RACING 11 IN FIELD FOR GRAND NATIONAL

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29272, 2 August 1960, Page 4

RACING 11 IN FIELD FOR GRAND NATIONAL

All But Three From North Island

Eleven junipers, all but three of them from the North Island, make up the field for the Grand National Steeplechase, which will be run at Riccarton on Saturday.

One of three South Island jumpers is Capet, winner last year with 10-5. This year Capet will carry 10-11, which is top weight.

Capet will be bracketed with Tadpole, which had his first experience over Riccarton fences in the Homeby Steeples last Saturday, and ran third to Sea Contour and Janama.

Tadpole damaged a leg which he had opened a few weeks earlier, but he appeared to work quite soundly on its yesterday. If the leg does not give any more bother,' in the meantime or on Saturday, Tadpole might not be the weaker half of the bracket for Capet has missed some work and a race in the Homeby because of a troublesome ligament. Capet might school at Riccarton this morning. And to run up to anything like his- best on Saturday he will probably have to get through some very solid work in the next few days. Trentham Star Peter Keith, the outstanding horse of the Wellington winter meeting, is closest to Capet in the weights. He won the Wellingtoh and Riddiford Steeplechases with neat jumping and dogged staying runs. Solid backing from the northern part of the North Island should make Peter Keith favourite for the Grand National. His chance will brighten if there is enough rain late this week to make the ground soft. Break Away and Calm Tide had their first experience at Riccarton in the Homeby Steeples. Calm Tide was more impressive, making a stayer’s run from the back for fourth. He showed he was strong in stamina when he won the Manawatu Steeplechase in June, and should last out three miles and >a half better than most of his rivals. Break Away puiled hard in the Homeby Steeples. That race might have had a settling effect. But if he goes as keenly again the distance might beat him. Glamour horse in the lower half of the handicap, and of the race itself, win be West Derby, a big bay Reversal gelding from Levin. With easy wins in his last four races, West .. Derby has come strongly into prominence as a Grand National contender.

The four races West Derby has won have been in the minor grade ogen to hacks and qualified hunters, but the form since of some of the horses he has beaten has left no doubt that he will make the grade in the best class. Some of the horses he has beaten this winter are Court Jester, Break Away, Amber Lu, and his stablemate Orelino, all good performers in open steeplechases in the last few weeks. West Derby’s latest win was in the Manawatu Jubilee Hunt Cup. Third, and 10 lengths behind, was Orelino, which was placed in two open steeplechases at Trentham. West Derby's only race at the Wellington winter meeting was the Mariri Hack and Hunters’ Steeplechase. Backed down to odds-on, he won in style, leading almost from the start. West Derby has 9-6 in the Grand National. He will be one of the youngest runners—he is six—and the combination of youth and a light weight could be the successful one for the occasion.