Elrey Tipped For G.N. Hurdles

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30145, 31 May 1963, Page 5

Elrey Tipped For G.N. Hurdles

*The Press'* Special Service

AUCKLAND, May 30

The speed of Elrey, Lord Oman and Splice against the great staying capacity of runners like Blue Rock and Daysun should make for a memorable Great Northern Hurdles at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Interest in the big race is already widespread. By the time the horses get to the post, soon after mid-day, it promises to have reached the highest peak.

There is no saying which of the dozen or so candidate' will be favourite. A grea’ amount of uff-course money is bound to be bet on Elrey and Blue Rock, which are visitors from Awapuni <Elrey) and Woodville. To Reign, byreason of his fine win in the W'aikato Hurdles, has a big following, and so has Lord Oman. Elrey and Lord Oman have already won a Great Northern Hurdles. Elrey’s success was only las' year, so victory on his part this week-end would be particularly notable. In recent years only Solar Mist, in 1954 and 1955. has succeeded twice on end in the event. Lord Oman won the year before Elrey, and he finished third in the big race last winter. Fly Home came in between Elrey and Lord Oman last time, and he is again a very likely-looking candidate Along with Elrey and Lord Oman he revels in wet ground and the showery weather of the last two or three days has put the going very much his way. Elrey and Fly Home had a great set-to in the Great Northern last year before Elrey gained the upper hand well inside the last furlong From the weights they carr.ed on that occasion. Elrey

is up sJlb this time to 9-7, and Fly Home has 111 b more, making 9-13. Since he won the Grea' Northern. Elrey has done nothing of much account except for collecting a highweight at Awapuni on March 30. He ran in the Waikato Hurdles on May 11 without being prominent, and he was hardly any better in the Brighton Hurdles at Ellerslie on April 13. Improver Recently, he tried a middledistance handicap at Masterton and evidently showed considerable improvement, finishing fifth. With easier ground as a help, the trainers of Elrey, R. L. Dulieu and W. Reid, might have improved their charge further during the last few days. Elrey is very fast and surefooted when the conditions suit him and undoubtedly a hurdler of class. Along with Elrey. and in the company of several other good jumpers. Lord Oman finished unplaced in both the Brighton Hurdles and the Waikato Hurdles. In between times he ran in high-weights at Avondale and Te Rapa for a second and a fourth. When he won the Great Northern Hurdles. Lord Oman led all the way. and in his attempt last year he helped with the pacemaking. In the Waikato Hurdles he d snuted a strong early place with Splice and finished fifth. Lord Oman has such a turn of speed for a hurdler that he is pretty certain to be leading the rush into the first jump. For the next mile and a half or so he will very likely have most of his opponents going very hard to keep him in sight. If Blue Rock wins it will be with his finishing power, because he has hardly anything in the way of beginning speed. Last year, he was so far out of his ground in the first mile of the Great Northern as to look even then a very faint chance. In the finish he was fifth. The previous year he came fourth. Strong Finisher One of his staying finishes gained him second placing behind To Reign in the Waikato Hurdles. Horses like Blue Rock do not often win the! Grpaf Nnrthprn Hiirdlps al- '

though they are generally in the race for the minor money To Reign won so impressively in the Waikato Hurdles that he will need to be respected, even allowing for totally different footing and a change to right-handed going. Splice has been off colour and is unlikely to run in the Great Northern, which is the first leg of the T.A.B. double The second leg is the Cornwall Handicap. The weather has been unsettled, with frequent. drenching showers, and the going will be very soft Selections:— 11 am.—Greenlane Steeplechase: Cavallo. Davett. King’s Host 11.40 am.—Jervois Handicap: Fontamara, Mali Peter, Overdale. 12 25 p.m —G.N. Hurdles: Elrey. Pin Money. Lord Oman. 1.10 pm.—Penrose Hurdles: Goa Acquittal. Teddy. 1.55 pin.—Cornwall Handicap: Harrier, Craddock, Action Packed. 250 p.m —Herne Bay Handicap Emphatique, Princess Merit. Shahgen. 330 p m.—Hunt Hurdles: Covert, County. Young Greg. 4 10 pm—Members’ Handicap Mantovani. Prince Monolulu Toureg. Fields, with form, for the T.A.B. double are:— 'GREAT NORTHERN HURDLES, £3OGO;

U772 Blue Rock (91 st. lb .. 10 2 0101 Splice ,131 .. 10 1 0005 Fly Home (7) .. 9 13 4311 To Re.gn 11) .. 9 11 *>94 Daysun ,12) ..9 9 0005 Elrey (10) .. ..9 7 0?45 Lord Oman (5) ..9 4 0027 County (4) .. ..9 2 2242 No Offence (6) ..91

1052 Chef (8) 9 0 6642 Counit Lin (2) 9 0 0103 Peacemaker (3). 9 0 0453 Pin Money (14) 9 0 3705 Tawhiti Rahi (11) .. 9 0 Bracket: County and Tawhiti Rahi. CORNWALL HANDICAP, £1800; Um. st. lb 5203 Wai pari (9) 9 6 4050 Action Packed (2) 9 4 8v81 Harrier (1) 8 12 3272 Bl ue Be*ard (18) .. 8 10 1838 Firenze (19) 8 8 0344 Jovic (15) . .. 8 6 0100 Bonnie Dee (11) 8 4 0400 Dolamars (8) 8 4 9050 Anywhere (16) 8 2 6954 Dashing Star (22) .. 8 2 0391 Jim's Count (14) .. 8 2 9513 Royton (6> 8 2 3021 Supreme Gold (24) 8 2 0506 Craddock (5) 7 13 0300 Red Luca (23) 7 13 0000 Surging (17) 7 13 0544 Dry Martini (26) .. 7 11 4760 Uppercut (13) 7 11 0008 King's Cove (21) 7 10 2070 Capt. Lancaster (7) 7 10 Balloted out with right of reentry;— 0090 Otara < 12 > 7 8 0114 Pale Face (3) 7 8 6633 Blue Heather (25) .. 7 8 5600 Gay Parade (4i 7 8 4507 Ernsie (10) .. 7 8 Scratched: Coeur Volant