Congo Song Has Brilliant Record

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26915, 29 October 1948, Page 8

Congo Song Has Brilliant Record

Congo Song, the Dominion’s best three-year-old pacer last season, further enhanced his claim to be regarded as one of the greatest horses bred in the Dominion by his three successes at the recent Auckland meeting. No horse has reached such a tight mark as he has done as early in its four-year-old career. Congo Song beat the Dunedin-owned Belmont Hall by the narrowest of margins in last season's Riccarton Stakes, and he went on to win the Derby in the record time for the race of 3min 17 3-ssec, Belmont Hall not being a contestant. Congo Song was beaten in the Great Northern Derby. Sir Vivian, Grand Scott and British Machine finishing ahead of him, but he lost a lot of ground at the start. He failed in the Wyndham Juvenile Stakes in March, which was won by Blue Mist on the limit, Congo Song being 15 lengths behind the second horse. Brynawelon, who was conceding him 12 yards. Blue Mist, who won at Gore on Saturday, put up a record for her age in Southland, doing the mile and a-half on a holding grass track in 3min 22sec. Congo Song then went on to win the Ferry Handicap at Wellington, beating a good one in County Antrim, and he beat a big field of older horses in the Hobson Handicap, at the Auckland winter meeting in May. After two unplaced performances he scored an easy win at Ashburton the next month in the New Zealand Futurity Stakes, Belmont Hall being out of a piace. He finished the season with a third placing to County Antrim and Navigate in the All Aged Stakes. Congo Song is by the New Zealand Cup winner, Gold Bar, from Flying Helen, who is by the Wrack horse, Flying Prince, from the Brent Locanda mare, Helen Answer to Correspondent ;■ Emulous,” Oamaru.—lf Highland Fling or Emulous had won the Hannon Memorial Handicap, no penalty would have been incurred for the New Zealand Cup. Done Raider Lone Raider, a winner at the Auckland Trotting Club's recent meeting, is by the American horse Raider, from the Logan Pointer mare. Belle Logan. Belle Logan was bred by Mr W. J. Morland. of Christchurch, and she was sent to Tasmania after producing a high-class horse in Dillon Logan. She was also the dam of another good one in Logan Derby, by Globe Derby. Invercargill Prospect Knocknagree, an aged Quite Sure gelding, led for three-quarters of the journey In the Meadowbank Handicap, the opening event for trotters at Oamaru. He was no match for Single Task or Awadale at the finish, but his third placing suggests that he will not be out of It at the end of the first division of the Monowai Handicap at Invercargill to-morrow. He is trained at Oamaru by his owner. Mr F. G. Taverner. Winning Turn Due Hall Ace had to .go the fast time of 3min 14 4-ssec in the Redcastle Handicap at Oamaru for a third placing. With so many improving horses in classes suitable for the Dillon Hall gelding he is not find-

ing the going easy. In his five starts this season he has been once first and three times placed. Hall Ace is engaged in the Southland Handicap, a 3min 43sec class event over two miles, at the Invercargill Trotting Club’s meeting to-morrow, and he is almost certain to be first choice of backers. Emulous Up till this season Emulous was considered a model horse at the start of a race, but his mulish behaviour on the second day of the Forbury Park meeting and at Oamaru has no doubt lost him many friends for to-morrow's big race at Addington. It is not easy, however, to eliminate him as a prospect, because his performances in the past merit him being given a place amongst the Dominion’s greatest, with 100 per cent, marks for gameness. Perhaps it is only a temporary lapse on his part, but most backers will probably want an assurance that it is before they are willing to support him. Runaway Win One of the easiest wins of the day at Oamaru on Monday was scored by the U. Scott—Festival five-year-old horse Gay Piper, who coasted home at the finish, going 7 l-ssec better than his handicap time. The public seemed to be well aware of his speed, as he was at one of the shortest prices of the day. Festival, who raced successfully for the late Mr E. C. McDermott, is by the American horse Sonoma Harvester, her dam being by Prince Imperial. The first of her progeny, Jovial, by Grattan Royal, was also owned and trained for most of her career by Mr McDermott. Fantom’s Relative A half-brother to Fantom by Lucky Jack, Fan Tan, also raced by Mr J. R. McKenzie, lost so much ground at the start of the President’s Handicap at Oamaru that his driver might have been excused had he merely jogged him for the rest of the journey. G. B. Noble, however, elected to go after his field, and made up a lot of leeway with half the journey gone. Fan Tan had nothing left at the finish, but certainly showed that he has enough speed to win races if he could be prevailed upon to leave the mark with reasonable alacrity. Improved Trotter Passive showed considerable improvement on .her Forbury Park performance in running third to Barrier Reef and Merry Man in the Waitaki Handicap at Oamaru on Monday. She must be considered extremely unlucky in being beaten into third place after improving on her handicap by 14 l-ssec, while not much over a length divided the three placed horses. She is by U. Scott from Violet Wrack, a straight-out trotter, who reached a 3min 26sec mark. Her dam, Violet Wilkes was by the American horse Marvin Wilkes. Passive was bred by Mr D. M. Robertson, of Kurow. Brilliant Field One of the great thrills of the day should be provided by the finish to the Avon Handicap, a mile and a-quarter race for trotters, at Addington to-morrow. The Aerial Scott-Acclamation bracket is almost certain to be the first choice of backers, but it will be difficult to overlook the solid claims of Bellisima, Belmoral, Fantom, Forewarned, and Toushay. The trotter, who appeared to belong to a dying race some years ago, has assuredly come back to its own again. No doubt, the policy of A many clubs in providing a better variety of classes as well as free-for-alls is having its effect. Nyallo Scott The Addington trainer G. S. Smith has been particulary successful with horses regarded more or less as outlaws, and there was a good deal of interest in the behaviour of Nyallo Scott at the start of the Hannon Memorial at Oamaru on Monday. Nyallo Scott, whjj, was one of the outsiders of the field, failed to get away, and was soon in a hopeless position. When leased by Mr J. R. McKenzie to L. F. Berkett that trainer developed Nyallo Scott into one of the Dominion’s leading pacers. When Berkett’s lease expired he was sent to E. Kennerley’s stable at Te Awamutu, but was soon returned to the care of G. B. Nobie at Roydon Lodge. Smith looks as if he will have a far from enviable task in getting Nyallo Scott back to anything like the form he showed in the 1946-47 season, when he won 11 races.