JUMPING RACES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 192, 16 August 1939, Page 16

JUMPING RACES.

THE HUNT CUP.

BRIDEGROOM FANCIED.

HARRIS MEMORIAL HURDLES. 'I lie Pakuranga Hunt Cup, the chief event to be decided at Kllerslie next Saturday, lias attracted .i good Held and il should provide a most interesting nice. Bridegroom, as the result of his success i:i the Hunt Cup et Riecarton last week, has had his impost increased to 10.12, which puts him at the top of the field, hut that should not stop him, for with

12.0 he won the Hunt Cup, two in ilex and a half, at Riecarton last week, and also ran Slayer to a neck in the Lincoln Steeplechase, three miles, at the same

fixture. flp won the Hunt Cup at the Great Northern meeting with 10.0, so that

there is no doubt about his ability to

handle the Kllerslie country. Riforni was one ol the most consistent, jumpers in the Dominion last season, for In nine stmts he wax only out; i. the money twice. In his most recent efforts he accounted for the YVaikato Steeplechase with 9.8. beating Kn Tour. All Irish. I Riotous and others, and nt the Great • Northern meeting lip was twice placed over hurdles. In tjie Bay of Plenty Steeplechase at Tauranga Mahala narrowly defeated him, while with 10.G in the VV, G. Park Steeplechase at Te Awnliiutu St. Musk anrl Py reneex were the only ones to beat him home. He will also have to be considered. En Tour (10.5) won the Pakuranga Hunt Cup last year, and his best performances after finishing second to Biform in tlio Waiknto Steeplechase wore hid fourth in the Great Northern Steeplechase and his second to All Irish in the Winter Steeplechase at " the same fixture. He meets Biform on •• better terms than at Waikato. En Tour is u, good jumper and stayer. Fenced Well. St. Musk (10,4) was third in the Winter Steeplechase at Kllerslie and in his next and last start he won the W. G. Park Steeplechase, two milex and a half, with 9.8 at Te Awamutu. He gave a fine display of jumping on that occasion and has plenty of pace. London (9.10), after winning the Tamaki Steeplechase at the „■ Great Northern meeting with 10.0, dis- - Appointed greatly in the Park Steeplechase, for the best he could do was to finish fourth. Gadger, Mahala, Wykemist and Royal National are all on 9.7. Gadger's best performance over country was when he won the Steeplechase Handicap, two miles and a half, at Te Awamutu in June. He is stated to be very 1 well. Mahala finished second to London in the Tamaki Steeplechase at the recent Great Northern meeting and went on to wiri the Bay of Plenty Steeplechase. This _ mare has been working and jumping well ~ at Ellerslie, and is not without prospects. Wykemist was third in the Napier - Steeplechase with 9.3 in June, and the I next day won tlio Park Steeplechase with i lib more, the distance being two miles .. and a half, white he followed this up by accounting for the Hawke's Bay Steeple- - chase, of similar distance. Royal Nation Z led all the way in the Otara Hurdles, one ; mile and three-quarters, at Tauranga, Z which was his only success last season. ; Smiling Thru' (9.1) was third in the • Great Northern Steeplechase, which is ;; her best race for a long time. Of those • on the 9.0 mark, Hoxy, British Sovereign » and Bells of Bow appeal most. Roxy was • third In the McGulre Steeplechase at Paeron, second to Stansted in the Autumn Steeplechase' at Ellerslie. and occupied a similar • positl#lt to Black MarlM in the Onewihero Steeplechase at Pukekohe last ; season. British Sovereign was second to . Bridegroom in the Htint Cup at the Great " Northern fixture, while Bells of Bow was third to London and* Mahala in the Tamaki Steeplechase. Some that may be in demand at present are: Bridegroom, . Mahala, Biform, En Tour and Wykemist. Eighteen Engaged. " Eighteen haye been paid up for in the | Harris Memorial Hack and Hunters' J Hurdles. Knight of Australia (9.13) was , a good horse on the flat, but he did not • impress in his last effort over hurdles at j the Great Northern meeting. However, I he would only need to jump properly to ; have a good chance. Gadger, Adsum, • King Musk, London and Royal Nation ; have each 9.10, and all except Adsum and - King Musk are engaged in the Pakuranga '! Cup. Gadger was second to Pyrenees in - the Campbell Hurdles at the Great Northern meeting, and he would only need " to repeat that effort if started in this - race to be Royal Nation " showet sufficient form w-hen he won at 0 Tauranga to suggest Tie may give some Z bother, while King Musk won at Puke- « kohe in May. The other two do not ™ impress. Little Briton and Chikara are . weighted nt 9.7. The former .was third ■' to Ellanui and Loombination in the Pan--1 mure Hurdles at the"' Great Northern ; meeting, and early last season he won a « couple of minor hurdles—one at Cam- ~ bridge and the other,at Rotorua. Chikara was second to Royal Nation at Tauranga, Z which is his-best effort for-some time. • Flash By (9.1) ' ran second to. Floodlight " in this race last-August. While Dark Rose ; (9.0) showed plenty of jumping ability in h the McKay Steeplechase at Te Awamutu t in June until he was carried oil by another ' hone. A few that might find favour at present are: Gadger, Royal Natjon, King Musk; Little Briton and Dark Rose.