UNUSUAL DRAW

Press, Volume C, Issue 29499, 28 April 1961, Page 5

UNUSUAL DRAW

Derby In N.SAU. The N'Av South Wales Trotttag Club haa adopted the unusual proeedare of placing the three topranked three-year-olds In the Second Heat of the £4M* New South Wales Paeers' Derby, whleh will be run at Harold Park tonight. They are Sparkling Pearl, Opal Chief and Don Ngaree. which filled the first three placing? in the final of the recent Sires’ ’’’roduce Stakes. Don Ngaree will start from No. 7 and Opal Chief from the outside position of No. 8. Sparkling Pearl has drawn No. 9 and will start on her own from the second line. Tlie club claims that there was little interest in the heats of the Sires’ Produce Stakes in which both Opal Chief and Sparkling Pearl started at long odds-on. Opal Chief is slightly more favoured than Sparkling Pearl in early betting on tonight's heat. Sparkling Pearl paced an outstanding race last Friday night to finish third to' Festive Spring and Malyandry’s Pride .over 13 furlongs and 98 yards. She started from 24 yards. The former New Zealand pacer, Don Ngaree. which started at 3 to 1 on. gained a decisive win over the New Zealand Derby Stakes winner, Student Prince, in the Eastlakes Handicap. Student Prince gave the winner a start of 12 yards.

Student Prince will start from the outside in the first! heat tonight. He is expected to start third or fourth favourite. Student Prince has been placed in two starts at Harold Park. He will be driven tonight by F. A. Shinn. Student Prince's stablemate. Havana Smoke, which is also raced by Mr H. S. Barry, of Auckland, has drawn the second heat. He will be driven by B. Tonar. Havana Smoke has not been impressive in two starts at Harold Park.

Mr Noel Simpson, of Auckland, will be represented in the first heat by Direct Hanover (Smoke Hanover— Medoblue).