STRONG N.Z. TEAMS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 375, 17 March 1932, Page 16

STRONG N.Z. TEAMS.

Visitors for A.J.C. Autumn Meeting. (Special to the “Star.”) MELBOURNE, March 9. New Zealand owners and trainers are preparing for an onslaught on the Sydney ring. Most of the Dominion's representatives who raced at the Melbourne carnival will go to Randwick for the autumn meetings. Nightmarch, Compris, Gold Trail, Admiral Drake, Spoon and Lotus Lily arrived in Sydney from New Zealand yesterday. Added to the horses that recently raced in Melbourne, these thoroughbreds will make New Zealand’s team for the A.J.C. autumn fixture one of the most formidable from the Dominion. Great interest will be taken in the reappearance of Nightmarch. When it was announced subsequent to his last visit to Sydney that he would go to the stud, it was thought that the racecourse had seen the last of him. But he was put into training some weeks ago, and as a result of his forward running in the James Hazlett Gold Cup on February 13, his trainer, A. M’Auley, decided that Nightmarch was good enough for a trip to Sydney. Nightmarch finished second in the weight-for-age Hazlett Cup, being comfortably beaten by Cricket Bat, a good three-year-old. Gay Crest was third and Compris unplaced. Overlooked Entries. With Nightmarch, Compris and Admiral Drake, New Zealand will have great strength in the long-distance events. It was intended to nominate Compris for the Doncaster Handicap and Sydney Cup, but his connections overlooked the closing date, and his Randwick appearances will be confined to weight-for-age and minor middledistance events. A son of Kilbroney and Lady Halina, Compris is the holder of the mile and a half Australasian record of 2.29. This is half a second better than that recorded by Gothic and Kidaides, and was run with 9.0 up when he won the Wellington Cup on January 20. Admiral Drake, a son of Chief Ruler and "Tame Duck, is the winner of several good handicaps, including the last Auckland Cup, of two miles, on Boxing Day. In that event Admiral Drake carried 7.8, defeated Gay Crest rather comfortably, and ran the two miles in 3.24 2-5. Smart Youngsters, Lotus Girl and Gold Trail are two younger members of the visiting team, the former being a three-year-old by

Chief Ruler from Egyptian Flower, and Gold Trail a two-year-old by the same sire from Pure Gold. Both belong to J. M. Cameron, of The Hawk fame. It is interesting to learn that at Auckland, on December 28, Gold Trail ran the speedy Closing Time to a neck in the Nursery Handicap, doing the five furlongs in 1.0 3-5, while the following day, when in receipt of 61b, she was third to Closing Time in the A.R.C. Criterion Handicap.