Victorian colt for Addington

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33778, 26 February 1975, Page 18

Victorian colt for Addington

Not all Australian owners are too downeest by the eclipse of their representatives at the Inter-Dominion Championships series earlier In the month at Alexandra Park. The connections of the champion Victorian luvenile trotter. Court Jester, are busy completing travel arrangements for their colt to contest the $7500 New Zealand Trotting Stakes at Addington Raceway on March 22.

The eolt has already been

nominated for the Addington race, and his part-owner, Mr R. Thompson, of Melbourne, said yesterday that he hopes to have travel arrangements completed in the next few days.

If the trip eventuates. Court Jester will be driven at Addington by his trainer. Dal Fitzpatrick.

Court Jester gained two wins and a second from three starts last season. He is unbeaten in four totalisator starts this term, creating Australian or track records on each occasion. His last start was on November 12 when he won by 14m at Shepparton, where he rated 2min 2.Ssec for 2100 m. Since then he has raced at trials.

"He's one of those natural trotters you dream about/' said Mr Thompson, who hopes to arrange for the horse's return home immediately after the Addington race. He is keen that he becomes the first horse to win all the major classics for three-year-old trotters in New Zealand and Australia in the one season. Ha plans to race him in the trotting derbies in Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales on his return home.

Court Jester Is by Gay Reveller, an American-bred horse which stood in New Zealand for some time as a sire of trotters without making any impact. In Australia he has sired almost 200 pacing winners, but only four have favoured the trotting gait.

Court Jester is from the fine New Zealand family founded by the imported mare. Spangled Maiden. Corsair, Frosty Junior and the recent Hutt Park place-getter Spangled Key are about the only trotters decending from Spangled Maiden. Among the many fine pacers from the family have been Jay Ar, Adioway, Julie Hanover and Spangled Mary. In Australia, Argent (winner of the New South Wales and Victorian Oaks and Derbies), Tacit and Gyro are from the same family.