Auckland-bred panin Golden Slipper

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32566, 27 March 1971, Page 8

Auckland-bred panin Golden Slipper

(N.Z. Press Association) New Zealand hopes of winning the Golden Slipper Stakes at Rosehill today rest on two grey geldings bred by Sir Woolf Fisher at his Re Ora Stud in Auckland. Both youngsters are by the boom sire, Sovereign Edition, and both were sold at the 1970 Trentham yearling sales. Andres, which is trained by G. Murphy at Caulfield, is out of Meanda, and was sold for $14,000. Royal Charger, whose dam is El Monte, is closely related to the brilliant filly, Reisling, winner of the 1965 Golden Slipper in Imin 11 l-10sec, a time which still stands as the race record. Royal Charger, prepared by the Sydney trainer, T. J. Smith, fetched $13,000 at Trentham. The only other starter in the 16-horse field with real New Zealand connections is Nippon, whose dam, Panda, was bred in New Zealand The Christchurch-owned Prince

Melay (Mellay—Cadmean), which had not earned enough to take him clear of the ballotting conditions is second emergency for the race. He is unlikely to get a start. It will need two scratchings to get him to the post. Twenty-four horses accepted on Thursday for the $52,000 race, which will be run over six furlongs at 515 p.m. (New Zealand time). For the first time in the 14 years of the race, a ballot was necessary. Four horses were named as emergencies and three were eliminated. Andros, which will be ridden by the Melbourne jockey, P. Jarman, has shown plenty of ability on the_ track. He was

fifth behind Tolerance in the inaugural Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield on February 20 and brilliantly won at Sandown last Saturday. Royal Charger is one of two Smith-trained entries. The other is the filly, Fairy Walk, which is second favourite and will be ridden by G. Moore. Royal Charger has had five starts for three wins, a second and a third.

Smith would be content if either Royal Charger or Fairy Walk won today. The Golden Slipper is one of the few races on the Australian turf calendar to have eluded him.

The event is also a race that has never been won by a New Zealand-bred, or a grey. The New Zealanctbreds, Commanding and Gaelic Spirit, finished third in 1961 and 1969 respectively but no horse raised across the Tasman has won. The champion Victorian galloper, Tolerance, is pre-post favourite but eased to 1 to 1 after he got a bad barrier draw. Tolerance has won all five starts, including the Blue Diamond and V.R.C. Sires' Produce Stakes. In spite of his wide barrier and the fact that his jockey, R. Higgins, thinks he is better at seven rather than six furlongs, he looks the winner.