Synopsis of Inter- Dominion Championships

Grey River Argus, 30 January 1948, Page 3

Synopsis of InterDominion Championships

While the majority of the , hes ] oacers and trotters in New Zealand have had their engagements continued in the Inter-Dominion Championships to be decided at Epsom next month, the sparceness of visitors from across the Tasman makes it all the more regrettable that the conditions prevented such wood horses as Maori Home, Single Direct and Sprayman, from parading in the championship fields. These three horses qualified for m-ter-Dominion status at the most important meetings on the calendar held during the Christmas and New fear holidays but when the handicaps for ■the championships were declared on November 21, they were not eligible. Although nominations were taken on October 17, horses not eligible at the time of nomination had until the day appointed for the declaration of handicaps to qualify. Had the handicaps not appeared until December 31, Single Direct, Maori Home and Sprayman, .who were successful at holiday meetings, would have been eligible to compete in the championships. VISITORS IMPRESS Of the three Australian horses. Para Derby and Bandbox are pacers and Van White is a trotter. Both Para Derby and Bandbox are highly regarded by good judges in the commonwealth and are considered good enough to' test the local horses. Bandbox arrived in Auckland last month and has created a favourable impression among track watchers Her candidature is welcome and if she reproduces some of the sparkling performances that won her numerous races in Australia and Tasmania, she will add considerable interest to the championships. Para Derby is owned and trained in West Australia where devotees of the sport claim him as a champion. On these two pacers depends the task of earning the mantle oi interDominion champion for Australia. LIKELY FAVOURITE At the moment, Emulous is finely to start a warm favourite. He made an excellent recovery from an accident to take part in the two free-for-all events at the Cup meeting-, finishing fifth on each occasion. At the recent meeting of the Canterbury Park Club he gave two excellent performances to finish third and fourth in the two principal distance events. He started from 48 and, on the first day he paced a mile and live furlongs in 3.27 1-5 and he recorded 3.27 2-5 on the second day. . Some idea of the real merit .of his efforts can be gained from the fact that the world's winning record lor lhe distance is 3.27. Further evidence of Emr.lous ability is provided not only by the speed he displayed in his recent contests but the extra ground he covered in the Canterbury Handicap. He ’.yas well back in eighth place with a mile and a half to go and little oet.t.er placed with a round to go. nc improved from the nine furlongs post to be placed fifth to the straight and came home in a bold manner to be fourth to cross the line. He paced the last mile and a half in 3min 8 4-ssec, and the final four furlongs in 60sec. , . ~ , ~ Of the horses on the limit Aberhall Doctor Ted, Globe Direct and i-uyal Peter have the best credeav.als. Aberhall failed badly when taken to Auckland in 1946, but his otvnertraiher is endeavouring to overcome circumstances that brought about the gelding’s defeat on that occasion by taking him to Epsom pearly lour weeks before the championships .ate to be run, in order that. Abernall will get accustomed to pacing righthanded. , . , „ •> He can race on any kind of ground and if he is at the peak of his form he will make his opponents improve on their best performances to beat him. Doctor Tod is regarded as the hope of the Auckland candidates. Following his six starts, four seconds and one fourth last season Doctor Ted was given a long spell and has developed particularly well. He has received a studied preparation and the two races he had at the recent meeting at Epsom have tuned him up nicely for serious contests. Great Belwin is a brilliant pacer over all distances and it is only a question of Nyallo Scott leaving the mark promptly for him to play a prominent part. Globe Direct, like Doctor Ted. is five years old and last season he showed he was one of the best of

his age. He has trained on to score two firsts, two seconds and a third this season and the times he has recorded show that he is good enough tc hold his own at Epsom. In November Globe Direct beat a field of eood pacers over two miles in 4.19 and at New Year he won over a mile and a quarter in 2.41. Loyal' Peter is a fast pacer, capable of effecting a surprise. His trouble is getting off the mark smartly. Should he start promptly and obtain the lead early, he will take a power of beating. Loyal Nurse has won one race since' she triumphed over several highly thought of horses in the Auckland Cup, the Champion Handicap as well as the Premier Handicap at the summer meeting at Epsom in 1946. She has shown she is at home on grass tracks and can pace on any kind of ground. She is favourably placed in the first qualifying race at one mile and a quarter, but is one of the back markers in events to be run over a distance. Knave of Diamonds has not. raced up to expectations at Epsom, duo _ to ill effects from the trip from Christchurch. His second to Highland Ming in the New Zealand Trotting Cun was a fine performance. From 12 he was fourth at the mile and fourth a round from home. He followed Highland Fling and Nyallo ocot. to the straight, but, while he finished well and beat Nyallo Scott, he could not catch Highland Fling. In that race Knave of Diamonds paced two miles in 4.18 4-5. Like Loyal Nurse he is better placed in the sprints than he is over a distance. Then there is Highland Fling, one of the fastest pacers bred in the Dominion, but not an every day horse. At his best he is capaole ot giving his opponents 24 over a mile and a half, but his career has left an impression that he is a horse with a weak constitution who cannot stand up to a strenuous campaign. His best chance appears to be in the first qualifying race, but in a dogged finish, Emulous will probably be his master.