ROCKS AHEAD’S RECORD

Southland Times, Issue 24005, 21 December 1939, Page 10

ROCKS AHEAD’S RECORD

ICEVUS AN AUCKLAND CUP PROSPECT MILLISLE DISAPPOINTS AT TIMARU Gerfalcon and Tan John are in favour at Ashburton. A Change Tritoma is now a member of A. B. Rattray’s team at Gore. i Dunedin Meeting The sum of £4750 will be distributed in stakes at the summer meeting of the Forbury Park Trotting Club on January 25 and 27. Well Related Better Half, who is to race at Gore next week, is a half-sister by Rey de Oro to Chechahco, a Winton Cup winner. A Prospect Icevus would only require to race up to his Forbury Park form to have a great chance in the Auckland Cup. At Ashburton Cantata and Fine Art are firm favourites for the Ashburton Cup and it promises to be a great battle between the pair. Disappointed , Millisle was a disappointment at Timaru, but he is much more capable than this form would make him out to be. A Record Holder Rocks Ahead, who will be sent against Harold Logan’s mile record at Winton, has a record of 2min 9 2-ssec over a mile in saddle at Forbury Park. Related to Waipahi Charles Russell, who returned a remunerative price at Timaru on Saturday, is a half-brother by Guy Parrish to Waipahi. Charles Russell has been racing for several seasons with little success. Brackets at Gore Brackets at the Gore Trotting Club’s meeting on Tuesday are as follows: E. A. Pigeon Memorial Handicap—Sinbad and Guywin, Drumbunnif and Golden Miller; Mataura Handicap—Shanghai Peggy and Jimmy Drusus, Patti Nelson and Patch’s Discovery; Stewards’ Handicap—Aidus and Indianola; President’s Handicap—Waterloo Direct and Diosma, Crown Peak and Stanza; Final Handicap—Viscosa, Aspirant, Dan McGrew and Willowbank. Springfield Globe

Springfield Globe, who has arrived in Auckland to compete in the Trotting Cup, is a stable mate of Lawn Derby. He won the final of the interDominion “championship” at Launceston in 3min 19|sec on a half-mile track. He has no two-mile performance on which his stamina can be estimated.

Indianapolis Since competing at the recent New Brighton meeting, where he gave a fair showing. Indianapolis has been kept in steady work, and he is looking as bright as ever. The former champion is expected to have his next race at the Forbury Park Trotting Club’s meeting next month, when he will probably be seen out in the sprint events. Although no definite plans have been made for his future, it seems that it will not be long before Indianapolis is retired from racing. Plans Upset

R. B. Berry intended to drive at Ashburton on Boxing Day, and to travel by aeroplane to steer Great Jewel next day in the Auckland Trotting Cup, but the acceptance date was overlooked and the project has fallen through.

Handsome Present The owner of the Winton Juvenile Stakes winner this year will receive a handsome silver tea service, donated to the club by Mr George Dryden, 'of Invercargill. Mr Dryden also donated a trophy for last year’s classic and his practical support of the club is to be commended. The trophy for this year’s race has been on view in the Dee street window of Broad, Small, Ltd. Judgment at Fault

The reinsmanship displayed by certain drivers at Timaru on Saturday was not what might be expected from men who are supposed to be experts in their profession, comments a Christchurch writer. In at least two races horses that had lost ground at the start had not improved their positions when the last half-mile was commenced. From then on, however, when the pace was at its best they were called on to pass big fields and cover much extra ground on the top turn. Several that showed great speed when racing several sulky-widths out from the rails may be kept in mind for engagements in the near future.

Sir Julien Although Sir Julien was allowed to forgo his engagement at the Timaru Trotting Club’s, meeting today, he is in fine order and will take his place in the New Zealand Champion Stakes field at Ashburton on Boxing Day. The winner of last season’s New Zealand Sapling Stakes, this three-year-old is highly regarded and is expected to develop into a class performer with more age. Sir Julien has had only two outings this season, being unluckily beaten into second in the New Brighton Challenge Stakes by Three Tens and running unplaced in his other start, and he should show considerable improvement when he is more seasoned with racing. A speedy, well-mannered pacer, Sir Julien is one of the biggest three-year-olds seen for a long period and time will be to his advantage.

Great Jewel Withdrawn The defection of Great Jewel from the Auckland Cup has caused some surprise in trotting circles, for it was generally recognized that he would have a great chance in the £l5OO handicap. Fremont, another of R. B. Berry’s team, was also allowed to forfeit his engagement on the first day. The defection of both horses may be put down to a misunderstanding as to the date on which acceptances closed, and unless Berry adopts the somewhat unusual course of taking his horses up for the second and third days’ racing his attention will have to be confined to Ashburton and Canterbury Park during the Christmas and New Year holidays. Great Jewel has not been nominated for Ashburton, but two valuable stakes on the Canterbury Park Trotting Club’s programme may demand attention. On the first day the Canterbury Handicap is worth £lOOO, and is for 4min 27sec class horses, but as Great Jewel is assessed on 4min 28

sec he will need to give away 12 yards to be in the race. On the second day the big race is the Mason Stakes Handicap of £7OO, 4min 29sec class, while the fast sprint races are the Au Revoir Handicap of a mile and a quarter, 2min 47sec class, on the first day, and the Final Handicap of one mile on the second day. The former is worth £275, and the latter carries a stake of £3OO.