FROM STUD AND STABLE Didham horses will be force in holiday racing

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32797, 23 December 1971, Page 7

FROM STUD AND STABLE Didham horses will be force in holiday racing

Win with the Didhams might be the theme for South Island holiday meetings early next week.

Results often fall short of expectations, but it will be surprising indeed if success eludes horses from the Wingatui stables of A. E. Didham and his son Arthur, Jun., all along the line on Dunedin Cup day at Wingatui on Monday and on Timaru Cup day at Washdyke on Tuesday.

Arthur Didham, jun., prepares Golden Sam, the probable favourite for the Dunedin Cup, and his father, who won this race a year ago with Beladin, will bank his hopes on Centre Gallery. Centre Gallery, a five-year-old Ribotlight mare owned by

the Central Otago artist, Mr B. J. Halliday, was third behind Golden Sam in the Hororata Cup at Riccarton earlier this month.

E. J. Didham, one of New Zealand’s outstanding riders of stayers has not won a Dunedin Cup, but Golden Sam will give him one of the brightest of chances of placing his name on the race records. Breeder-owner Arthur Didham, jun., has already prepared Royal Estate and Carpenter to win the Dunedin Cup, but a win for Golden Sam would break fresh ground for him. He also bred and races the Afghanistan gelding in partnership with Mr G. S. Lane, of Dunedin.

On Tuesday Didham will be at Washdyke to tilt at Ti-

maru Cup honours with Blazing Peak and Foxy. Blazing Peak won the feature race at Tapanui the day Golden Sam won the Hororata Cup, and now that E. J. Didham has made this Kurdistan gelding his choice of mounts, the question of Timaru Cup favouritism might be settled. But Foxy also has much to commend her as a Timaru Cup prospect—especially her third after a cramped run down on the inside in the Dunedin Jockey Club Handicap last Saturday. Historic races The Dunedin Cup and Timaru Cup are approaching their centuries, the Dunedin race, established in 1874, being introduced a year before the South Canterbury feature race.

There are some famous names on the records of both races. Sir Modred won them both as a three-year-old and was later exported to the United States where he was a successful sire. . Liberator won the Timaru Cup in 1893, the Dunedin Cup in 1894, then became the first to win the two Great Northerns in one year. Nightmarch won the Dunedin Cup as a three-year-old, overcoming difficulties in the running with such brilliance that his rider, Charlie Emerson, predicted the colt would win a Melbourne Cup. Only months later, Nightmarch did just that. And one of his beaten rivals was Phar Lap. Golden Souvenir and Ray Ribbon were other Riccartontrained stayers to win the Dunedin Cup as three-year-olds, and at the other end of the age scale was the remarkable Great Sensation, which Won twice under 9-5, first as a nine-year-old and again at 10 years. Two of his three Wellington Cup victories followed those Dunedin Cup wins to place high value on South Island form and on the doughty qualities of South Island stayers.

Mr Humphrey Finney, one of the most famous figures in the American bloodstock world, saw Great Sensation in one of those Wellington Cup victories, and had trouble finding words to express his enthusiasm. “What a horse! I wouldn’t be surprised at anything he did, even sire a horse, though he’s in the book as a gelding!” Segundo at best still •‘The Press" Special Service INVERCARGILL. Segundo, which returned to winning form at Wingatui on Saturday, took no barm from his race. He gave the impression when he worked at Invercargill on Tuesday that he has come up better than ever. Ha was restricted to .two rounds of Bace8 ace work, sprinting home over ic last couple of furlong*. 's He will be ridden by 57 L. Shaw on Monday. Shaw wasjto have ridden him on the first day, but could not make the weight. The course proper was open with the trestles 25 feet out, but the track was easy after heavy Overnight rain. Bellaware, whose next appearance will be in the Wyndham Cup—a race she won last year—bowled over a round on her own with the light-weight, C. Ramage, up. She was not troubled to run her last mile in Imin 50 sec, the last six in Imin 20 1-Ssec and the final half mile In 54*ec. Princess Lomond and Hagley Park were paired over half a mile in 54sec without being required to do their best. Lomax and Linley Wood jumped away from the five and ran the journey In Imin 7sec, the last four In 53sec.

Atabell worked keenly over three furlongs in 39 4-ssec, the last two in 25 4-ssec.

Kinkl reeled off half a mile In 53 Msec and, over the same ground, the two-year-old Howgame was not troubled to run. 53 Msec. Most of the horses to race at Wingatui were let off with pace work. . j

Sheralee not to run "The Press” Special Service AUCKLAND. The Takaninl trainer, I. J. Tucker, yesterday ended speculation on the likely rider for Sheralee in the Great Northern Derby. The filly, he said, would not run in the $15,000 event at Ellerslie next Monday. "You may say she is a definite non-starter,” Tucker said. "I would prefer in the meantime not to elaborate on that.”

Possibly the firmer tracks of the last few weeks have told against Sheralee or she may not be quite herself. Whatever the reason she ha* seemed cramped In her action when galloping lately and it was not very encouraging when Moonmist, a much lesser-performed stable-

mate, held her in a trial on Tuesday. . '