No subsidy for Yadran

Press, 24 February 1978, Page 1 (Supplement)

No subsidy for Yadran

Special correspondent Auckland The HelensviHe owner-trainer, A Milina, is not dismayed that his horse, Yadran, is the only one of the 11 New Zealand candidates for the Inter-Dominion Championships not granted a travelling subsidy by the Trotting Conference.

“It would have been nice to get It,” he says, “but I suppose the others had stronger claims. With only 10 subsidies available, somebody had to miss out."

Yadran was always going to the Inter-Dorninions. subsidy or not. The fact that his record is the most modest of the New Zealand aspirants for the trotting title did not deter Milina one bit.

Even though he has had only six wins, Yadran has proved a decidedly useful proposition. He has had no fewer than 22 minor placings and his stake earnings are 511.969 —not a bad return on the *lOOO he cost Milina as a two-year-old. A year earlier Yadran had been sold for the same amount at the Great Northern Sale at Alexandra Park. Milina had taken a fancy to him before that. He used to spend some of his spare time at the Kumeu stables of D. N. Hayes, wbo bred the colt.

“I really liked him," he says. “A friend of mine bought him at the sale and I never gave It another thought—until about 12 months later when I had the opportunity to buy him. 1 lumped at it."

Yadran started off as a pacer and shaped very promisingly, on one occasion finishing third to. Captain Harcourt and Tar Earl| in the Thames club's Golden Mile, for three-year-olds. But he favoured trotting, So' midway through the season he was switched to that gait. Hr looked good at time, but erratic behaviour at the start was against him. Back he went to> pacing. At his very next start, he won a maiden race at Alexandra Park by five lengths. It was a flash tn the pan, however. He failed badly In bls next four races and Milina had no ‘hesitation In putting the hopples •way for good.