TROTTING Poupette Has Won Almost £7000

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30724, 13 April 1965, Page 4

TROTTING Poupette Has Won Almost £7000

Poupette advanced her stake-winnings to £6872 10s when she proved superior to her rivals in a spectacular finish to the Reta Peter Handicap at Addington Raceway on Saturday night. Her win was her second for the season, the other being in the Trotters’ Grand Final at Forbury Park last month.

Poupette has had by far her most successful season. Her winnings amount to £3150, a total which could be increased in the New Zealand Hambletonian Handicap on the final day of the meeting.

Poupette has won 11 races and has also recorded 14 placings. She will be on a difficult mark now and has been handicapped on 42 yards under invitation conditions in Saturday’s two-mile race.

Trotters often hold their peak form longer than pacers

Fourina and Asia Minor her record before the end of the season, although she will not have many opportunities after next Saturday. The Wellington Trotting Club has included races for the top trotters in its meetings next month and Poupette may be taken north by her Winton trainer, H. W. Cox.

Poupette’s win on Saturday night was a feature of the meeting. She was well out of her ground with seven furlongs left after starting from 30 yards. She still did not look a winning prospect approaching the home straight, but when switched to the outer near the furlong post, she quickly moved into a challenging position. Over the last few yards she was one of very few runners making much impression on Fourina and Asia Minor, the leaders Inside the furlong, and at the post she was going away from them with a short length to spare.

Poupette is an eight-year-old mare by Johnny Globe, whose progeny have enjoyed remarkable success this season. from Marionette, a moderately-performed pacer by Dillon Hall from Vorena. She is raced by Mr J. McHugh, of Winton. Marionette left a foal to Hal Tryax in 1959 and was shipped to Australia the same year.

Fourina and Asia Minor both raced up to their best form when they finished close behind Poupette. Fourina was having her first start at the meeting and followed on a win on the course last month and some consistent racing at he Inter-Dominion Championship carnival. Favourite Fourth Opeka, which finished fourth, was rather a surprise favourite for the race, mainly because of strong off-course support, presumably from the Auckland district. He lost a lot of ground when he broke inside the first two furlongs and same home with a great run for his placing. He is one of the most improved trotters in the north and should have bright prospects of winning a major handicap next season. Light Oak, also from Auckland. was second favourite. She seemed to be struggling early and came home quite well for eighth. She would probably have been better suited had the track been flint-hard instead of on the dead side. She looks well and could redeem herself on the final day of the meeting. The big disappointment was the first-night winner. Harbour Light, which finished last. She got away fairly well, hut was forced very wide in the middle stages. She was inclined to hang in and gave M. Holmes a difficult drive. Not surprisingly, she dropped out over the last half-mile. She, too. might have been better served on a firmer track. For Hawera Vista Abbey paced a useful race for fourth in the New Zealand Pacing Stakes at Addington Raceway on Saturday. She will probably be raced in the North Island in the next few weeks, being accompanied by other members of G. B. Noble’s Yaldhurst team. Vista Abbey will not encounter such stiff opposition in her next few starts 1

and should gain a deserved win.

Fast Last Mile Disband recorded an amazing time for her last mile when she won the Plains Handicap at Addington Raceway on Saturday. She was well back from the leaders with one mile left and sprinted up to be handy before the half-mile. She was privately credited with better than 2:3sec for the mile, the opening half-mile in better than 60sec. The manner in which she fought on for a handy win stamped her as one of the speediest pacers in commission.

Flying Blue, an aged geld-

ing by Flying Song from Blue Heaven, has been secured by a Canadian syndicate and will probably leave towards the end of next week together with Vanderford, Adios Command, Guiness and other pacers. Raced by Mrs T. D. Robinson, for whom he was trained by W. D. Robinson, Flying Blue gained 10 wins and 16 placings for £6150 in stakes. He has failed to show form this season, but in some of his recent races he has gone well enough to suggest that he is returning to his best. Useful Run Mount Eden, one of very few of the progeny of Morris Eden to have been seen in Canterbury created a good impression when he finished on for second behind Bass Strait in the Second Two-year-old Stakes on Saturday. He ran in badly on the home run, otherwise he might have run the winner to a close decision. Raced by Mr N. Simpson, one of the principals of the company running night trotting in Wales, he is being trained by L. J. Crimmins, who is looking after J. D. Litten’s West Melton team. He is a colt from Queen Rani, a daughter of Young Bob and a good winner in Uranium.