AUSTRALIA INVADED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 227, 25 September 1945, Page 7

AUSTRALIA INVADED

STRONG NEW ZEALAND TEAM OVER TASMAN It’s just 40 yearn since the New Zealanders invaded Australia and cleaned up on the Randwick course, Mr. G. G. Stead’s Noctuiform winning the A.J.C. Derby, Mr. H. E. Good’s Maniapoto winning the Metropolitan, and Isolt and Sungod, among others, adding to the confusion of the Australians. Next Saturday the A.J.S. spring meeting will open and it will be continued on the Monday (Six-Hours Day) and the following Saturday. Among rich prizes to be won are the A.J.C. Derby (£5000) Epsom Handicap (£3000), Colin Stephen Stakes (£1500), The Metropolitan (£4500), George Main Stakes (£1500), Breeders’ Plate (£2300), Craven Plate (£1500) and Clibborn Stakes (£1000).

Incidentally, only the opening event at the meeting, the Trial Stakes, has a stake of less than £lOOO. It is for horses that have never won a race worth more than £lOO to the winner, and is run over a mile and a-quarter. If thiat distance were adopted in New Zealand, divisions might not be required in maiden races.

The A.J.C. meeting will be followed by a trek to Victoria for the Caulfield and Flemington meetings, where more big prizes will be on offer, and where New Zealand horses will again be competing. At Randwick Sleepy Fox, Immediate and High Play will be the Dominion horses on which most attention will be centred, but by the time the Victorian meetings come up for consideration the representation will be further strengthened by the arrival of First In Royal Flight and Typhoon. On Saturday s display at Awapunl some of the big stake-money should certainly come this way. Accommodation for the Wellingtonowned Typhoon has been booked at Caulfield, and the much-discussed Cup fancy will probably have his first race here in the Caulfield Stakes on October 13 a week before the Caulfield Cup. Typhoon has eased a little in favouritism for this race, but he is still one of the “top-liners” for the Melbourne Cup, to be decided on Tuesday, November 6. First In and Royal Flight will be prepared at Mentone, one of the popular seaside training centres, and Immediate and High Play are booked to leave Sydney after the Randwick meetings. E. J. Ellis’ pair appear to be New Zealand’s best representatives for the Caulfield Cup, and their good form already shown in Sydney has strengthened their claims. First In will probably have her first race in Victoria in a six-furlong weight-for-age event on Caulfield Cup Day in the course of her preparation for the Melbourne Cup . She has been well supported with Tranquil Star as the first leg of the big double. The Winter Cup winner Royal Flight, who claims an engagement in the Caulfield Cup, being weighted at 8.7, has arrived in Wellington en route to Australia and will travel on the same boat as Typhoon. A. E. Didham, who has been her rider in the majority of the Salmagandi mare's triumphs, will accompany her. Prior to leaving Wirigatui. Royal Flight did pace work over six furlongs, when she looked big and strong in condition. Although still carrying some of her winter coat, that does not detract from her appearance. She is a level-tempered mare, and has proved herself to, be equal to running a middle distance, although probably a mile is her favourite distance. During A. E. Didham’s absence in Australia his team will be under the charge of M. McLennan, who at one time trained at Riccarton, where he won several races with Battle Colours for Mr. D. Campbell. He was also associated with Satisfy when this Solferino filly won the D.J.C. McLean Stakes in 1929. The temporary trainer will have about a dozen horses under his charge during Didham’s absence. The stay of the latter will probably extend till after the Melbourne Cup. The New Zealand contingent will not have the opportunity to sweep the board as was done forty years ago. but already between them Sleepy Fox and Immediate have carried off three of the spring prizes, and Sleepv Fox was definitely unlucky not to win the Clarendon Stakes last Saturday. Between them they should account for a major share of the plums during the spring racing campaign in Australia.