TROTTING Raven Song To Race In U.S.

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31320, 16 March 1967, Page 5

TROTTING Raven Song To Race In U.S.

When Raven Song won the Second Heat of the Easter Cup at Addington Raceway on Tuesday night, he was having his first start in the interests of the American trainer, S. Dancer.

Raven Song is one of four horses bought in the last few days on behalf of Dancer or patrons of his stables. The other three are Happy Songster, Limelight and Fireaway. All four will leave by ship about April 6 for the United States. In the meantime they will race in New Zealand. Raven Song and Happy Songster will both race in the interests of Dancer during the remainder of the Easter carnival. Both were purchased at four-figure prices. Raven Song earned £Bl5 for his win on Tuesday and has recouped a fair proportion of the purchase price paid by Dancer.

Won £4590 Raven Song was raced on lease by the Southland reinsman, C. T. Woodward, who recently purchased him outright from his breeder, Mr G. R. Henderson of Mataura. He is a 10-year-old gelding by Flying Song from Raven’s Hall. He is now in his sixth season of racing and has had eight wins and 32 placings from 73 starts for £4590. He is assessed, at 2:12.

Happy Songster is also on a 2:12 mark. He has had 87 starts for eight wins and 16 placings, worth £4245. An eight-year-old gelding by Flying Song from Esbekiya, Happy Songster was bred by Mrs C. E. Winter, of Christchurch, who sold him for 100 guineas to Mr J. A. Atiwell of Waimate at the 1960 national yearling sales. Until last season Happy Songster was trained at Waimate by R. J. Holt for Mr and Mrs C. G. Haugh. Four Wins The Christchurch trainer, R. Kendall, and D. Kendall, secured Happy Songster last season and for them he has won four races, the most recent of which was on February 4 at Forbury Park when he beat Atanui over 11 fur-

Fireaway and Limelight have both been purchased from their Methven breedertrainer, P. A. Watson. Both are five-year-old geldings by Light Brigade, Fireaway being out of Inglewood and Limelight out of Lady Belfield.. Fireaway has shown useful form at times and this season he has had nine starts for one win and four placings Limelight has shown great potential in a limited amount of racing. This term he has had three wins and two placirigs from 12 starts. He went well enough to suggest that he would eventually take a high ranking and could be a big winner in the United States, where he will be well suited by flying starts.

longs in the good time of 2min 56 3-ssec.