RACING Bright Bridge Favoured In Steeples At Oamaru

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28920, 13 June 1959, Page 6

RACING Bright Bridge Favoured In Steeples At Oamaru

Form disclosed in the cross-country events at the Dunedin winter meeting should prove to be a reliable guide for the Burnside Hack and Hunters’ Steeplechase at the Oamaru Jockey Club’s winter meeing today. Southland stables are strongly represented in the top half of the handicap and it is from this section the eventual winner is expected to come. The Invercargill trainer, T. E. Pankhurst, will saddle up the top-weight Good Abbot, which has 10-6, and Bright Bridge, which is in receipt of 31b from his stablemate. Meadow Gold, which with Grey Valley is equal in the weights with Bright Bridge, is a member of D. V. and R. F. Pankhurt’s Invercargiill stable. The remaining five runners are on the minimum.

Bright Bridge, whose record in two starts as a ’chaser is a win and a second, will probably be the favourite.

Although one of his two wins on the flat this season was in the Riverton Cup at Easter, Bright Bridge’s form background generally was not of a high standard When switched to cross-country

racing, however, he made an immediate impression He succeeded in winning the Studholme Hack and Hunters’ Steeples at his first attempt in this role at Waimate last month He was tried as a hurdler on the first day of the Dunedin meeting but after pacemaking weakened badly and was beaten off in third place. His second test over country was in the Roslyn Hack and Hunters’ Steeples, in which he beat all but Sir Gerald, on the second day of the Dunedin fixture.

If he has held that form Bright Bridge should be hard to match over the easier country at Oamaru Good Abbot, a dual winner against the hurdlers at Invercargill last month, switched back to flat racing in the Birthday Handicap on the first day at Wingatui He showed speed to be w’ith the leaders until the home turn, and because of that effort was made a pronounced favourite for the Otaeo Hurdles two days later However, in that event, his racing lacked dash, for after tailing off in the early running the best he could do was run past beaten horses for a distant fourth

This will be Good Abbot’s first test as a ’chaser, but if he jumps cleanly his pace on the flat should carry him close to the major honours.

The Tahuna Hack and Hunters Steeplechase on the first day at Wingatui was Meadow Gold’s second success over country this season, and his first in a fresh campaign which had begun two starts earlier He was last to finish when tried in the Otago Hurdles on the second day of the Dunedin fixture That effort, however, may be best disregarded. for it is not unusual for n ’chaser to be outclassed when tried against a field of hurdlers

Grey Valiev finished a distant third in the Otago Steenlechase at his latest attemnt That was his third start in a fresh campaign In the other two he had failed to complete the course. He could be at the improving stage and is normally a safe jumper, but may find it difficult to keep in a challenging position if the early pace is solid. Grey Valley is one of five South Canterbury trained horses in the field. The best of the others from that district will probably be

Pitlochry and Van Da Hum. Column, Bonniboy and Seven Seas have been scratched for the Burnside Hack and Hunters* Steeplechase The T.A.B. double will be on the Oamaru Winter Cup and the Grange Handicap. With average luck tn what appeared to be open fields Royal Chant and Cashmere could be the successful combination Jesse Owens, and Kelp, which is to contest the Waikaura Champion Hack Handicap have been scratched for the Oamaru Winter Cup.

Whipsnade and Meridian were scratched yesterday for the Hack Hurdles, in which Bargain will run »n preference to the Waikaura Hack Handicap. Bright Style is the only one awaiting re-entry to the Trial Handicap field Strategy. Beau Bian and Ayrways, which were also on the waiting list in this race, have been scratched.

The weather in Oamaru yesterday was mild and although the forecast is not good, ft will take a fair amount of rain to affect the track, which is in good order.