 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 1954
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
1954 DOMINION HANDICAP
Fair Isle was driven a patient race by M Holmes in the Dominion Handicap and she outstayed Slipstream and Vodka in a good finish in which the first four horses all gave fine displays.
It was a spectacular race, keenly contested throughout, and Gold Horizon, although beaten into fifth, put up time from post to post very close to Dictation's record of 4:15 4-5.
Slipstream, the early leader, allowed Red Valley to do the pacemaking in the middle stages, and there was no loitering at any part. At the mile Fair Isle was handy to Red Valley and Slipstream, with Precaution, Gold Horizon, Dictation and Vodka following. With a round to go Precaution, Dictation and Vodka put in their claims on the outside, but the only one of this trio to sustain his run was Vodka, who finished a good third. Fair Isle had too much in reserve for the home run for any of the others and won well.
Owned by Mr E J August and V Alborn, she is a nine-year-old bay mare by Light Brigade from a good winner at the pacing gait in Betty Wrack, the dam of Fortuna, a free-for-all winner, and other winners in Jill, Super Globe, Fillmore and Tui Scott. Fair Isle has now won 12 races and £9390 in stakes.
This was Alborn's second win in the Dominion Handicap - he owned, trained and drove the 1939 winner, Royal Romance.
Credit: 'Ribbonwood' writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 17Nov54