TOBIAS REGAINING FORM

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31462, 31 August 1967, Page 4

TOBIAS REGAINING FORM

"Th* Press" Special Service AUCKLAND.

Tobias indicated by a bold showing at barrier trials at Alexandra Park on Tuesday that he would be in good form for the Auckland Trotting Club’s meeting on September 16.

He was narrowly beaten by Lonesome Valley. “The run will do him a lot of good,” said his trainer, J. Butcher. “He has been hoppled up only a few times since his winter spell and is much too fat In the circumstances, I thought he went very well.”

Butcher had planned to give Tobias his first race of the season at the Wellington meeting on September 9. But he feels the horse will not be quite ready and he will run him in a sprint on the first night of the Auckland meet Ing.

Lonesome Valley, which will clash .-gain with Tobias on September 16, won impressively.

He began slowly but with five furlongs to go had improved to be a handy fifth. Nearing the home tum, he moved into second behind

the pacemaker. Full Sovereign. Lonesome Valley carried on strongly and held off Tobias by about half a length. The pair was well clear of Loyal Knight, which had trailed Full Sovereign to the home turn. Governor Frost weakened to fourth, followed by Herby Tryax, John Dee, Full Sovereign and Sparkling Brew. Herby Tryax finished solidly after losing considerable ground at the start Lonesome Valley covered the mile and a half in 3min 18 2-ssec—splendid time In the sticky going. The last half-mile was In Imin 2 2-5 sec and the quarter in 31 1-5 sec.

A feature of the main trial for trotters was the performance of Jay’s Up. which is only in the 2:19 class. After trying to lead all the way, he

was just caught by the much more tightly assessed Irish Earl. The time was 3min 29sec, the last half-mile in Imin 8 3-ssec and the quarter in 34 2-ssec. After breaking badly soon after the start, Bata showed speed to finish third. Scotty

Dillon, another which broke early, was a poor fourth. Of the other trials, the most Interesting was for two-year-olds, run over about six furlongs. It was won by a gelding by Nephew Hal from Barbara Gaillard.

He won by half a length from a filly by Golcourt from Kempton. A filly by Soangetaha from Saieda was three lengths away third.

The Nephew Hal gelding won a similar trial at Alexandra Park a few weeks ago. He may be a strong contender for the Morrinsville Juvenile Stakes, the first two-year-old race of the season, which will be run at Cambridge on September 20.