RACING GLENREAGH BACK TO STEEPLECHASING

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29237, 22 June 1960, Page 4

RACING GLENREAGH BACK TO STEEPLECHASING

Glenreagh, one of the most spectacular steeplechasers produced in New Zealand in the last decade, will start another jumping campaign in the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase on Saturday.

He has had two or three set-backs, otherwise, he would have been switched back to jumping earlier; but he should be fit for the remaining major crosscountry races, notably the Wellington Steeplechase and the Grand National.

Last year Glenreagh ran third in the Hawke's Bay Steeplechase and won the June Steeplechase on the second day of the meeting. He did not manage to get around in the Wellington and Matai Steeplechases at Trentham, and fell again in the Homeby Steeplechase at the Christchurch Hunt Club’s meeting at Riccarton. After that he was one of the lesser fancies for the Grand National Steeplechase, but this time he jumped with sureness as well as characteristic dash, and only Capet-could beat him.

A week later Glenreagh started win favourite in the Lincoln Steeplechase. His attempt to win that race was memorable. Though he had his tongue over the bit from the start he went under by only half a head to French Echo. All going well in the meantime Glenreagh is almost certain to be started in the Grand National again this year. Glenreagh’s spectacular jumping makes him a great attraction and he will probably be the greatest individual attraction at the National meeting. Training Affected After heavy rain overnight all grass tracks were closed at Riccarton yesterday. The sand was open for pace work. For The Philippines Gibraltar, the 1957 Great Northern Derby winner, is to be shipped to the Philippines, where he will do stud duty. Now a five-year-old, Gibraltar is by Boissier from Fair Passage. He belongs to the same family as the outstanding winners Waterline, Fast Passage, Conclusion, and King’s Fair. V.R.C. Derby Entrant One of six unraced youngsters engaged in the Lyndhurst Two-Year-Old Handicap at Ashburton on Saturday may do his spring racing in Australia. This is Timna, which has been nominated for the V.R.C. Derby, run on the first day of the Centennial Melbourne Cup meeting. Timna is a colt by Sabaean from Dolly Bian owned by Mr A N. Smith and trained at Riccarton by J. C. Tomkinson. . If he makes satisfactory \pn> gress in the next few weeks hemay be one of two horses to

accompany Cadiz to August. Timna was in training last spring, and had reached the sprinting stage, but he was let down again, when he had a slight set-back. He is bred on staying lines, and may develop very good form in his second-season racing. Sabaean has sired winners up to two miles, and his dam is a daughter of Lang Bian, whose death after only a short stud career in New Zealand was a sharp blow to the thoroughbred industry. Lang Bian sired several topflight stayers. His record of siring the first three place-getters in the 1945 New Zealand Cup (Golden Souvenir 1, Chung Chong 2. Langue D’Or 3) might stand for all time. Timna’s dam did not race but she has left five winners. One

of them. Ballroom (by Beau Vite) won the Australian Jockey Club’s Summer Cup over 13 furlongs. Timna cost Mr Smith 900gns at the National Sales in 1959. Another newcomer to racing in the Lyndhurst Handicap field is also related to an Australian winner. This is Corduroy, a colt by Red Mars from Ring Velvet trained by C. G. Humphries. Plush, a brother to Corduroy, has been a fair performer in Australia. and Royal Velvet, a halfbrother, has been a useful handicap horse in the North Island. Corduroy is a. member of the famous Eulogy family and is closely related to the outstanding winners Battledress, Isisford and Timarua, the latter a good performer in Uruguay.

Other unraced youngsters in the Lyndhurst Handicap are High Score, a Lord Drake-Silver Spray gelding trained at Riccarton by P. H. Jones; Red Strata, a Coral Arc-Anya gelding owned and trained by D. Mclnnes, of Southbridge; Luv and Ducks, an Isaac of Yor'k-Endearing filly trained at Riccarton by W. Barr; and Mast, a Mainbrace-Ripon Wood filly in J. L. Barr's Riccarton team. Luv and Ducks was bred by her owner, Mrs M. Z. Rutherford, and has shown good speed in training.