FROM STUD AND STABLE Ashburton ’Chases Have Been Comedies Of Errors

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30126, 9 May 1963, Page 4

FROM STUD AND STABLE Ashburton ’Chases Have Been Comedies Of Errors

The Ashburton steeplechase course is no Aintree, nor is it nearly as formidable. But there have been some eventful crosscountry races there in the last 20 years.

Some contests have produced such a bewildering series of falls and refusals one would be excused for thinking that each fence was packed with dynamite, and that the horses knew it.

The Dromore Hack Steeplechase at Ashburton on June 22, 1946. produced a remarkable series of mishaps

Bannockburn was the only one to fall in the first six furlongs. ■ However, in the next half mile the other five runners were all. for the time being, eliminated one by one. Gold Nugget hit the wing of a brush hurdle in the straight and knocked down hall the hurdle; Spanish Main crashed at the first of the stand double; and Bravura ran off at the sec-

ond, leaving only Appeasement and Prince Dolomite to carry on.

Appeasement baulked at the next, a board fence near the nine furlongs; and Prince Dolomite refused at the next fence, the brush near the mile post. The riders of Prince Dolomite and Appeasement made several efforts to get their mounts over these fencas, but met with persistent refusals. The crowd was “in fits.” In the meantime, Ron Hawes took Bravura back to jump the second of the stand double and continue on his round. Appeasement raced with Bravura going to the board fence but refused again; and Bravura refused at the next fence.

Bravdra got going again, but dicr not get far without another incident. He was nearly down at the brush fence near the five furlongs, and Ron Hawes was “grounded,-' but he held on to the reins and soon remounted. Bravura completed the course, and was enthusiastically greeted by the crowd

When Bravura was well on his way Spanish Main was also remounted and completed the course without incident to take second place, finishing a minute behind Bravura.

But T. J. Boyle might as well have saved himself the trouble. Spanish Main, it was found, was inelegible to run in this race, a hack steeplechase. and was disqualified And even though this situation developed none of the placings behind the winner was to be filled. Appeasement and Prince Dolomite had both refused to go with Spanish Main. Jumped Together In desperation, Ken Thomson, now a trainer at Riccarton. took Prince Dolomite back to the board fence which Appeasement had steadfastly refused to jump for W. Barr, and the pair set off in the hope the the horses would jump in company. The crowd cheered these two jumpers when they cleared the fence and laughed when both refused at the next one Prince Dolomite broke away and was caught and mounted by A. J Williams, the rider of Gold Nugget. Williams made several attempts to get Prince Dolomite over the board fence again. And the horse’s trainer tried to help by chasing him from behind and vigorously waving his overcoat. But nothing would induce the horse to jump that board fence A fresh interest was added when a spectator mounted Bannockburn and set out to complete the course. Bannockburn fell at the five furlongs and was remounted to complete the course. But he was well outside the time limit of 20 minutes and all the rider got for his efforts was a ruined suit. Appeasement refused at least 20 times before his rider gave up hope and the course was cleared for the next race. Two Finished

Five started in the Alford Steeples at Ashburton in 1947 and only the stable-

mates bunaria and Commemorate finished, though at one stage every runner had been eliminated. bunaria and Commemorate ran off at the stand double. Taken back. the pair cleared the double and the next fence, the post and rails, but both landed in trouble at the brash fence near the mile, and galloped away riderless. ’ They were eventually caught with the assistance of the clerk of the course and then completed the course safely with bunaria an easy winner.

Ken Thomson rode bunaria, and he had also won the hurdles earlier that day on bunaria’s stablemate. Battle Chief. Ashburton had two more eventful steeplechases in 1956. There was a rash of running-off in the Alford Steeplechase, five of. the 10 runners putting paid to their chances by doing so. Only Border Reiver, Waikana. and Sentinel got around without mistake, and finished in that order, but two of the others were tried again, one of them to take fourth place. The Dromore Steeplechase that year produced more examples of how one can be beaten in a steeplechase. Eleven started, and four managed to get around, but only one of them gained a prize!

The riders of Brer Broney Sultry, and Gypsy Music, the first three to finish, went on the wrong side of posts marking the steeplechase course.

A. Cowan, on Composition, knew better and went the right way. He was fourth home, and secure in the knowledge that there would

be no prizes for the three that had beaten him.

So it was Composition first and the rest nowhere, and backers of the third favourite received £5 10s for a win and £6 2s for a place.

Cowan, one of the South Island’s best jumping riders, has had much success since over the Ashburton course, and will be trying to improve his record on Van Da Hum in Saturday’s race . Bargain Colt

“Fings Ain’t Whait They Used t’Be” seems an apposite comment on the English classics after some recent results.

Only For Life, for example, the winner of the £26,098 first prize in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket last week, was a bargain colt that cost his woman owner only 1600 guineas, and which had little indication in his breeding that he was a potential classic winner.

Three times in succession now the 2000 Guineas has been won by a colt which was considered to have only an outside chance. Only For Life started one of the rank outsiders at 33/1. Last year’s winner, Privy Councillor, started at 100/6.

According to English racing writers, English classic standards have changed greatly in recent yars. The production of a classic winner, instead of being the virtual monopoly of a handful of owner-breeders, now seems to be wide open. Classic winners like Only For Life can be bought for the proverbial song. The indications.

they say, are of a levelling up or a levelling down of breeding. The latter conclusion is the obvious one. according to English observers, possibly because of the export to America of many of the best sires and brood mares.

Only For bite’s dam is bife Sentence, by Court Martial out of Borobella, by Bois Roussel—Annabel! Life Sentence was a useful sprinter and two of her earlier offspring, Floss Silk and Senandum, won up to 10 furlongs. Chanteur n, the sire of Only For bife, has rather better credentials, for he won important races in France and was placed in the French St. Leger and the Prix de I’Arv de Triomphe. Chanteur II has sired previous classic winners—Pinza (on which Sir Gordon Richards finally managed to win the Derby) and Cantello (St Leger). Earlier in his career Only For Life beat a modest field over six furlongs at Ascot Heath at his first start in September, and was fifth over seven furlongs at Newmarket in October.

According to reports. Only For Life’s jockey, J. Lindley, got a surprise when the colt was called in as the winner. Coming down the hill lonian was a clear leader, but, according to his rider, Liam Ward, he began to fade in the 2000 Guineas, and his theless Ward thought he had won—and so, apparently, did Lindley, who said Only For Life must have got up in the very last stride. The official margin was a short head. lonian, incidentally, raced m the 2000 Guineas, and his work before it with his tongue tied down. In a one-mile race at Phoenix Park on April 13 lonian had appeared to be bogged down in the very heavy going; but Ward was quoted as saying he r. de a gurgling noise while racing. So it was decided to experiment.