Severe Test Faced In G.N. Steeples

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30147, 3 June 1963, Page 4

Severe Test Faced In G.N. Steeples

“The Press" Special Service AUCKLAND, June 2. ’ A severe trial of stamina and jumping skill faces the competitors in the £4025 Great Northern Steeplechase at Ellerslie tomorrow. Overnight rain yesterday thoroughly soaked the course making the four miles with its 25 fences as testing as it could be.

The field is as strong as in any recent year. Braemar and Triple Count are two of the possibilities and others are Haunt, How Much, Blue Rock and Johnny Dee.

Braemar, which has 9-6. and Triple Count (9-0) are born stayers which revel in heavy ground.

Hanut has come North from Hastings looking an altogether better proposition than this time last year when he fell in the big event. How Much and Johnny Dee know the Ellerslie country well and Blue Rock is the type of rugged jumper which might run the race out very solidly An eight-year-old brown gelding Braemar is trained at Cambridge by J. W Winder, who in all his most successful riding career over jumps did not collect a Great Northern Steeplechase. He is owned by Mr E. Montgomery, of Rotorua, who paid dearly for him as a yearling and afterwards campaigned him in Sydney for a time.

In his racing on the fla Braemar was a disappoint'

ment. Over the country he has been a big improvement and when he strung together steeplehase wins at Matamata and Ellerslie (two) last spring he looked excellent Great Northern material.

Since he returned to racing after a summer spell Braemar has had five races only one of which was over fences. That was the G. W. Vercoe Steeplechase on the middle day of the Waikato winter meeting when he came third Triple Count, a seven-year-old, came into prominence over the country with a first and a second at the Waikato meeting. Johnny Dee seems to be getting back to the form which won him a brace of steeplechases at Ellerslie in ’he autumn last year and How Much can hardly be dismissed because of two failures at Te Rapa where the firm ground was against him

How Much was the crosscountry star at the Auckland autumn meeting in April when he managed the fences well and ran on like a real stayer. Blue Rock, which ran with such credit against Elrey in the Great Northern Hurdles yesterday, has yet to try a steeplechase. As a consequence he is down 131 b from bis hurdles weight. If he is going to make a crosscountry runner—and his ’raining over the course las: week suggested he will—Blue Rock should be hard to beat The T.A.B. double will be on the Great Northern Steeplechase and the King George Handicap, run over seven furlongs. The King George Handicap is open but the best chance? seem to be Bargoed. Toureg Firenze, and Taxpayer.

Selections:— 11 a.m.—Panmure Hurdles: Teddy. Kindling, Goa. 11.40 a.m —Tamaki Steeples: Toy Tiger, Ballado-r. No Boy 12.25 p.m.—Great Northern Steeples: Braemar, Triple Count. Hanut, 1.10 p.m Remuers HundleS: Elrey. Splice. Daysun •

1.55 p.m.—King George Handicap: Bargoed. Tourer Taxpayer. 2.50 p.m.—Otara Handicap Rio Bravo. Count Carmel Preferable.

3.30 p.m.—Carbine PlatePrincess Merit, Robert Earl Blue Reel.

4.10 p.m.—Ranfurly Handicap: Mali Peter, Overdale, Princess Clare.