CHELMSFORD STAKES

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31153, 1 September 1966, Page 4

CHELMSFORD STAKES

Race With A Mission (From the Australian racing correspondent of “The Press" > This year the Chelmsford Stakes surely will come into its own as s race with a mission in spring affairs. There is every indication that it will shape the programmes of several of the leading actors, and with this the reassessment of spring markets. Saturday’s racing at Warwick Farm did little to this end; principal runners were, with few exceptions, big and burly—so much so that their best performance could not be expected. In spite of this two of them —Reisling (by Rego) and High Principle (by Agricola) were winners, Reisling beat ing the highly rated Academy Star in the Wallacia Handicap, and High Principle the Rossmore Welter Handicap. Each will be, or should be, vastly improved by the run, in partiular Reisling, which now seems likely to return to the form that enabled her to win eight two-year-old races. Prince Grant is nominal medes), Matariki (by Agricola) and Cele's Image (by Nullabor) were unplaced behind Prince Max (by Renegade) in the Warwick Stakes (seven furlongs). Prince Grant is nominal favourite for any race chosen for him at Randwick, Caulfield, or Flemington: Matariki is favourite for the A.J.C. Derby and the Chelmsford Stakes will confirm or deny their right to this standing. Last year the Chelmsford Stakes was a poor affair — little more than a suburban handicap field contested it. But it has been won by some of the greatest horses the turf has known. Gloaming was running in his first race when he contested and won it as a three-year-old. THIS WAS GLOAMING A good story is told of a Sydney professional man who waited patiently to see the entry of a maiden galloper called Celestial Light of which he had received glowing reports from New Zealand. It was only after Gloaming had won that he discovered that the name had been changed, and that Gloaming, in fact, was the unraced maiden. Beauford won it, and in the years after Rapine, Heroic, Windbag, Limerick (three wins in succession), Phar Lap, Ammon Ra, Rogilla, Royal Chief, Defaulter, Beaulivre, Beau Vite—all brought crowds to the course to see them in action. Phar Lap was beaten as a three-year-old by an outstanding galloper in Mollison, but made it perfectly clear that he was the three-year-old find of the season. This year’s race in a fortnight’s time, might well show Matariki in this category. Next Saturday is Canterbury Guineas day and Garcon (by Rawalpindi), winner of five races in succession, is to get his test over a distance to judge his Derby prospects. His opponents may include Shakedown (by Chatsworth), Mystic Glen (by Parma), which almost bpat Prince Max in the Warwick Stakes last Saturday, and perhaps the most interesting of all the horses under test—General Command. He has had only three races, but at his last start was a fast-finishing second in a maiden handicap run over one mile at Warwick Farm.