Templeton trotters look best chances in trotting final

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32541, 26 February 1971, Page 2 (Supplement)

Templeton trotters look best chances in trotting final

By

W. R. Carston

The Templeton stablemates, Johnny Gee and Tony Bear, and Light View, which is also Templeton-trained, have been involved in some spectacular clashes at Addington Raceway this season. Between them they have won eight races on the course and the honours have been pretty even.

It will surprise if this well-performed trio are not heavily involved again in the finish of the $lO,OOO Trotting Grand Final tomorrow.

If records count for anything — and they usually do — Johnny Gee, despite his 36yard handicap, should be the

hardest to beat in the second leg of tomorrow’s T.A.B. concession double. Johnny Gee, the Dominion’s top stake-winning trotter, has proved his versatility over all distances. This season alone he has won four races from one mile to two miles. Just before the present carnival started Johnny Gee had a set-back which prevented W. R. Butt from presenting

him at his peak for his twomile heat on the first night. But his owner-trainer predicted that he would improve as the series progressed and although success eluded him in all the heats,. it was certainly turned out to be a fairly sound prediction. He should strip a very fit horse for tomorrow’s contest. Tony Bear, like his stablemate,has also had to settle

for minor placings in the qualifying heats. But he has not had a really hard race at the meeting and, if anything, his form should be sharpening instead of deteriorating. He and Johnny Gee will, no doubt form a formidable bracket. RECORD RUN In the light of recent form and best times at the distance Light View must be included among the strongest of possibilities. Her recordbreaking run over a mile and a quarter on Saturday might be regarded by many as of little value at this distance. But it did show that she is right at her peak and her record as a two-miler is not too bad.

In fact, her best time for the distance is 4:17 4-5, which is two-fifths of a second better than Johnny Gee’s best and one second better than Tony Bear has ever gone for two-miles. Paula is another which comes right into calculations on the same basis. This Auckland-trained mare has the best two-mile time of all the contestants. If she can manage anything like the 4:16 4-5 with which she is credited the others will have to go very hard to keep her out of the finish. Next to Paula the horse with the best two-mile rating is Tutira. His best time is 4:17 2-5. He will get nowhere near this if he goes as he did on his heats on the second and third nights of the meeting but if he goes away and trots solidly — as he aid when second to Philemon over two miles on the first night — he will not be far away at the finish. WINNING FORM Taking a line through form in the qualifying heats alone Geffin, Memn and the Victorian trotter, Retep’s Pride, must all come in for serious consideration.

If winning form is the best form to follow—and with trotters it usually turns out that way—Geffin must be rated one of the strongest chances. This Cambridge • trained trotter has been one of the stars of the carnival. He won his two-mile event on the first night, had to settle for third over 13 furlongs on the second and capped off a very good record with another decisive victory against the sprinters on Saturday.