Great interest in trial

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

Great interest in trial

Mount Eden’s time trial over one mile at noon tomorrow should set the seal on what should be the most thrilling day of pacing and trotting seen at Addington Raceway. The record attempt is arousing tremendous speculation about the ability of the brilliant Western Australian four-year-old (shown below). Before the meeting started he paced one mile in training in an amazing 1:58 1-5 looking as though he was cap - able of much better. In all of his three races in qualifying heats he lost long stretches of ground and in ail of them was he timed to pace a flying mile in about 1:57. Last Saturday, of course, he amazed all experts when he scorched over his final 12 furlongs in about 2:57, some six seconds inside the world race record for the distance. Only an iron horse could have come through those

exertions without his brilliance and stamina being dimmed just a little; but Mount Eden seems to have done just that. The freakish son of Morris Eden and Blankets will , tomorrow be driven by his ' part-owner and trainer, E. J. Miles, with the assistance of i a galloping prompter, driven i by J. B. Noble. The promp- . ter must not draw equal with lor pass Mount Eden, but : he is such a free-going pacer ■ that he will need very little r if any assistance. Given a fine, warm day, > Cardigan Bay’s New Zealand : record of 1:56 1-5, estabI lished in unfavourable condiI tions at Hutt Park in 1963, : should be broken, in which F case Miles and Mr B. C. • Ogden, the other part-owner, • will receive s3ooo—the prize : for bettering two minutes is : $2OOO. ! Sponsorship has been offered to the club making a I successful attempt on Bret s Hanover’s world record of

1:53 3-5 worth $7850, the latest contribution being made by Mr A. J- Leavitt, of Lana Lobell Stud, Hanover. Te has offered a payment of $250 in the event of a 1:55 mile being returned, plus another $5OO if Bret Hanover’s record is broken. When Bret Hanover made his record-breaking run on the famous “Red Mile” at Lexington, Kentucky, the track had received a special preparation and the trial was delayed until early evening when atmospheric conditions were at their most favourable. Tomorrow Addington Raceway will be in splendid order, but the time trial will follow the running of the first race at 11.45 a.m., which will give Mount Eden only a limited time to be warmed up. Nevertheless, if he is rated perfectly, it will not surprise if Cardigan Bay’s record is shattered by a wide margin. Regulations for trial criticised. See page 8.