TROTTING Imperial Way First Choice At Waimate

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31237, 8 December 1966, Page 5

TROTTING Imperial Way First Choice At Waimate

Imperial Way, the only runner in the field with race experience, is expected to make a bold bid to win the eleventh New Zealand Golden Slipper Stakes at Waimate on Saturday. Imperial Way raced at Auckland on October 22 and finished a distant sixth after breaking during the running.

Imperial Way is raced by his Christchurch trainer, W. D. Robinson. He has shown outstanding ability at trials, and at his most recent run, at Methven on November 22, he beat Stargio, one of his Waimate rivals, by a length, with four lengths to Wee Buttons.

Imperial Way is by Raceabout from Imperial Purple, by Fallacy. Both his sire and his dam combine some of the leading bloodlines in the New Zealand Stud Book.

Imperial Way has been in steady work for a much longer time than any of, his rivals. He is well seasoned and the experience he had behind the starting gate at Auckland should stand to him.

Lordship’s brother. Lords, is certain to attract considerable attention. He raced at trials in September and October and has not been seen in action since October 15, when he won at the Spots-

wood equalisator meeting. Lords improved with each run he had at trials and he should strip a fit horse. He will be attempting to improve on the effort of Lordship, which finished second to Consistent in this race in 1960. Stargio is another runner assured of strong support when she attempts to go better than her dam, Arania, which was beaten by a head by Sun Chief in 1958. Stargio is the first live foal of her dam. She showed promise when she ran Imperial Way to a length at Methven last month. She looks to be well above average in ability, but whether she is as seasoned as some of her rivals remains to be seen.

Happy Hal, a gelding by Killarney Hal from the Hal Tryax mare, Happy Tryax, will be bracketed with Stargio. He was a shade disappointing at the Methven trials, but looks much better than that effort suggested. Like Stargio he has drawn favourably.

Methven Winner Timid attracted attention to her prospects in this race when she gained a decisive win in her heat of the parade at the Methven trials on November 22. She is by Garrison Hanover from Shy and is trained at Templeton by G. Holmes, who will also have Forward Star to represent him. Forward Star, a gelding by Forward from the smart pacer, Empire Lady, went a fair race at the recent trials at Methven but he should be held quite comfortably by Timid.

Amber King, by Deep Adios from Ardmore, has been most impressive in the limited racing be has had at trials. He led over the last five furlongs of his heat at the recent Methven trials and won handily from Shepherd’s Delight and Five Pennies. Amber King could be one of the better prospects.

Five Pennies, a filly by King Creed from April Hall, has gone fairly well at trials. She went pleasingly when third at the Methven trials, but was a shade disappointing when paraded at Washdyke two days later. A week later she finished fourth at Orari. The withdrawal of the Southland youngster, Greek March (Caduceus —Tactics), has robbed the race of considerable interest. Southern stables are left with one Kotahi, a filly by Yare from Garrison Hall. Kotahi was successful at the Winton trials on November 28, but had no real opposition and recorded only lmin 12sec for the last four of six furlongs. She will have to show marked improvement to add to the fine record <rf her province in the race, especially as she has drawn the second line.

Khandallah and Wee Buttons have shown a fair turn of speed at trials, but their chances with Imperial Way, Lords and Stargio, all of which have drawn favourably, are not highly rated.