Winter Hurdles To Eager Mars

Press, Volume C, Issue 29567, 17 July 1961, Page 4

Winter Hurdles To Eager Mars

The Wellington-owned, Otaki-trained Eager Mars beat his elders in dogged style in the Winter Hurdles at Trentham on Saturday.

He could do no better than fourth against the hack hurdlers on the first day of the meeting, but was the strongest fancy in the lower half of the handicap and won quite decisively. He was ridden by B. J Langford, who won the race 10 years ago on Dakota. Owned by Mr M. Ryan, an Irish-born wool store employee, Eager Mars has been nominated for the Grand National Hurdles at Riccarton and will go south with Huka Falls and other members of B. A. V. Preston's team. He is a four-year-old Red Mars gelding which never managed to win a race on the fiat but was a quick learner when his jumping education started. Lord Oman, the win favourite, was runner-up to Eager Mars. The Great Northern Hurdles winner was never able to get far away from the others as he had done at Ellerslie, but on better ground at Riccarton he will be a formidable contender for Grand National Hurdles honours. Blue Gum was Lord Oman's most solidly-backed rival, and finished third a length and three-quarters back. Blue Rock was less than two lengths back fourth, so it was one of the best Winter Hurdles finishes for some years. CLEAR EARLY Lord Oman went two lengths clear inside the first furlong and widened that to four lengths running through the straight the first time Colchis was a clear second and Arawana was third just ahead of Eager Mars, Blue Gum and Lord Pilate. Count Lin was next on the outside, and was not jumping very quickly. Hanut was tailing the field alongside last year’s Winter Hurdles winner Big Chief, which was showing little keenness for the race. Some of the horses in the body of the field closed up starting the run along the back straight but Lord Oman, going easily, was three lengths ahead and Colchis was still trailing a length ahead of Arawana. Both Colchis and Arawana dropped back beaten before they reached the half-mile.

There Blue Gum was second just ahead of Eager Mars. Blue Rock was in fourth position in a gap of two lengths just ahead of Awol. TWO CHALLENGES Nothing looked to be going better than Lord Oman on the home turn where he still led by three lengths but Blue Gum and Eager Mars made dogged runs at him and were in the air at the last jump just behind him. Blue Gum drifted wide on the track and could not reach the lead. Eager Mars had the strongest finish and it gave him a half-length win over Lord Oman. Blue Gum beat Blue Rock by a length for third. Then there was a gap of 15 lengths to Lord Pilate, which did not have the stamina for the distance on a holding track. Awol was sixth, followed by Kenloch, Arawana, Big Chief, Hanut and Colchis. Count Lin fell at the five furlongs when well back. Former Trainer Gets Remission The former trainer, J. L Muir, of Palmerston North, who has served six years and a half of a 10 years' disqualification, has been granted a remission of the balance of the term. This was decided by the delegates at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Racing Conference on Friday. The president (Mr G. H. Grigg) told the meeting that Muir’s application was recommended by the executive committee for favourable consideration by the delegates. The remission will allow Muir, the proprietor of a horse transport justness, entry to racecourses. but will not mean a licence to train.