Southern Cloud Schools Well In Fog

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30822, 6 August 1965, Page 4

Southern Cloud Schools Well In Fog

Southern Cloud made a most favourable first impression at Riccarton when he jumped a round of the steeplechase course yesterday.

He did his round of eight fences while a heavy fog lay over the course, but spectators saw him finish with a bold, clean leap at Cutts’s, and his rider, C. McGovern, filled in the gaps. “He only hops over the small fences, but he was really good at those big- ones this morning.” That was McGovern’s enthusiastic comment after he finished the round on the Woodville-trained gelding. Trained by his part-owner,

E. Ropiha, Southern Cloud is a half-brother to Spring Fair, the champion ’chaser of his year. But for being injured in the aircraft on the flight from Palmerston North on Wednesday, Brevity would have accompanied Southern Cloud yesterday. That the Summertime gelding had to go it alone over a course that was strange to him, and in such an unusual atmosphere, said much for his jumping ability. He started at the brush near the nine furlongs, and finished his round at Cutts’s three minutes 16 seconds J. H. Hely will ride Southern Cloud in the Enfield Steeplechase tomorrow. Big Talk, a Taurangatrained light-weight in the Grand National, jumped the three fences on the trial

steeplechase course at a hunting pace in the hands of his trainer, N. Craig. Earlier, Craig schooled Enisle over four hurdles. Giipey (Parr) also jumped four hurdles. He was in too close for comfort at the last flight, and struck hard, but Parr kept his seat. Aorangi (R. A. Jenkins) landed with a slight lead over Kurrajong (McGovern) at the second and last flight over hurdles. They are both trained by J. P. Carter, and are rival candidates for the Trial Hurdles tomorrow. Peacemaker (McGovern) was tried at two hurdles. He will have his first start at the meeting in the Jumpers’ Flat tomorrow. None of the gallops could be timed because of the fog, which did not clear until the early afternoon.