Scotch Notch to miss Addington carnival

Press, 24 October 1984, Page 37

Scotch Notch to miss Addington carnival

PA Auckland The champion Australian trotting mare Scotch Notch, will not be at Addington next month to defend her title in the prestige $60,000 Dominion Handicap over 3200 m. Last year she was a brilliant winner at the expense of Sir Castleton and Basil Dean. That trip brought its share of problems, as her Melbourne traiber-driver, Graeme Lang, recalled yesterday. “She had a bad stomach complaint last time and she’s not properly right a lot of the time now,” he said by telephone from Meljbourne. “If we took her back the

change of food might upset her and there are the big races in Melbourne after Christmas,” said Lang. “It took her six months to get over that sickness and it’s still hard to keep her right.” Scotch Notch will race against the open pacers in next Monday’s Kilmore Cup. She finished second in the race last year, behind Distant Thunder. Lang said the Melbournetrained Skipper Don would be a replacement for Scotch Notch. “Kevin Murray (Skipper Don’s trainer) told me that in the mare’s absence he would take his horse.” Lange said that Stopper Don, in Auckland for the Inter-Dominion

series, was probably in the best form of his career. He recently won from 60 metres at Moonee Valley and was second behind Big Jake at the same venue on Saturday evening. The champion Melbourne pacer, Gammalite, is still a definite contender for the $125,000 New Zealand Cup at Addington on November 6, in spite of running the worst race of his illustrious career in Saturday evening’s Italian Cup at Moonee Valley, won brilliantly by Popular Alm. Gammalite’s ownertrainer, Leo O’Connor, said yesterday that the trip was still on at this stage. “I guess it finally hinges on what handicap he gets,” said O’Connor.