Trainer’s Unique Record In Avondale Guineas

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 September 1949, Page 3 (Supplement)

Trainer’s Unique Record In Avondale Guineas

F. Smith, leading trainer at Takanini, once again produced the winner of the Avondale Guineas. This was last year’s leading- two-year-old stake-earner, Gold Script, and the result was an easy win for the Gold Nib youngster. Over the last nine years Smith has trained no fewer than seven winners of this three-year-old classic, and his record will stand for all time.

So confident were the public that Gold Script would continue Smith’s run of success in the Guineas that the horse was backed down to an odds-on price on the win totalisator, and investors on the place machine lost a portion of their investments. Smith began his monopoly of the Avondale Guineas in 1941, when he won with Route March, who was to be a good performer for the stable. Then, in successive years he produced Representative, Balfron, and My Bonnie.

In 1945 Batal won for Mr W. S. Goosman, who was a patron of Smith’s stable, but the horse at that time was trained by J. Goodwin of Papa toetoe. Smith’s representative that year was King’s Pride, who ran unplaced. The following year Majesty won for the stable, but in 1947 Smith was unsuccessful again, this time with Niloch. Tauloch won in 1948, and now Gold Script has maintained the Takanini trainer’s exceptional record in the race, Outstanding List Apart from Gold Script, who appears to be on the threshold of a really outstanding career, the best horses Smith has produced to win the Guineas, have probably been Representative, Majesty, and Tauloch. Representative went on to include among his successes wins in the Great Northern Guineas and the Avondale Cup, while he ran second to Classform in the 1943 New Zealand Cup when beaten by a half-head. Other good horses who have won the Avondale Guineas since the race was first instituted in 1900 include Wairiki, Rapine, Nonette, Vagabond, Beaulivre, and Royal Chief. Wairiki, Nonette, and Vagabond all went on to win the Great Northern Guineas, Nonette also succeeding in the Avondale Cup. Wairiki was second to Canteen in the New Zealand Cup, and then later won the Auckland Cup as a four-year-old, when carrying the steadier of 9.8.

Rapine won the Great Northern St. Leger, and he, too, won the Auckland Cup when burdened with the same weight as Wairiki had carried. Vagabond, who won the Guineas in 1917, went on to win the New Zealand Cup two years later. Royal Chief and Beaulivre were outstanding racehorses both in this country and Australia, and have further distinguished themselves as sires of note.

It will be seen, therefore, that the list of Avondale Guineas winners includes many horses of distinction.-and the last of these, Gold Script, may prove capable of emulating the deeds of Wairiki, Rapine, Royal Chief, Beaulivre, and company. Later Successes

An interesting feature of the Avondale Guineas is that no fewer than five winners of the race, have gone on

to add the New Zealand Derby Stakes at Riccarton to their records, and these include Elysian, Commendation, Cylinder, Royal Chief and Beaulivre.

No doubt Gold Script’s programme for the remainder of the season will include the Derby, and on a basis of statistics Fred Smith’s charge appears, at this stage, to have an excellent chance of winning the three-year-old Blue Riband of the turf.

Gold Script is bred to stay, being by Gold Nib from Cairness, who was by Tiderace from My Own, by Lord Quex from Tressida, by Tressady from Princess Melton, by Duke of Melton from the imported mare, Chand Bee Bee, who was by Royal Hampton. My Own also produced Caithness, winner of the New Zealand Oaks and the C.JK4. Metropolitan Handicap l , and Yours Truly,- who won the 1939 New Zealand Cup.

A Notable Family Sir Peterson, who won two races at Epsom, and Admiral Peterson, who finished a good third in the Grey Lynn Handicap, are half-brothers to the brilliant Jack Peterson. A good four-figure offer for Jack Peterson was recently refused by his owner, Mr C. Rhodes. Sir Peterson and Admiral Peterson are by Grattan Loyal and Jack Peterson is by Jack Potts. Their dam, Ivy Peterson, is by Rey de Oro from Lady Peterson, by Petareta from Vesta, by Lincoln Yet from a mare by St Leonard. The first of her progeny, Lord Peterson, by Grattan Loyal, was also a good winner. Master Arthur

Unsuccessful in his races after reaching open company on the flat, Master Arthur indicated by his very easy victory in the second division of the Hikqtaia Hack Hurdles at Thames that he may do much better as a jumper. Master Arthur gave a good display of fast, clean jumping and outclassed the opposition. Master Arthur is a five-year-old chestnut gelding by Defaulter from Asia, by Limond from Asia Jewel (imp.), by Grosvenor. He raced with some success in hack events last season, registering a first, a second, and a third in four attempts. His 20 subsequent starts in open company realised only one second placing, He is- engaged at the Te Aroha meeting tomorroyv. Nominated For Trentham

Riccarton stables are represented by the following horses in the list of nominations for the Wellington Racing Club’s spring meeting:—Hobgoblin, Cue. Moonlit, Turf Topic, Flying Sovereign, Magical, Julius Caesar, Sequoia, Disturbance, Clyde Bridge, Personality, Trafalgar Day, Beaumaris, Dark Arrow, Fantasy, Robinfaye, Lady Goldwyn, Trench Fray, Revelry, Robin Redbreast, Royal Scrip, Cloudy Range, Ballochmyle, Maryburn, Langham, Helio, Kartikeya, Broie, Betula, Sharessa, Pastel, Swayup, Whitley, Trinidad, Vitamin, Valley Gold, Johnny Peep, Cast High, Detention, and Te Kooti.