Captain Rebel To Test Smoke Ring At Weights

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30769, 5 June 1965, Page 6

Captain Rebel To Test Smoke Ring At Weights

“The Press” Special Service AUCKLAND. Whether Smoke Ring, with all his stamina and class, will be able to give Captain Rebel a stone in weight remains the big question regarding the Great Northern Hurdles at Ellerslie today.

It will be a surprise all round if one of the others is successful: Captain Rebel and Smoke Ring - , since the taking of acceptances last Monday, have dominated discussions on the race.

Smoke Ring has 11-s—more weight than has been carried successfully in the Great Northern Hurdles for 30 odd years.

His trainer and part-owner, M. C. Conway, of Waiuku, is as confident as can be that his horse will manage the burden and win. Mr Ivan Robinson, of Matangi, is equally certain that Captain Rebel, which he trains and races on his own account, will go the race of his life.

Captain Rebel and Smoke Ring are chestnut six-year-olds but totally unlike otherwise. Whereas Captain Rebel is fairly robust in his appearance, Smoke Ring is tall, lean and decidedly lanky in his looks.

Smoke Ring, for all that, is the best staying hurdler of recent years. His performance in winning the Great Northern, Winter Hurdles and Grand National last year is almost without parallel. He is sure footed, tough and in his element when the ground becomes very heavy.

Captain Rebel reached the peak of his jumping form when he won the Waikato Hurdles last month. Not long beforehand, in conditions a good deal easier than he wil) meet today, he won the Brighton Hurdles, two miles, at Ellerslie.

Captain Rebel holds a remarkable record. From 17 starts this season he has collected seven firsts and nine minor placings. The onlytime he finished out of the money was at Rotorua last Saturday when he came sixth in a middle-distance handicap Along with Smoke Ring. Captain Rebel has been very thoroughly trained. He possesses a great turn of speed and in his winning of the Brighton and the Waikato Hurdles he put in some great leaps. In the treble last year Smoke Ring was ridden by B. L. Hillis. This season he is being ridden by R. J. Leggett. Captain Rebel will be in the hands of his regular rider, P. R. Wilson. Leggett, after enjoying considerable success on the flat, turned to riding over fences' early this season. Smoke Ring will be his very first mount in a Great Northern Wilson has ridden once before in the big race, on Royal Ransom (unplaced) last year Likely Rival

The likeliest opponent for Smoke Ring and Captain Rebel seems to be Harlech, a visitor from Hastings. Prettypeen is an accom nlished jumped which should be prominent and Surging and Conspirator hold form which suggests they might be in the battle for some of the money. Unless there is a further unexpected scratching a • dozen horses will go to the post, just about an average number. The field for the second leg of the T.A.B. double, the Cornwall Handicap, is much bigger and indeed should number close to the safety limit. The best chances seem to be Mantovani, Yardstick, Aro, Old Parr, Royal Sheen and Clarendon. It is to Mantovani’s great advantage that he has drawn No. 2 at the barrier. His best-performed rivals are much further out and likely to be forced over much extra ground in the run to the first turn. Mantovani is the top-weight with 9-2. He will be ridden by G. F. Hughes, who won last year on Elkayel.

The going has dried during the last few days but yet lacks any , firmness. Even if fine weather . holds the track will be very dead. I Selections: ' 11 a.m. Greenlane Steeples: Facade, Childer, Pin Money. 11.40 a.m.—Hunt Hurdles: Royal Filou, Mo-I-Rana, Young Ray. j 12.25 p.m.—Great Nothern Hurdles: Captain Rebel, Smoke Ring, Harlech. 1.10 p.m.—Penrose Hurdales: Revello, Donperi, Olave. 1.55 p.m.—Cornwall Handicap: Mantovani, Yardstick, Aro. 2.50 p.m.—Herne Bay Handicap: Honestly, Tarim, Persian Heir. 3.30 p.m.—Jervois Handicap: Rossfield, El Cid, The Prophet. 4.10 p.m.: Members' Handicat: Markable, Overdale, Calm Jane. Fields are: 11 a.m.— GREENLANE STEEPLECHASE, £1000; 21 m Gold Tie (7) 10-8; Pin Aloney (5) 10-2; San Marco (11) 10-1: Heclen <1) 9-9; Chii dec (6), Tiki Jet (13) 9-8; Facade (14) 9-7; Alpen Queen (4), Hoss (10) 9-5; Hyde Out (8) 9-3; Tiki punga (9) 9-2; Alphie (2), Great Era (3), Prime Cut (12) 9-0. 11.40 a.m.— HUNT HURDLES, £1000; 2m Ringlock (6) 9-13; Break Away (3) 9-8; Royal Filou (4) 9-7: Young Ray (1) 9-3: Jimmy Shand (5) 9-2: Mo-I-Rana (8) Scott's Luck <2) 9-0 Scratched: Collector (7). 12.25 p.m GREAT NORTHERN HURDLES, £3500; 2Jm.

1.10 p.m.— PENROSE HURDLES, £lOOO. Um. and 60yds.—Revello (5) 9-13; Donperi (3) 9-10; Olave (12) 9-7; Norton (8) 9-3: Silver Eagle (9), Telemachus (4) 9-2; Danny Molloy (6). Derek (10) 9-1; Confer (2). Harapepe (7). Lee Anne (11), Lucid (1) 9-0. 1.55 p.m.— CORNWALL HANDICAP, £2000; 11m. st. lb 4623 Mantovani (2) ..9 2 2413 Yardstick (15) .. 9 2

2.50 p.m.— HERNE BAY HANDICAP, £lOOO, Im.—Persian Heir (23) 9-1; Tarim (29) 8-13; Topsil (21), Wilhin-the-Law (16) 8-9; Honestly (5) 8-6; Sue Pau: (11) 8-5; Oiala (14) 8-2; All Smoke (24), Arabian Belle (3) Domino (26), Faloose (25). Fingala (7), Gold Look (18), Kublai Khan (9), My Surprise (13), Old and Bold (20), Sunny Filou (6), Synonymous (10). Pinza Boy (4) 8-1; Able Pal (2). Biiveen (17), Good Oman (8). Nukinuki (28), Town Guard (12). Juthor (27) Don Silva (1), 8-0. Brackets: Sunny Filou and Synonymous; Pinza Boy and Able Pal; Biiveen and Good Oman, Nukihuki and Town Guard, Juthor and Don Silva. Scratched: Marco Belle (22), Awaroa (15), Lady Eulogy (30). 3.30 p.m.— JERVOIS HANDICAP, £1000; 7f —Rossfield (16) 9-7; King of Luck (2) 9-0; Woodpecker (6) 8-11; Caramelle <l2), Corina (1) 8-6; The Prophet (14) 8-4; El Cid (4) Nice Peter (18), Royal Fair (7) 8-3; Punjabi (17), Sir Polo (21), Dormer (3), Italiana (22), Priceless (15) 8-1; Caressable (13), Chequers (11), Cinzano (19), Marica (10), Miss Tel lus (9), Regal Mount (8) 8-0 Scratched; Invincible (20), Aqua Pura (5). 4.10 p.m.— MEMBERS’ HANDICAP, £1250; 7f.—Foxskin (6) 9-0; Mali Peter (20) 8-13; Blue Heather (21) 8-12; Markable (2), Toureg (22) 8-10; Fair Bid (4) 8-8; Overdale (16) 8-6; Princess Taiaria (23) 8-5; Bottle Top (10) 8-4; Clip joint (14), Crojack (25), Loyal Ruler (17) 8-3: Caballero (12). Queen’s Poet (8) 8-2; Calm Jane (18), Repel (27) 8-1; Astarito (13) Dolly Mac (3) 8-0; Innes Maid (5). Khan Sahib (1), Killeymoon (19), Misere (26), Prince Mahmoud (7), Shahgen (11) 8-0. Balloted out with right of reentry in the following order: Nicodemus (15), Garnet Queen (9) 8-0 Brackets: Killeymoon and Prince Mahmood; Misere and Shahgen; Nicodemus and Garnet Queen. Scratched: Te Awhina (24).

4201 Smoke Ring (10) . st. lb 11 5 1116 Captain Rebel (11) 10 5 0071 Harlech (7) 9 11 9087 Royal Ransom (12) 9 11 7230 Surging (1) 9 9 8525 Jumping Joe (13) .. 9 5 2156 Prettypeen (4) 9 5 3744 Teneriffe 6) 9 a 4060 Powerful (5) 9 4 2310 Conspirator (2) 9 3 9661 Nickel Pot (9) 9 0 0430 Royal Count (3) 9 0 Sratched: Danesway (8).

15’0 Craddock (25) 8 12 3046 Aro (18) 8 Id 4212 Clarendon (21) 8 8 0041 Straight Time (6) .. 8 4 1830 . Blue Lodge (12) 8 2 0900 Captain Lancaster <9) 8 2 1531 Royal Sheen (22) .. 8 0 0000 Count Filou (13) 7 13 8548 Kangaroo Town (5) 7 13 8857 Old Parr (20) 7 11 0070 Bryon (8) . 7 8 2950 Countax (7) 7 K 0640 Earl of Fox wood (1) 7 8 0003 Otakiri Boy (10) 7 8 0005 Carlynn (11) 7 7 7852 Regal Ruler (17) .. 7 7 1143 Creolian (3) , i Scratched: Lincoln (14). Tros sach (24), Emphatique (23). Braemar (19), Mexicali (16). Blissful Lad (4).