expected to develop into one of the best winners among the pacers in the next 12 months.

Orbiter thrived during a nine-week spell at Cheviot and he is in great heart to start another preparation. He had a fairly busy season and between August and the end of March he had 17 starts for eight wins and five placings, worth £4820 in stakes. These brought his record in a little more than 10 months to 23 starts for nine wins and eight placings worth £4980.

Orbiter’s racing as a three-year-old attracted little attention, his lone win being against rather mediocre opposition at Nelson last June.

Orbiter’s great potential became obvious early this season when at his first start he finished second to Flyn ta the Four-year-old Stakes at Addington on August 17. A week later he beat all but Patchy and Carina Star in the Canterbury Challenge Stakes. Orbiter beat a smart pacer in Gershwin in a division of the Hinds Handicap at Ashburton on October 5, and a fortnight later he beat Carina Star in a restricted age race at Forbury Park after recording 3min 11 l-ssec for the--12 furlongs. Then came one of the best performances seen at a coun-

try meeting. He won the Kaikoura Cup from Central Range in the smart time of 4min 19 l-ssec. Orbiter Covered extra ground to get to the front early and then appeared to be headed inside the last furlong. He came again and went on to win convincingly. He won at the inaugural night meeting at Addington, recording 3min 26 4-ssec, and again on the final night of the cup meeting when he recorded 2min 38 2-ssec for 10 furlongs. Fourth Win Orbiter gained his fourth successive win when he beat a smart sprinter in Trade Fair at the New Brighton meeting on December 7. As a result of those wins he was a dominating favourite for the Ashburton Cup on Boxing Day. However, he did not race with quite the same dash as in his previous wins and went under by a head to Avante. Orbiter redeemed himself when he won the New Brighton Cup from Great Credit in February, recording 4min 14 l-ssec for the two miles. His only other win was in a sprint qualifying heat for

the Easter Cup. He was strongly fancied for the Easter Cup Final, but raced like a tired horse and. finished seventh.

Orbiter is by U. Scott from Margaret Hall, a mare bought for 450 guineas in April, 1956, at a dispersal sale of horses owned by the late Mr H. W. Drewery. She was in foal to Light Brigade at the time, but slipped the foal. Then, to U. Scott she left Kinsella, a useful winner for Bagrie. She raced at the recent Nelson meeting, after which she was turned out.

Mated again with U. Scott she left Orbiter, but she missed the following two seasons. Margaret Hall foaled a colt by Thurber Frost in 1962. This youngster has been broken in and gaited, and is at present being given light exercise. If he makes satisfactory progress he will be seen in action in two-year-old races next season.

This season Margaret Hall foaled a filly by Hal Tryax, the foal being born early in January. She is not in foal at present, and it is intended to mate her again with Thurber Frost in the spring. Margaret Hall, which- took a record of 3min 13 4-ssec for 12 ’ furlongs, was foaled in 1940. She left earlier winners in Rowan Star, Rosslyn Rowan, Rocky Rowan and Cappy Rowan. She is a member of the same family as the triple New Zealand Cup winner, Indianapolis, and other winners.