TROTTING J. W. Smolenski Is Preparing Big Team

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31125, 30 July 1966, Page 7

TROTTING J. W. Smolenski Is Preparing Big Team

J. W. Smolenski, who was granted a public trainer’s licence recently, already has a big team in steady work on his Templeton property.

Smolenski is working 15 horses at present. Most are young horses some still in the early stages of their education—but he will also have a small team ready for racing at the national meeting next month.

Although one of Canterbury’s youngest public trainers Smolenski does not lack experience. He received his grounding as a member of C. C. Devine’s staff. Even harnessing winners would not be a new experience for Smolenski. For a time he was employed as private trainer by Mr W. F. Woolley and also by Mr C. L. Rhodes. For these owners he prepared at least a dozen winners. National Team The trotters, Astralight and Oakleigh Lad, and the maiden pacer, Marania, will represent the Smolenski stable at the national meeting. Oakleigh Lad and Marania failed to show form in their races this season, but neither had a very extensive campaign. Astralight’s record was also fairly bleak, but she did have one important success. That was in the £l4OO J. Rowe Memorial Cup at the Auckland Trotting Club’s summer meeting in December.

Smolenski is also preparing Rawlri and Globe Junior for early spring racing. The latter is a rising four-year-old trotter by Johnny Globe from Betty Hanover. Rawiri, which is raced by his trainer, won two races last season.

There are several well-re-lated youngsters among the rising two and three-year-olds in the team. The three-year-olds include a half-brother, by Deep Adios, to Cloudy Bay and a Thunder On gelding, which is closely related to Great Credit

Altogether Smolenski is preparing seven rising two-year-olds for racing careers. Among them is an attractive colt by Johnny Globe from Chappelet, dam of Johnny Chappelet one of last season’s top two-year-olds. This youngster was passed in at lOOOgns at the yearling sales in March. There are three Garrison Hanover youngsters—two

geldings and a filly. One of the geldings is out of Alcove, the dam of Aldora and other good winners, and the other is a brother to On Probation. Classic Hopes Mr H. S. Barry, of Auckland, the leading trotting owner in the North Island this season, has high hopes of winning another New Zealand Derby.

Student Prince won the classic for him in 1960. Next season he hopes to have Miles Gentry and Miss Gentry, which won five two-year-old races between them this season, to represent him in the Derby. Both youngsters are making good progress for P. Stewart, Mr Barry’s private trainer. Miss Gentry’s programme will also include the New Zealand Oaks, provided she makes satisfactory progress.