Blissful Lad On Way To Australia

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30857, 16 September 1965, Page 4

Blissful Lad On Way To Australia

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND. The Caulfield and Melbourne Cup candidates. Blissful Lad and Tasman Lad, currently barred from racing because their owner is serving a term of disqualification, were shipped from Tauranga to Sydney in the Komata yesterday. Also making the. trip is their three-year-old stablemate, Final Lad. All three are owned in Auckland by Mr R. Neville-White. Last month he was disqualified for two years by the Waikato District Committee, after a two-day inquiry into a positive swab returned by Blissful Lad after he won the Autumn Handicap at Rotorua on May 29. Mr Neville-White’s appeal against the decision of the district committee was to have been heard by the New Zealand Racing Conference appeal judges in Wellington on Friday. Because of the illness of Mr E. D. Blundell, counsel for the Racing Conference, the appeal has now been adjourned to October 1.

Mr Neville-White yesterday declined to comment on plans for his horses. It is understood he is flying to Australia on Friday for discussions with Victorian racing officials. It is believed here that he will ask that his horses be granted the use of Melbourne tracks for training purposes pending his appeal. Several substantial offers have been made for the horses in New Zealand and Australia. The first payment for both horses in next month’s Caulfield Cup has been made.

Blissful Lad, Tasman Lad and Final Lad are due in Sydney early next week. They will go by float to Melbourne.

The Australian-born Takanini jockey, D. Cameron, is likely to take charge of the horses when they arrive in Australia. Cameron left with the horses in the Komata yesterday after cancelling his riding engagements for the Thames meeting on Friday.

Not Running "The Press” Special Service DUNEDIN. Marquette, which finished third to Pharasal and Omasong in the Methven Improvers’ Handicap at Ashburton on Tuesday, got down in the float on the way home and has been withdrawn from the St. Kilda Improvers’ Handicap at Wingatui.