Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

DERBY VICTORY BY
AN OUTSIDER
F. TreeiRides Winners
Of Two Classics
(By "CORINTHIAN.")
Before a record crowd of more than 20,000
people an outsider in Smart Chief caused one of
the biggest upsets in the race in recent years
when he won the W.A. Derby at headquarters
yesterday.
Form worked out bet
ter in the other big clas
sic event, the Karrakatta
Plate, when Copper
Beech, the second fav
oigrite, won from the
favourite, Asteroid.
Both classic winners were rid
den by the State's leading light
weight ri' ., F. Treen.
The annual carnival of the
W.A. Turf Club opened in fine,
warm weather before a crowd
that packed the stands.
The totalisator turnover was
£ 35,695, an increase of 14,
988/5/ on last year's figures.
Smart Chief upset Derby cal
culations by winning for his
bookmaker-owner, Mr. J. C.
Healy, and giving Treen his
third win in successive years
in the race.
SA Rare Double
Treen won the Derby in 1949
on Prediction and in 1950 on
Jovial Lad.
When he won the Karrakatta
Plate and Derby yesterday he
became the fifth rider to com
plete the famous double.
He then won the Visitors Han
dicap on Avarna and thus com
pleteg his third treble within a
month.
The running of yesterday's
Derby was a big disappoint
ment as a guide to Perth Cup
prospects. Neither Smart Chief
nor Chestnut Lady, first and
second in the Derby. are in the
Cup.
Smart Chief is trained by H.
G. Towton, whose father, the
late G. A. Towton, trained six
Perth Cup winners and three
winners of the Derby.
Christmas Tip
A few days before Christmas
Towton sent out Christmas
cards to friends.
The cards depicted a horse
carrying Towton's own colours
and with a saddlecloth of No.
5.
It was a good Christmas tip.
Yesterday Smart Chief carried
No. 5 in the Derby.
Kingsman has become a more
popular favourite for the Perth
Cup after his win yesterday in
the weight-for-age Cox Stakes.
Kingsman won with 9.3 and
in the Perth Cup drops to 7.10.
or 231b. under weight-for-age.
Yesterday Kingsman won over
the 11 furlongs in 2.20, which
equalled the race record time
put up by Lady Lucia.
RIDER FOR
AVARNA
IN THE CUP
F. Treen, who although he has
not been in the State for the
entire season is now leading
rider with 21 winners, has been
booked by the connections of
Avarna for the ride in the Perth
Cup.
The engagement was made
immediately after Treen had
won the Visitors Handicap--a
good race as a Cup trial-on
the mare yesterday.
The connections had made
tentative arrangements to get
JN. McGrowdie from Sydney
for the ride, but cancelled these
when Treen accepted the Cup
mount yesterday.
Treen previously won the Cup
on Gurkha.
His Railway Stakes ride on
Saturday is Beau Temps.
Avarna won the Visitors
Handicap from another Cup
horse in St. Fergus, on whose
behalf a protest was lodged un
successfully.
Avarna came from 15 lengths
back, after starting from the
bad barrier -number of 17, and
won in 1.511 for the nine fur
longs.
This is only half a second
outside the race record made
by Olga.
Light Weight
Avarna, who was second in
the last Boulder Cup, won yes-:
terday with 7.6 and has 4111.
less in the Perth Cup.
Treen rode at 7.5 yesterday
but can make 7.2 without
weakening himself for a strenu
ous two-mile ride.
(Details, Pages 6-7.)
$