SPRING PREPARATIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 49, 26 August 1941, Page 10

SPRING PREPARATIONS

KINDERGARTEN FIT

GOLD SALUTE IN VICTORIA

(From "Vedette.") .•- ■> ■ SYDNEY.. August 18. I Kindergarten has not raced yet in I Australia, but in an exhibition gallop i last week he showed that his quality j was i equal to all his enthusiastic New ! Zealand supporters ■ claimed. Without an effort he ran half a mile in f ossec.,. but was helped by a strong following wind. His action and general appearance were .approved beyond measure, and all that could be held against the standard of the performance was that Lucrative carried more weight in M. McCarten. much heavier shoes, and finished just as well, with the three-year-old Henchman only about a length away. .As against that Kindergarten gave the other pair about two lengths' start. A natural outcome of this fine bit ol work was the reappearance of a crop of stories about- would-be buyers. I It is known that three separate wealthy I interests are interested in Kindergarten but whether they will be able to buy him is another matter. "Absolutely, not for sale,", was R. S. Bagby's reply when questioned, and he went on to add that before he left New Zealand he agreed with the owner that they would fix the- price at £25,000, which they considered would stop even the most enterprising' Australian. Kindergarten will have his first race in Australia in the Warwick Stakes at Randwjck on August .30, when his opponents will include High Caste, Beau, Vite; and Lucrative. • For the benefit | of New Zealanders it can be added that. although adverse reports were circulated about Kindergarten's condition on his arrival, he is just as forward, or more so, than, the majority of ■ his most likely opponents. ' HIGH CASTE IMPRESSES. High Caste has been' stepping out on the track and should be a better horse this year than;ever. He was seen in;an exhibition gallop at Victoria Park after rain on a heavy track. He covered five furlongs with Amiable in lmin 3|sec, holding-that mare at the finish. As Amiable carried only her racing plates and High Caste his big, heavy, working shoes, he was given a severe test, and came through with flying colours. Beau Vite has had to come through a setback due to development of soreness, .and probably lie will race in the early spring at a disadvantage. A week or so ago some of the keen track' watchers doubted F. McGrath's ability to have him right for spring racing, but during the past week the horse has- worked much more satisfactorily and hopes are entertained that by the time the big. meeting comes along he will be at his best. In addition to High Caste, J. T. Jamieson has in Beau Son one of the most likely three-year-olds and present Melbourne Cup favourite. Beau Son has had only three races, but his two wins at Randwick we're impressive. In the second of these he won easily, with the best colt of last year, Yaralla, 9.5, only third, finding it impossible to concede 281b to Beau Son. As an early two-year-old, Beau Son was very straight in front and- there appeared grave doubts whether he could be trained. With age. however, he has strengthened into a magnificent animal, well developed, and showing even more than average Beau Pere quality. As Yaralla had w,on only three weeks before at Canterbury Park there was no excuse for his defeat apart from the weight. His .appearance, however, was .disappointing, for he has not developed during the winter as much as could have been expected. In addition, he is likely to be more the -sprinter than the stayer: All Love, the best two-year-old filly, of last season, also went down last, Saturday, being well beaten by The Champion, the three-year-old brother to Spear Chief. At present G, Price has no older' horses of any standing but his luck apparently is holding, for The Champion should be right up to Derby standard and a worthy'opponent for Beau Son. He was more forw.ard in condition than All Love, who was attempting at 8.9 to give him _-231b. Against that, All Love showed all her two-year-old brilliance and half-way through the six-furlong event was eight to ten lengths in front of The Champion who wore her down ana beat her easily on the heavy track. "M. McCarten has been left by the Victorian trainer H. Freedman to supervise arid ride Lucrative m all his preliminary work. . McCarten performed this task most satisfactorily in the autumn when he practically trained Lucrative for, the Sydney Cup. and as the horse now looks in even better condition he justifies his position_as a pronounced favourite for the Metropolitan. The double, High Caste an£ Lucrative, is at * an' unusually short quotation for races.so far away. McCarten also has. charge of the three-year-old. Laureate, from the Lucra-

tive stable, a colt who also may be up to Derby standards. PANDECT IMPROVED. From Melbourne last week came F. Musgrave with a much-improved Pandect, and the fine-looking three-year-old colt Murmuring (by Bulandshar). Pandect as a two- and three-year-old was very lean and light, but has furnished into a much stronger-looking four-year-old. Murmuring appeals more as a smart galloper than a stayer, but until he is tested over a distances a hasty decision might not be wise. ; The mercurial Mr. Alan Cooper has gone off to Melbourne with Gold Salute and four young horses and has obtained a permit to train them himself. G. Price handed over Gold Salute in tiptop condition, and while Mr. Cooper has had many trainers during This career and differences with most of them, he is in a position now to make hig own plans entirely. Reading reappeared at Victoria Park last Saturday, finishing third.in a Flying Handicap, carrying D. Munro. He was much brighter than when racing at any part of last season and raced more generously. If he recovers' his best form he should win one of the good handicaps of-the spring, for, compared with most of the other top-class horses, he is more favourably handicapped. There is a suggestion that the Caulfield Cup will be his particular mission, although the good races in Sydney are not likely to be cast aside. Moreover, in the Caulfield Cup he has to tackle Kindergarten in the New Zealander's only major handicap engagement, for which Kindergarten is a hot favourite. Already the double —Kindergarten and Beau Son—has been backed for a good deal of money.