AUSTRALIAN TOPICS

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 149, 21 December 1945, Page 10

AUSTRALIAN TOPICS

NEENAH IN WORK

IN J. FRYER'S STABLE

(By Air-Mail—Special to "The' Post.")

MELBOURNE, December 8

Neenah, the crack Auckland sprinter, returned to Jack Fryer's stable this week after three weeks' rest at Bacchus March, the famous Victorian pastoral district, where Phar Lap, High Caste, Peter Pan, and other champions have spent beneficial holidays. The Foxbridge gelding Jooks very fit to begin a serious preparation and has been given a good chance to become acclimatised, which has proved so necessary to win races here. "Neenah will be reserved for the short-distance • weight-for-age and special maximum-weight races, whenever possible," said his trainer, who is most ■ anxious to re-establish the high reputation of New Zealand-bred horses in Melbourne. '

Dr. C. Blundell, who sent Neenah to Melbourne, has arranged with Fryer to have the two fillies bred here from his good mare Namakia shipped to Auckland this month. . One is a fine big three-year-old filly by Portofino, and her younger two-year-old half-sister is by the sensational sire of the season, Dhoti (a son of Dastur). Portofmo has sired a .host of winners in recent years, and as Dhoti's progeny have won £17,700 in stakes (an Australian record for a second season sire), the Auckland owner has a pair of valuable fillies who should be very successful brood mares even- if they fail to win races, which is very unlikely. The Dhoti filly is the first of the sire's stock to be exported from Australia. V

Pensacola's . two-year-old .-■ halfbrother by Phaleron Bay, purchased cheaply at the last Trentham Sales, has1 rejoined J. Fryer's string after six weeks' holiday following the colt's arrival from Wellington. He has improved out of sight during the spell and his trainer has high hopes that this outstanding-looking individual will develop into a three-year-old above the 'average. He is a beautiful black colt who may furnish . a really good three-year-old for his owner, Mr. H. A. Hall. Alma Bay is the name claimed for this colt. Another newcomer to Fryer's large team who has impressed many good judges is the Coronach—Lady Phosa two-year-old filly who arrived from New Zealand some months ago and has since been spelling at the property of her owner, Mr., A. McLean, who is a member of the Williamstown Racing Club's committee and who raced those good horses Lucrative and Laureate. OVERTURES FOR LAWRENCE. A New Zealand .studmaster is reported to have asked Lawrence's owner, Mr. A. H. Griffiths, to put a price on the brilliant Lawmaker horse, but so far. no business has resulted. X-ray photographs taken a few days ago reveal that Lawrence has a fractured sesamoid bone of his off foreleg. The New Zealand-bred. Crojick by Siegfried, a good performer in Melbourne a few seasons ago, met with a somewhat similar injury and after a good spell was able to race, and win, but Crojick's trouble was not as pronounced as Lawrence's. Lawrence is nobbling about at Lou Robertson's stable and may soon be able to undergo salt-water treatment at Mordialloc, Further X-ray, photographs will be taken in a few weeks time, and if the fractured bones have knitted the . champion will be given a spell and trained for the short distance weight-for-age races of the spring. Lawrence's trainer. Lou Robertson, heads the trainers' list with 11 wins this season, although the powerful stable did not win a race at the big meetings. Robertson is at present enjoying his first holiday in 25 years. I asked Ashley Reed one day this week to compare the leading Australian horses and riders with some of the champions of the Turf in New Zealand and Australia, but the former leading jockey, wisely, perhaps, said the task was beyond him. When questioned on the merits of the crack Dhoti colts Royal Gem and Crown Gem, trained by his iriend P. B. Quinlan. Ashley was more at ease. "They are really good colts," he replied unhestitatingly, "'and you can tell some of my old -friends in New Zealand they are well worth a trip across the Tasman to see in action." He added that he thought Nigger Minstrel was the best horse he had ridden in New Zealand, and Heroic and The Night Patrol the best during His Australian career. Sydney jockey G. Young, son of Gloaming's old pilot, has accepted an engagement to ride in New Zealand. George, jun., has met with a fair measure of success in Sydney, and he should prove a success in the Dominion. WON ON PROTEST. Stenelaus's win in the £1500 V.R.C. Benevolent Handicap at Flemington ■ today caused a sensation in an excit- ' ing day's racing. The former New Zealand gelding, having his eighth race in Melbourne, led practically all the way. and was awarded the race on protest after the favourite Peter had defeated him by half a length, with Various close up third. A. Cooper, Stenelaus's rider, protested against W. Williamson, the rider of Peter, for alleged interference in the straight, and there was further excitement when Various's jockey (H. McCloud) protested against both Peter and Stenelaus.

The V.R.C. Oaks winner Cherie' Marie, who races in the same colours as Stenelaus, but is trained by W. ("Billie") Duncan, won the Lowan Handicap, for three-year-olds, narrowly from the outsider Rimfire, with El Banco (trained by Ron Cameron and ridden by S. Ralph) third. Cherie Marie was ridden by Breasley, who completed a winning double (and rescued his army of followers) when he won the, Kingsville Handicap on the favourite Oxford Street —one of Melbourne's best sprinters. Mr. W. R. Kembell's colt League was second.

In Sydney Bravo, by Le Grand Due. won his third race in succession for Peter Riddle, a former New Zealander.—"Sir Lancelot. Jun."