TROTTING Walk Alone in fine win at Ashburton trials

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32586, 21 April 1971, Page 9

TROTTING Walk Alone in fine win at Ashburton trials

Walk Alone advanced his prospects for the J. F. Harris Memorial Handicap at Forbury Park on Saturday night when he finished boldly for a decisive win in his heat of the free-for-all in trials held yesterday at Ashburton.

Walk Alone won the Cheviot Cup last month, but failed on Easter Saturday at Addington Raceway, where he had a poor run.

Yeesterday T. M. May had Walk Alone prominently placed throughout his race and he came through with a strong run over the final halffurlong to win going away by a lenght from Waratah, with half a length to Deference another to finish in great style. Pun tried to fourth, ahead of Irish Whispers, Snowline, Seltreb, and Qolonel Adios.

Walk Alone will not meet a particularly strong field on Saturday, and if he races with the same dash that he displayed yesterday, he should go close to winning. Waratah will form a strong bracket with Black Label in the Conference Handicap the first leg of Saturday’s double at Forbury. He Is certain to be unproved by his run at the trials. Pun, one of Waratah’s rivals on Saturday, was unlucky at Addington Raceway on April 10 at his latest start. He looks to have thrived since then, and should give a good account of himself at Forbury Park.

Good stayer Irish Whispers, a good stayer, will appreciate the two miles at Forbury Park. He has a fine record over the distance, and, in spite of a lack of recent form, he might surprise. The winner paced the 12 furlongs on a track carrying a very heavy sole of grass in 3min 20 4-ssec, the last halfmile in the good time of Imin 2 3-ssec. David Frost, Black Label, and Wag provided a very close finish to the second heat and they finished in the order named with noses between them after recording 3min 21sec for the 12 furlongs the last half-mile in Imin 3 3-ssec.

David Frost’s run was a splendid trial for the Macetown Handicap at Forbury Park. He should make a bold bid to win. Black Label finished with plenty in reserve, as did Wag.

Conclusion, racing now as a pacer, was beaten off for fourth. She drifted in the middle stages and showed speed to be handy on the turn. She dropped out a little in the run home, but went well enough to suggest that she might make the grade at her new gait Rat TaL which is to race at Auckland next Tuesday, made a splendid beginning and he was handy all the way. He was allowed to ease up in the run home or he would have finished much closer. Rainbow Hall shaped pleasingly when he finished on for sixth, after being last approaching the final halfmile. For Auckland Armbro Free, which will race at Auckland next Tuesday, and at the Thames meeting on May 8 before returning south for the Sapling Stakes, was most impressive when he won the third of the three heats of the two-year-old parade over one mileArmbro Free, which will be driven by A. K. Holmes at Alexandra Park, finished much too strongly for his rivals over the final furlong, and won by four lengths after returning 2min 16sec for the mile—the last half-mile in Imin 3 2-ssec. He should

do well on his northern campaign. Jondor Frost paced a sound race for second, just ahead of Pretty Belinda, with a gap to Regal Bachelor and Count Bassey. Lansine won his heat quite convincingly in 2min 16 4-5 sec, the last half-mile in I min 5 4-ssec. He won by a length from Ponpano, with the same distance to Ar Miss and another length to Bachelor Star. .... The last-named finished full of running and shaped pleasingly for his engagement at Auckland next Tuesday. He will be driven there by D. G. Jones. Blue Gum, which ha* improved immensely in recent weeks, gained * narrow win in the other heat returning 2min 19sec the last half-mile in Imin 5 l-ssec. Kiwi Hostess was a useful second, ahead of Hilo Michael and Gillvem.

None of the horses in four qualifying heats proved capable of returning the required 3min 24sec for 12 furlongs. The fastest time of 3min 24 3-ssec was returned by Sir George, a three-year-old gelding by Goodland from Maori Queen. He was sold immediately afterwards by his Prebbleton owner-trainer, H. J. Forward, to Mr I- H. Longford, of Oxford. Frontier, Enchanted, Macamba, Tiawana, Roy, Crystalline, Misleading, and Grattan Hall recorded sound efforts in races for slow-class horses.

Results:— 1:1* CLASS PACE; 121.—First heat: Tiawana It J. S. Dalgety 1; Roy It G. D. Shand 2; Cassette It T. G. Cavill S. Fourteen started. Four lengths, head. Jan’s Dream fourth. Time: 3:24. Second heat: Crystalline It R. Thornley 1; Rousay It A. G. Sutherland 2; Teen Hoven It J. W. Mitchell 3. Sixteen started. Head each way. Master Key fourth. Time: 3:2*.

2rt* CLAM TROT; IM—First heat: Enchanted 60 W. J. Rouse 1; Tawera It M. Holmes 2; No Offence R. Brosnan 3. Sixteen started. Neck, two lengths. Echo Valley fourth. Time: 3:27 3-5. Second heet: Frontier 36 T. G. Cavill 1; Macambo It G. A Laing 2; Douschka 36 T. M. May 3. Seventeen started. Head, four jengths. Super Joe fourth, lime: QUALIFYING TEST RACE; 12f. —First heat: FerryhiH It W. K. Lowe 1; Top Brass It L. G. Smillle 2; Fallacy Lass It P. G. O'Reilly 3. Nine started. Length and a half, three lengths. Yankee Pride fou -th. Time: 3:26 1-5. Second heat: Adenica A G. Sutherland 1; Philandering It J. W. Smolensk! 2; Fall In it R. Young 3. Eleven started. Length, neck. King Jack fourth. Time: 3:25 4-5. Third heat: Sir George It D. G. Jones 1; In Disguise It P. McMillan 2; Waitakl Junior it R. J. Jones 3. Twelve started. Length, three lengths. Compll. meat fourth. Time: 3:24 3-5. Fourth heat: Sunny Walk It G. D. Shand 1; Fire Call It F. R. Bobbington 2; Gay Dreamer It R. J. Brosnan 3. Ten started. Eight lengths, two lengths. Happy Mood fourth. Time 3:25 4-5. TWO-YEAR-OLD PARADE; Im.—First heat: Blue Gum It C. C. Devine 1; Kiwi Hostess It D. G. Joies 2; Hile Michael It L. C. May 3. Six started. Neck; length. GUlvern fourth. Time: 2: IS Second heat: Lansine It J. B. Noble 1; Pompane It C. Middleton 2; Ar Miss It F. E. Newfield 3. Eight started. Length each way. Bachelor Star fourth. Time: 2:16 4-5. Third heat: Armbro Free it D. G. Jones 1; Jonder Frost It L. D. Ashton 2; Pretty Belinda tt D. G. McCor-

mick 3. Ten started. Four lengths, half a length. Regal Bachelor four. Time: 2:16.

FREE-FOR-ALL; Uf—First heat: Walk Alone It T. M. May 1; Waratah It F. E. Newfield 2; Deference It R. Young 5. Length, half a length. Pun fourth, Time: 3:20 4-5. Second heat: David Frost It D. J. Bennett 1: Black Label It F. E. Newfield 2; Wag It W. E. Lowe 3 Ten started; Nose each way Conclusion fourth. Time: 3:21.

2:2* CLASS FACS; Uf—First heat: Misleading It L. C. May 1; Leldon It, G. Adamson 2: Henry Dee It A. J. Purdon 3. Ten started. Neck, half a length. Balings fourth. Time: 3:30 5-5. Second heat: Grattan Hall It J. L. Ferguson 1; Tringles It M. Donovan 2; Phlllplne It D. D. Nyhan 3. Thirteen started. Length, head. Unpredictable fourth. Time: 3:33 3-3.