FROM STUD AND STABLE Plans for Melbourne trip completed

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32701, 2 September 1971, Page 8

FROM STUD AND STABLE Plans for Melbourne trip completed

If there are no further hitches in transport arrangements the Wingatui stablemates, Igloo and Jemma, will leave for Australia next week.

The decision to carry on with a spring campaign in Melbourne for Igloo was decided last week-end when his owner-trainer, A. E. Didham, made a quick trip to Riccarton to watch the horse work. He was obviously very pleased with the trial. Igloo has been quartered at Riccarton since July, first with his owner and, since the Grand National meeting, with Mr C. H. Cook who regularly helps Didham on his frequent trips north. | It was originally intended that Igloo, which has not raced since his two runaway wins against the open sprinters at the Hawke’s Bay winter meeting, should start his Australian campaign at the A.J.C. spring meeting next month. But when he was weighted at 8-9, 41b less than the top-weight, Ahjay, in the Epsom and given 8-6, 71b below Ahjay, in the Metropolitan it was decided to bypass the Randwick fixture. Although there is no doubt that Igloo is a brilliant sprinter he has yet to prove himself at a mile and beyond. The Epsom, which is run on October 2, is for milers and the distance of the Metropolitan, to be run two days later, is 13 furlongs. Altogether Igloo has been

tried five times at a mile, his best effort to date was a second to Angel’s Smile in the Anniversary Handicap at Trentham last January. Now Igloo’s racing will be confined to the Melbourne area. He has been entered for both the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup, but at present there is no intention of continuing his engagement in the two-miler. If, after the sea trip, he arrives at Flemington in good order and is able to have a race or two beforehand, the Caulfield Cup will almost certainly be his main mission. Because Jemma, which carries the colours of Mrs Didham, did not travel well and raced below her best at her only start at the Grand National meeting there has been some doubt all along whether she would accompany Igloo. But her trainer said early this week that he would return to Riccarton next Sunday and bring Jemma with him.

Both horses will leave Lyttelton next Wednesday night on the Inter-Island ferry find will be transferred to the Marama in Wellington for a direct sailing to Melbourne.

To race again Astrella, one of the Dominion’s top three-year-olds two seasons ago, is back in work again with the Hastings trainer, K. Couper. During the last 12 months Astrella has had a chequered career. After winning first-up as a four-year-old then failing in three subsequent starts it was decided to retire her to stud. But it was found, at that time anyway, that she was unsuitable for breeding. So she was put back into work but failed to stand up to the training and was then turned out for a long spell. Her lengthy time in the paddock has obviously worked much improvement for in recent track gallops she has given the impression she is back to her best. If this proves to be so she will go a long way towards compensating for the departure from Hawke’s Bay of Kirrama, whose movements these days still seem to be shrouded in secrecy. Astrella, a daughter of Crest of the Wave and Gran-

ada, won only two races at two but was placed in six other starts in her first season. At three her record included seven wins and eight minor placings. Her principal victories were in the Elilogy Stakes, the Awapuni Stakes, the North Island Challenge Stakes, and tne Easter Trial at Tauranga.

The first foal to arrive at the Strathconan Stud, Washdyke during the present season is Sally O’s filly by Grqy William, which was bred by Mr W. A. Grant. Sally O is a non-Stud Book

mare but from an excellent family which had its foundation in Southland. Miss Redowa, the fourth dam was a winner and produced six winners including Saldowa, the dam of Golden Amber, which was placed in the Wellington guineas, Dunedin Guineas, and New Zealand Oaks. Saldowa .was a sister to Aganev which produced the very good handicappers. Dalriada and Teaka. Lucky Sal out of Saldowa, won 10

races, including four as a two-year-old.