RACING DE GAULLE MAY WIN STEEPLECHASE

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28889, 8 May 1959, Page 4

RACING DE GAULLE MAY WIN STEEPLECHASE

The five-year-uld De Gaulle is one of the youngest horses in the field for the Alford Steeplechase at Ashburton tomorrow, and he should be also one of the best.

The Alford Steeples is the first cross-country race of the year in Canterbury, and should be an attraction at the Ashburton County Racing Club’s meeting.

De Gaulle won over country as a four-year-old last season. He made the grade in the Teschemaker Steeplechase at Washdyke, then was put aside instead of campaigning at the Grand National meeting. Messrs H. H. Elworthy and R. R. Jordan should have early rewards for their patience with the Columcille gelding. The Orari trainer P. H. C. Stock started De Gaulle on another campaign with a race on the flat at Oamaru. Since then he has

had a race over hurdles at Riccarton, and he did not do at all badly to finish fifth against some seasoned horses.

De Gaulle did his early racing for the Hazlett stable at Invercargill. His strongest opponent tomorrow wil probably be Tut Tut. another horse educated for jumping when in the Hazlett team. Tut Tut is a six-year-old Defaulter gelding trained at Wingatui by J. W. Pankhurst, and is a stablemate of Montrose, a form horse for the hurdles tomorrow. Tut Tut has already had three races over country this year. His first was the Gardner Memorial Steeplechase at the Birchwood Hunt meeting on March 21. when he jumped brilliantly in front all the way for an easy win from Lucky Bill and seven others. He was leading in the Riverton Great Western Steeplechase when he hit hard at the sod wall and dropped bis rider. But he dodged mistakes in the Riverton Steeples, and finished second to the useful Delarmo. The distance was two miles and a half, and it showed that Tut Tut could match the winner for all qualities for stamina. Won Last Year Border Reiver won this race a year ago. He faces this test without having raced since the Grand National meeting, but still might have to be reckoned with. His good jumping should be worth much to him in this field.

Champion’s showing over country will be interesting. He showed quite useful form as a hurdler, and to judge from his schooling he should not find the switch very difficult. Lucky Bills ability in bad ground might have quite a bearing on the result. He did not make an impression in his lone appearance at Riverton, but he will find the country easier at Ashburton. There have been no scratchings for the Ashburton County Handicap so far. This race drew a capacity field with three reserves. One of the reserves and the last to re-enter the field is Royal Warrant, which will be solidly supported if «he gets a run.

Royal Warrant has no form, but he should quickly improve his record now that the tracks have softened.

Pink Rose will probablv be one of the favourites. She has won the C.J.C. August Handicap and the Timaru Centennial Cup since her victory in this race a year

ago. Her latest run, a fastfinishing third in the Amberley I Cup last Saturday, was encouraging. Two of Pink Rose's strongest opponents might be the halfbrothers Keep Time and Copenhagen, the first two in the handicap. They have both won on soft tracks. Betting will take a wide spread on the second leg. the Coldstream Hack Handicap. Amberley form suggests sound runs from Hunted, Awatere, Tombola, and Montreux, and Panda should be a powerful challenger |if her performance matches the j ability she has shown in training |at Riccarton this week. Panda has been good enough to ! win at Riccarton, but she has not run generously at times, probably because of her fear of other horses. She has worn a hood in her two sprints this week, and she has made a big impression. Double fields, with form, are:—

ASHBURTON COUNTY HANDICAP. Of £6OO. One mile.

COLDSTREAM HACK HANDICAP. Of £275. Six furlongs.

st. lb. 4102 Keep Time (21) .. . 9 0 8950 Copenhagen (18) . 8 13 1102 Black Star (12) .. . 8 10 2320 Nasib (19) . 8 9 0002 Romancing (15) . 8 7 0000 Bagman (13) . 8 6 6073 Pink Rose (2) . 8 5 4010 Brookfields Lad (10) . 8 4 7839 Whiohau (8) . 8 4 6701 Skyrider (5) . 8 1 1090 Ration Time (16) . 7 12 -5450 Baron Bold (6) . 7 11 0718 Cruising (17) • 7 11 7231 Marsana (1) 4606 Raglan (14) 1 7 11 2320 Lightning Boy (7) . 7 10 4986 Salonica (3) . 7 8 7006 Aquarius (4) . 7 7 08 Brown Baron (9) . 7 7 0517 Captain Hunt (22) . 7 7 8162 Jesse Owens (23) . 7 7 0130 Royal Avon (24) . 7 7 Balloted out with right of re-entrv m the following order:— 4665 Hannibal (20) . 7 7 7310 Lord Fane (11) . 7 7 0005 Royal Warrant (25) . 7 7 Bracket: Ration Time and Royal Avon.

5461 Hunted (12 ) st. lb. . 9 6 0005 Montreux (17) . 8 12 3004 Tombola (13) . 8 9 0972 Awatere (9) . 8 6 7087 Panda (1) . 8 6 7000 Fairy King (6) . 8 5 2870 Phil’s Choice (14) . 8 5 41 Black Ray (4) .. . 8 1 0081 Esla (11) . 8 1 0474 Bon Salut (5) . 8 1 6710 Gambol (15) . 8 1 3660 Newmarket (16) . 8 1 0136 Pitch (2) . 8 1 3300 Vestment Ladv (3) . 8 1 4000 Arc Flight (7) . 8 0 Crystal Light (8) . 8 0 Ring Gold (10) .. . 8 0