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ifA Australia Au Courant Scores Again for Kleberg By BOB THOMSON Out Melbourne Correspondent MELBOURNE, Australia. — The U. S-owned Au Courant followed up her good Easter form and scored a clever victory in the seven furlongs George Rowe Handicap at Rand wick. Sporting the silks of Robert J. Kleberg the swift Star Kingdom filly downed Goldenway with Jenna third. She has not only proved the best looking filly in Australia but ranks next to South Australias star Cherete as one of the fastest. Au Courant won the prize for the best thoroughbred at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. The fillys latest triumph probably will delay her departure for America. A. J. C. committeeman Frank Thompson who acts for Kleberg said Au Courant was likely to contest such races as the Hobartville Stakes, Canterbury and Rosehill Guineas and possibly the A. J. C. Derby. She was likely to travel by plane to America to compete at the Belmont Park meeting early in November. Au Courants victory, the amazing display of speed given by Todman and Kingsters brilliant weight -for-age win in the All Aged Stakes on the third day has created the impression that the Star Kingdom horses are exceptionally good. The crack sprinting colt Todman caused a scare when he returned to his stables after winning the Champagne Stakes 6f. from Tulloch and Diamond Vista. He was wracked by colic but made a wonderful recovery. Adolph Bassers handsome chestnut Empire Link, brilliant front-running son of Helios Hyperion downed Redcraze in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Rand-wick on the final day of the meeting. Macs Amber, conqueror of the "Red Terror" in the Chipping Norton Stakes struggled on gamely to take third place. The dual Derby winner Monte Carlo was outclassed. First prize of ,625 boosted Empire Links earnings to S42.5C0. The jubilant owner who paid 0,500 for his grand four-year-old, a very close relation to that fine galloper Cromis now domiciled in America, promptly reiterated that Empire Link will visit Queensland for winter racing. Sydneys latest wfa find first made a claim to top ranking in the spring when he ran an Australasian record of l:61si for 10 furlongs at Rand-wick. His winning time of 2:56.9 for the 14 furlongs of the richly endowed royal race was less than two seconds outside the Australian record created by Young Crusader, a noted front-runner nearly 20 years ago. Great winners are easy and most pleasant to write about because success and not failure is the worlds touchstone. Connections of Victorias ace filly Sandara are toying with the idea of setting the pony for the next Melbourne Cup. Its record shows several great losers. Wakeful was a phenomenon of her time and C. L. McDonalds Trenton mare dominated Melbourne racing for several seasons. The most disappointing Melbourne Cup ever was when peerless Wakeful lost the famous Flemington two-miler to a gallant colt, Lord Cardigan, to the dismay of everyone present. No mare has ever made such a mark in the much coveted trophy. Queen of the Aussie turf won 25 races and placed 16 times from 44 starts, her stakes earnings totaling 1,-925. Bred by W. R. Wilson at the St. Albans nursery she was not a great stud success. She produced the Caulfield Futurity Stakes winner Blairgour, and that grand stayer Nightwatch who went one better than his dam to capture the 1918 Melbourne Cup. Sandaras Sydney triumph in the Sappho Stakes at Warwick Farm and the devastating run of A. Sheahans homebred Sandastre Macaron filly in the mile and one-half Adrian Knox Stakes at Randwick ranks her with the best fillies Victoria has produced since Chic-quita. Winner of the Wakeful and Kewney Stakes at Flemington last spring she eould only run third to the New Zealand-owned Innesfell in the Oaks. The Knex Stakes is known as the "Sydney Oaks" and Sandara gave a brilliant exhibition of staying to defeat the Western Australian filly Lady Orator with the local lass, Jinks, in third place. This bonny filly stepped the distance in 2:30% which was less than three seconds slower than the Australian and Randwick record jointly Continued on Page Fifty -Two N Australian Report By BOB THOMSON Continued from Page Eight held by Palfresco and Blue Ocean. Around the stables, in the paddock and grandstand at Randwick where the autumn campaign ended the unanimous opinion is that Sandara ranks with the great little mares of the past — meaning Auraria, Diffidence, Sister Olive and Care Free. Although the Doncaster Handicap and Sydney Cup eluded New Zealand-bred and -owned horses the visitors were among the winners. On the final day Arganda snatched a last-stride win over Reign with Lucky Stride third in the Rous Handicap. Dominion trainer R. F. Cole fits Arganda for his racing by jumping the gelding over hurdles. Franlyle. G. Waltons highly talented Dominion-bred four-year-old mare, won the Dangar Highweight Handicap from the Star Kingdom mare Fairy Dream and Blue Charger. Franlyle five days earlier had , captured the P. H. Osborne Handicap. On her two trips to Australia the bonny visitor has started five times at Randwick. winning four races. Cambridge, one of the last of the successful Foxbridge tribe, earned a trip to Queensland for winter I racing when he took the measure of the imported Alycidon horse Lycidas and Co Supreme in the Final Handicap. Foxbridge was for 11 years the top sire in New Zealand. The annual Sydney yearling sales set j records for Australia and New Zealand bloodstock sales. Buyers paid ,000,000 ; for about 600 yearlings. The four days | ; realized 50,700, a record, for 593 lots, at a record average of nearly ,604. Pre- | ! vious best aggregate was the boom year in • j 1950, when 27,300 was paid. Progeny of i i new sires, U. S.-bred Flying Missel, Bold I j Buccaneer Blue Peter and Judicate Hyperion fetched high prices. Flying Missel stock was in strong demand. H. T. Cold-ham paid ,000 for a handsome chestnut colt out of Wave Blue PeterujPteth j ; | ; | ! • j i i I j W. A. owner J. Thomas bought another Flying Missel colt for ,000. Leading Mel- bourne Vic. trainer F. Hoysted bought the next colt, out of the Gimcrack Stakes winner Rhumba, for ,750. The Star Kingdom Stardust draft from Baramul Stud dominated the sale. Five colts by ! Englands former juvenile star brought 7,250. A. Basser paid 2,500 for the colt out of Rare Pleasure Manitoba. This youngster should go fast as Manitoba Manna was the best eolt of his year in England. - , , . , , .SI « iqn 2 J £ I i
