TROTTING

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 468, 25 September 1928, Page 12

TROTTING

(By -ABAYDOS.-) DERBY FANCIES SHOWING FORM WRACKLER’S DISPLAY BRINGS HIM FAVOUR IN EPSOM CLASSIC The meritorious win of Wrackler in the Rakaia Handicap at Ashburton on Saturday has invested the Great Northern Derby with further interest, and many who had fined the issue down to Bryce’s and Holmes’s candidates in the South and Mrs. Brady’s Auckland representative, are now including the Nicoll’s agent in their calculations. When “Abaydos” reviewed the coming classic contest comprehensively in a recent issue of The Sun readers will remember that the big field was narrowed down to Grand Light, Sonoma Child, Nicoll’s elect (Southern) Trustworthy, Rolfe Audubon (Northern) and J. B. Sheehan’s colt (Australia). Since the article appeared there is a big doubt about the Commonwealth candidate being a starter next month, but there is every reason to believe that the others mentioned will be found taking their place at the barrier on October 13.

Of the quintette. Trustworthy is the only one which has not raced this season, but it is pleasing to chronicle that the Worthy Bond filly is returning to from and given an opportunity to carry on her preparation uninterruptedly the Aucklander will be difficult to dispose of. Rolfe Audubon will be all the better for his race at Wellington, but still the handsome Great Audubon colt will scarcely be ready for such a hard fight. Sonoma Child was given a run at New Brighton, but was not seen at his best which accounted for the indifferent display given by the son of Sonoma Harvester. He will be a much improved horse when stripped for the Derby and is sure to be well in the picture. GRAND LIGHT’S PROMISE Grand Light’s defeat at Hutt Park caused disappointment to some of his admirers, but nevertheless the Matchlight colt ran a great race, and perhaps with a little more judicious handling, would have returned a dividend. Jim

Bryce, Jnr, had him on the outside of the field all the way, and as his astute pere remarked after the event, “You can’t expect to beat a good field when covering a lot of extra territory. Grand

Light’s performance then suggests he will be in the money when the three-year-old heat is under decision. THE NICOLL’S BRACKET

That the Nicoll’s pair are in good shape they demonstrated on Saturday as Wrackeen finished a creditable third to lone and Apex, and Wrackler defeated a good field in the ten furlong heat. These performances within three weeks of the Derby contest are reassuring and the followers of D. Warren’s Ashburton stable must be well satisfied with the prospects of the Wrack youngsters in the forthcoming classic.

Wrackeen is a filly which resulted in the union of Peter the Great’s son with Pansy, and toward the end of last season she finished second to Moneymore at Ashburton, registering 3.38 for 12 furlongs on a slow track. As the filly was conceding 36 yards to her older opponents in the Selma Handicap on Saturday her performance was decidedly good, and she ran round about 3.30 for the journey. WRACKLER’S GOOD FORM But the feat of Wrackler, who is a son of that fine speedy mare Trix Pointer, winner of many high-class races including the New Zealand Cup and Free-for-All, was a most'striking one, and bears out his good form of last year, when at Ashburton he put up an Australasian two-year-old record by covering 12 furlongs in 3.29 4-5, finishing third to Delightful and Loiterer. He was later beaten into third place in the Sapling Stakes by Sonoma Child and Grand Light. A strong feature of Wrackler’s win on Saturday was the fact that at a difference of 24 yards he decisively defeated Sunfish, who recently at New Brighton put up an attractive performance over a mile and a-half journey. Good judges state that Sunfish is a high-class pacer, which makes the Wrack representative’s performance illuminating. The value of Wrackler’s display is further enhanced by the smart time recorded for the ten furlongs, 2.52 2-5, which is on a 3.27 basis for a mile and a-half. This will give proof of the Ashburton candidate’s fitness to tackle the classic at Alexandra Park next month and while there will be tremendous opposition from Grand Light, Trustworthy and Sonoma Child, Wrackler’s prospects will be most favourably viewed by a large section of the sporting public.