F. J. SMITH'S FINE RECORD

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 30, 3 August 1940, Page 15

F. J. SMITH'S FINE RECORD

The 24 wins secured last season by the Takanini trainer F. J. Smith bring his total successes in New Zealand to 315, and the 22 winning drives raised his tally in the reinsmen's. section to 300. . These totals extend over ... 11. seasons, making his training average 28£, and his driving average, 27. Smith arrived from England at the beginning of: 1929, his sole charge being Linnett the Great. He made his first appearance at the Waikato Meeting of 1929, driving Linnett the Great, who was unplaced from 156 yards in the Introductory Handicap. In the succeeding, race he drove: First Flight to victory in the Frankton Handicap for the McKendrick brothers. His greatest performance was on the first day of the Auckland Spring Meeting in 1936, when he won with Swordsman, Neryie's Last, Spessiva, Polly Pan, Tollgate, and Mountain Flight, the last five in successive races. He was second with King's Warrior and third with Frank Best in the remaining two races. Smith drove the free-leg-ged Nervie's Last to a mile record of 2min 4sec at Epsom and Van Derby to a world's grass record of 2min 0 2-ssec.