PEGGOTTY'S RECORD

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 100, 30 April 1938, Page 22

PEGGOTTY'S RECORD

STARTED AS PACER

EIGHT CONSECUTIVE WINS

(By "Ariki Toa.")

Much has been written of late round the sensational performances of the unhoppled trotter Peggotty, but few know that she commenced her racing career as a pacer, and started on four occasions. To illustrate the opinion formed of her by the public it may be mentioned that she was at lengthy odds each time.

It was while the mare was working as a pacer that it was suggested to her trainer, J. Behrns, that she lifted her feet rather high, and that it would be worth the experiment to try her at the trotting gait. Thus from a modest beginning Peggotty has been developed into one of the best squaregaiters that the Dominion has produced in the last decade. She was given a run at a matinee meeting at Addington as a trotter and surprised by outclassing the field opposed to her. As the result of this effort'she was made second favourite in the Mitcham Handicap run at Ashburton last December. She won easily in 3min 32 4-ssec, and followed this up by scoring in the Claremont Handicap at Timaru. Her next appearance was at Forbury Park, when she again proved equal to accounting for a race each day. With five successive wins to her credit a good deal of attention was being focused upon her, but better was to come. Her next start was at Timaru last month, when she made short work of a strong field. She was then put, aside until the Championships opened- last week at Addington. Her form there has been the medium of much reference, and suffice it to say that she won twice in three outings. When defeated Peggotty was most unlucky. She broke for the first time in her career, and at one stage was behind the backmarker Sea Gift, who started off 84yds. Peggotty made up a lot of leeway to eventually finish fourth, and there is little doubt that had she begun with her usual alacrity she would have won again. The daughter of Wrack and a Nelson Bingen mare, she is still improving and promises to be one of the greatest trotting mares that has graced the Turf. In her pedigree she claims the successful strains of the Peter the Great and Bingen blood, which has been prominent in the pedigrees of many of our leading square-gaiters.