Surging Could Complete Historic Double In G.N.

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30453, 29 May 1964, Page 5

Surging Could Complete Historic Double In G.N.

With all the records dead against him, the Morrinsville gelding Surging is an all-round favourite for the Great Northern Hurdles, first leg of the T.A.B. double on the first day of the Auckland Racing Club’s winter meting at Ellerslie on Saturday. If he wins he will have completed a historic double.

Just the other week Surging was a handsome winner in the Waikato Hurdles. Meanwhile, he won on the flat at Rotorua and escaped a penalty. Against Surging being successful again on Saturday is the fact that no Waikato Hurdles winner, however impressive at Te Rapa, has been able to score in the Great Northern Hurdles. , Surging is a smallish eight-year-old gelding of pretty ordinary appearance, but he has speed and, in common with most recent Great Northern winners, a liking for heavy ground. Whereas Surging revelled in the very holding ground at Te Rapa, Smoke Ring was all at sea. Probably he will be harder to beat in the Ellerslie going which does not become anywhere as deep as that at Te Rapa. Real Stayer

Smoke Ring, although tall and lanky, is an expert jum-

per. He has also looked like a real stayer. Smoke Ring is a five-year-old, young as hurdlers go. The last of his age to win the Great Northern Hurdles was Solar Mist in 1954.

lii the Waikato Hurdles, Smoke Ring was crowded on the inside all the way. Smoke Ring was a successful hurdler at Ellerslie, Avondale and Trentham during the spring and that means he is good.

Triple Count looked ready to improve fast when he finished' fifth in the highweight won by Surging at Rotorua. He lacks the quickness to be a first class hurdler but at his best is a fair stayer for two and half miles and 10 fences. Second Leg Elkayel’s ability to last well over the hardest middle distance makes him an excellent chance in the £2OOO Cornwall Handicap, second leg of the double. Three of his likeliest opponents are Action Packed, Aro and Clarendon. As well, the inclusion of Mantonvani, Earl of Foxwood and Queenwood makes the issue as interesting as any handicap contested in the north for some time. There is no doubt that whichever horse wins he will have to turn on a decidedly smart gallop. At his last start when going the Cornwall Handicap distance, Elkayel ran creditably for third behind Tatua and Aro in the Founders’ Plate at Te Rapa on May 2. After overnight rain the ground at Ellerslie is very soft. Selections:— 11 a.m. Greenlane Steeplechase: Whistling Home, Rethea, Ballador. . 11.40 a.m.—Jervois Handicap: El Cid, Awaroa, The Prophet 12.25 p.m.—G. N. Hurd-

les: Surging, Smoke Ring, Triple Count 1.10 p.m. Penrose Hurdles: Olave, Eisteddfod, Regal Ruler. 1.55 p.m. Cornwall .Handicap: Elkayel, Action Packed, Aro. 2.50 p.m.—Herne Bay Handicap: Tardini, Emphatique, Sir Countax. 3.30 p.m.—Hunt Hurdles: Time Payment Young Greg, Acquittal. 4.10 p.m.—Members’ Handicap: Toureg, Red Count Mali Peter.

Fields, with form, for the double: GREAT HORTHERN HURDLES. £3500; 2im.

0098 Chef (15) st. lb 10 1 0174 Mireusonta (3). 9 10 0727 Tilly Light (7) 9 10 0060 Fly Home (6) 9 8 0000 Harlech (9) 9 8 0311 Surging (14) 9 7 0056 Tawhiti Rahi (5) .. 9 7 6065 Triple Count (10) .. 9 5 2595 Smoke Ring (1) .. 9 4 8038 Prince Sylvan (12) .. 9 3 0000 Goa (8) 9 2 6223 Count Lin (2) 9 1 1508 Goldmyth (13) 9 1 9151 Royal Ransom (4) .. 9 1 0442 The Frenchman (11) 9 1 CORNWALL HANDICAP £2000; Um. St. lb 000 My Contact (23) 9 4 2121 Arb (11) 8 13 0800 Beauzami (21) 8 11 0041 Action Packed (13) .. 8 10 5811 Clarendon (3) 8 8 0360 Craddock (2) 8 7 2163 Elkayel (20) 8 5 7287 Shakespeare (4) 8 5 8493 Sybeau (8) .. 8 3 0100 Dashing Star (19) .. 8 2 6001 Earl of Foxwood (9) 8 1 4314 Queenwood (10) 8 0 2862 Mantovani (15) 7 12 6720 Clymon (25) 7 11 0008 Countax (14) 7 11 9700 Pale Face (1) 7 11 0600 Sparkling Maid (24) 7 10 5783 Blue Heather (12) .. 7 9 0900 Captain Lancaster (5) 7 9 3805 Pow Wow (22) 7 9 Balloted out with right of reentry:— 0000 Khorazami (6) 7 9 4740 Yardstick (16) 7 9 6706 Clayton King (17) .. 7 8 3870 Noranda (7) 7 8 0000 Old Spice (18) 7 7 Brackets: Yardstick and Clayton King, Noranda and Old Spice. Scratched: Supreme Gold