CREDITABLE RECORD

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 140, 16 June 1939, Page 13

CREDITABLE RECORD

F. J. SMITH'S GOOD SEASON

(By "Ariki Toa.")

Horses from F. J. Smith's stable had another very successful year at Auckland and provincial meetings, .and with 20 wins and many placings they accounted for £4380 of the £7070 credited to Takanini-trained. pacers, arid trotters during the season just closed. Two other trainers j n C. H. Goodall and .A. W. Broughton also. secured over four fia^jrcl, so taken all round it was a most successful term for horses trained in the centre. F. J. Smith's-.best- contributor was Sandusky, one of the most consistent four-year-olds in commission, and he headed the list with £1020. He won twice and was four times second in big handicaps, but could not be- said to have had any the best of luck. He was raced in the south on several occasions, and two wins and placings at Timaru and Addington brought his total earnings for the season to £1500. Parauri, another fine four won three races in the province, including the Thames Trotting Cup, in which he established a track record by traversing the two miles in 4min 29sec. Later he registered 3min 15 2-ssec over a mile and a half at Addington. His Auckland earnings were £625". With the-Australian-bred, champion Van Derby Smith won £695 as the result of four victories and one second. In some quarters Smith has been criticised for his handling of the black pacer, but it is worth keeping in mind that he had never left the mark correctly in his career prior to going to Takanini, but he can now be relied upon to leave reasonably well. He is one of the fastest horses ever to appear on the Turf, but recent efforts would suggest that he has a lot to learn to be the ideal racehorse. The trotter Llanvabon secured three successes for £420, but his form was far from consistent, a tendency to break not improving his chances -.oa many occasions. Swordsman won early in the season but was then:spelled, making his reappearance last month. His showing indicated that he would not be long in returning to the winning list. ' . •' »" ' Santa Fe proved very useful, and two firsts and four placings brought in £410. a good return on the £100 expended upon her purchase. Resistance, another ex-southerner, paid his way. for besides- winning twice at Epsom he annexed an intermediate event at Hawera. . Bexley Girl did not quite realise expectations, even though scoring on two. occasions, also at Addington; where she covered two miles in 4min 19sec. Rere Oro, Kewpie's Jewel, and Josedale Grattan were contributors, and the last-named left the impression that there is a lot more to come.