TROTTING Small Southern Team To Race At Auckland

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28266, 2 May 1957, Page 5

TROTTING Small Southern Team To Race At Auckland

Only five South Island horses are engaged on the first day of the Auckland Trotting Club’s winter meeting at Alexandra, Park, Epsom, on Saturday. Bedivus is engaged in the two main races, Kevin and Centennial Star in the Stewards’ Handicap, Lauder Lady in the Cornwall Handicap, and Unite in the Telegraph Handicap.

United of these, looks by far the best prospect. He is well-known to Aucklanu racegoers as he won the £5OOO Auckland Trotting Cup in December. He has not raced since the first day of the recent Addington Easter meeting when he finished a close third in the Bryndwr Handicap won by Derive from Super Royal. Unite had little in his favour in that race but it was only in the last 50 yards that he was headed and he was not disgraced.

April 13. Apparently he has made a good recovery as he is engaged in the Queen’s Handicap and the Farewell Handicap at Forbury Park on Saturday. Midday has more ability than most of the horses he will meet on Saturday and if he is forward enough he could easily give a good account of himself. He is on the front in both races. Attack Sold

He was taken north last week by his owner-trainer, V. Leeming. and he has been given every opportunity to recover from his long trip. He is on the front mark and is certain to be a firm favourite with off-course investors He will be driven by his usual reinsman. D. C. Watts, who will also drive Kevin and one of Mr Noel Simpson’s two-year-olds .in the Great Norther • Stakes. Bedivus had conditions to her liking on the final day at Addington when she won the Members' Handicap. She will be meeting much stronger opposition in the Adams Memorial Handicap and the Telegraph Handicap, but it will not surprise if she races prominently The Icevus mare has at times shown fine form for her young Ashburton owner-trainer, D. J. Ca.npbell, and it will not surprise if she is placed at Auckland. She is better than most horses in bad ground and her prospects would be enhanced if the track became really heavy. Kevin In Form

The Light Brigade stallion. Attack, has been sold by the Yaldhurst trainer, O. G. Oakley, to an Australian sti.d. Attack was a grand racehorse, winning 14 races and over £12,000 in stakes. Since his retirement from racing he has sired winners both in New Zealand and Australia. His best winner has been First Variety, which won as First Attack in New Zealand. He is also the sire of Kyle Nurse, Responsive, Lady Attack, Super Attack. Special Attack, and Compeer. Pukekohe Starter

Count Renaldo is to have his first start since being trained at Pukekohe by H. M. Allen in the first division of the Mangere Handicap at the Auckland Trotting Club’s meeting on Saturday The U. Scott —Flame pacer finished a fair fourth over one mile and a quarter at Methven in March at his most recent start. He should appreciate the mile and a half journey at Auckland, and if allowed to make his own rules in front, he will take catching- He will be bracketed with a recent winner in Lady Content and also Scottie's Glow. The bracket is expected to be solidly supported and may be the favourite for the race Auckland Brackets Brackets for the first day of the Auckland Trotting Club’s winter meeting on Saturday are:— Winter Handicap: Bonnie Charles and Jovial Scott. Great Northern Stakes: Centre Line and Susan Blue, Meadowlands, Mighty Smart, Smokey Eyes and Noelle’s Report. Mangere Handicap: Count Renaldo, Lady Content and Scottie's Glow. Adams Memorial Handicap: Full Marks and Logan Dell, Lee Scott and Milldoria. Stewards’ Handicap: Worthy Admiral and Lenviii. Hobson Handicap: Singlena Swift Flight and Our Army, Eondcra and Scottish Bingen. Modern Volo and Shannon Gift. Cornwall Handicap: Single Medoro and Heather Mary. Telegraph Handicap: Full Marks and Logan Dell. Lee Scott and Milldoria. Malabclia Retired Malabella had her last race start in the Members’ Handicap al Addington on April 20. She is to be let down now and in the spring she will be mated with the New Zealand Trotting Cup winner. Van Dieman. Malabella more than paid her way for her breeder, Mr N. Matyasevic, for whom she has been trained throughout her career by C. C. Devine at Templeton.

Kevin raced well enough in strong company at Addington to have more than an outside chance in the Stewards’ Handicap and he appears to be a better prospect than Centennial Star He finished a close fifth in the Stewards’ Handicap on the first day of the recent Addington meeting, but was promoted to fourth when Recruit was disqualified for breaking.

Kevin was handily placed at the straight entrance in the Reta Peter Handicap on the second day at Addington, but he met trouble and was pushed back towards the rear of the field, losing all chance. The veteran Quite Sure gelding is in fine form at present, and, if he has travelled well and can handle the Au Lland track, he could upset calculations.

Centennial Star raced poorly at Addingtoi. and will need to improve a lot to have much chance. However U. is. in his favour that he has previously raced much better at Auckland than he has at Addington. Centennial Star has plenty of ability and if he trots solidly all the way. he could pay expenses.

The Gore mare, Lauder Lady, completes the southern team. The U. Scott mare is engaged on 12 yards in the second leg of the double, the Cornwall Handicap, and if s. e races up to her best form, she could easily win. She paced an outstanding race on the first day of the Addington meeting last month to finish second to Lookaway ,in the Rothschild Handicap. She was disappointing on the other days of the meeting. Lauder' Lady has tremendous speed and if she does not pull too hard early, she could easily win on Sat n lay.

A five-year-old mare by Doral’s Derby from Mala, she had 40 starts for five wins and 10 placings worth £3420 in stakes. Her wins included the Riecarton Stakes, while she was third in the New Zealand Derby Stakes, second in the Oaks, second in the New Zealand Champion Stakes to Don Hall, and second to Brahman .in the Charles Cross Stakes. She won over all distances and has been retired with a record of 3min 11 3-ssec for one mile and a half, and 4mixj 18 3-ssec for two miles. Answer to Correspondent “Inquiry,” Reef ton.—Scottish Ensign started in the Bernard Me-

Negative Swabs The New Zealand .'’rotting Conference has received advice that the swabs taken from Golden Chimes on April 13 and Phantasy on April 20 at Addington have proved negative. At Forbury Park Midday was showing signs of soreness after failing in the Williams Handicap at Addington on

Carty Memorial Handicap at Hawera on April 23. He was not bracketed with the winner Shenandoah, which was trained for the race by his owner, S. J. Butcher, of Papatoetoe. Shenandoah was trained by V. L. Mackie when he raced at the Manawatu meeting earlier in April.