RACING STEEPLECHASE AT TRENTHAM

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28938, 4 July 1959, Page 6

RACING STEEPLECHASE AT TRENTHAM

Conditions To Suit Glenreagh (From Out Own Reporter > WELLINGTON, July 3. The free-going Glenreagh will have conditions to his liking at Trentham tomorrow when he will attempt to win the Wellington Steeplechase under the top weight of 10-10.

Unless there is an unexpected deterioration in the weather before tomorrow the ground will be better than it has been at a winter meeting for many years.

Glenreagh will probably try for an all the way win. His spectacular jumping should be worth many lengths to him over 23 fences and about three miles and three furlongs, and his chance has appeared to brighten now that Orelino has dropped out of the field.

Glenreagh is trained at Matamata by L. W. Ford, who had a highly successful campaign with his jumpers last year when Spring Fair won the Grand National and Wellington Steeplechases and Irish Ace won the Great Northern.

All going well in the meantime, Glenreagh will be taken to Riccarton for the Grand National. His brilliant jumping should show to greater advantage over the bigger fences at Riccarton than at Trentham. All the same, he appears to have a second-to-none chance in tomorrow’s race.

Now that Orelino has been scratched the stable horseman, B. 3. Langford, has switched to his stablemate Consign, a five-year-old Contact gelding and a strong stayer.

Consign has 9-4 and will be one of the most formidable lightweights. Nupla was scratched today and J. H. Hely will now be without a ride in the Wellington Steeples.

A start for Bunyarra in the Whyte Handicap was not certain today. There is nothing wrong with the Summertime gelding but he may be left in his box because of the unusual track conditions for this time of the year. Final plans made for Bunyarra will have a big influence on the betting. If he remains in the field he should still win. If his connexions decide to wait for the later days in the hope of get* ting heavier ground there will be strong support for Juventas, which was the Whyte Handicap third last year. Northern Hope L Bunyarra's stablemate Peterford is an unlikely runner in th* Whyte Handicap, rat Northerners are still confident that the honours could go to the Matamata challenger Phoenician which is highly regarded in the North. He was placed over a mile at Ellerslie at his last start and has shown he is competent under winter conditions.

Phoenician is ■ four-yegr-old gelding by Able Seaman from Aggressor trained by R. F. Cole. He will be ridden by R. Fisher. The unusually good conditions will not ease the task of the mud*

lark Peter Willonyx in the second leg, the Stewards’ Handicap. Switzerland is the ruling favourite but at the end of seven hard run furlongs he will probably find Domitare difficult to match. Scratchings have substantially reduced the size of the field for the Mariri Hack and Hunters' Steeplechase. Among those to drop out were Dusky Prince and Azurite, both form horses.

Azurite was one of an original bracket of three, but Water Mill will now be the only representative of the Preston stable. There has also been much thin:ning out in th*- Vittoria Hurdle*

Aucklanders are confidently predicting a Gold Kip victory and regard Yardgar and Ando as the best of the Takanini chestnut’s opponents. County was the only scratching for the Trentham Hurdles up to late this afterneon.

W. R. Hooton will not be riding at Trentham on the first aay. The mount of Anyhow will be taken by A. T. Jones and Anywhere is a doubtful runner while the track la firm.