MAIDA DILLON COMES FROM GOOD FAMILY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27012, 22 February 1949, Page 8

MAIDA DILLON COMES FROM GOOD FAMILY

Maida Dillon created a good impression when she spreadeagled a good field of sprinters in the Final Handicap at New Brighton on Saturday. She had shown her best form earlier in the season on heavy tracks, and it was surprising that she should have received such strong support on Saturday. Her time for the mile and a-quarter journey—2min 39see —.was also very good, being equivalent to 2min 7 l-ssec for one mile. Maida Dillon was bred at Ryal Bush by Mr D. W. Dyet, who sold her to Mr J. H. Winter, of Invercargill, who also trains her. She is a half-sister to a moderate performer in Grattan Lee and a sister to Dahlita, being by Dillon Hall from Otapiri Lee, by Leo Norris (imp.) from Miss Hector, by Sir Hector from Miss Fortune, a Stirling Lad mare who founded one of the most successful families in Southland. Miss Fortune is the dam of Mishap, who left Belshazzar, Erin's Fortune, the dam of Erinack. Sea Fortune, Loyal Peter and this year's .winner of the Winton Juvenile Stakes, Roulette; and Dame Fortune, the dam of Scarlett O’Hara. Jason’s Quest and Dame Durdin. Miss Fortune also left another good performer in Carver Doone. Maida Dillon is only a six-year-old and she looks set for higher honours. So far this season she has had two wins and two placings in seven starts. Jottings Handicaps for the Invercargill Trotting Club’s meeting on March 5 will be declared to-morrow. Nominations for the Timaru Trotting Club's meeting on March 12 close on Monday. The successes of Pierre, Belmont Hall and Maida Dillon at New Brighton and Tutta Bella at Gore will place Dillon Hall further ahead on the leading sires’ list. Offer Refused

Mr H. C. Bishop, the South Australian owner of Fremont, recently refused an offer of £3OOO from New Zealand for the Real Frisco horse. Prior to being shipped to Australia Fremont raced in the interests of Mr F Wallis, of Gore. Due for Early Success

Magnificent has been placed five times in nine starts this season and is due for a winning turn. He went a good race to beat all but Pirouette in the Eclipse Handicap after appearing to have the race won turning for home. With a little luck he should live up to his breeding. He is a six-year-old gelding by Jack Potts (imp.) from the American-bred mare Mercedes, by Peter Chenault.

By Nelson Eddy Almeta, a dual winner at the Westport meeting at Hokitika on Saturday, is a four-year-old mare by the 1941 Dunedin Cup winner Nelson Eddy from Bell Harvester, by Sonoma Harvester—Rainbow, by Harold Dillon—Stormlet, by Wildwood. Nelson Eddy is now standing in Australia. Almeta has had eight starts for two wins and three minor placings. She is trained by one of her part-owners, S. T. Webster, at Tinwald. Record Australian Price An Australian record price for a trotter or pacer was paid when Centre Fire was sold for 2100 guineas at Dalton, New South Wales, recently. Centre Fire is a bay four-year-old stallion by Walla Walla from Pottapiajna, a New Zealand-bred daughter of Jack Potts. Thrilling Race One of the features at the New Brighton meeting on Saturday was the introduction of a race for C grade drivers. It proved an outstanding success both from a race point of view and the ability shown by the horsemen. P. G. Wilson, who drove the winner, Pierre, is in the employ of R. J. Berry, who trains Pierre. He and the other young drivers earned high praise for their displays. Pierre won in a photo finish by a neck from Aqua Lady, with a similar distance back to Grand Fleet in third place. Beverley Volo’s Form Beverley Volo showed that her win at Addington on February 12 was no flash in the pan when she won the Autumn Handicap at New Brighton on Saturday. Off 84 yards she had the race won a long way from home and her time of 4min 24 2-ssec for the two-mile journey was only 1 3-ssec outside Belmont Hall’s winning time in the New Brighton Handicap. She was patiently handled by her trainer, C. S. Donald, and judged by the manner in which she won she should have little difficulty In reaching a tighter mark before the end of the season. Dillondale’s Good Effort Dillondale was having his fourteenth start of the season when he finished a close fourth to Maida Dillon, Bonny Clare and Bonny Scott in the Final Handicap at the New Brighton meeting. His only other placing had been in the Hutt Handicap at Hutt Park in November, when he ran third to Lady Averil and Commander Scott on a dead track. Dillondale was responsible for all the pace on Saturday, and it was only inside the final furlong that he faded. He - has shown his best form on heavy tracks, and when conditions suit he will be hard to head off as he is now at the top of his form.