NATIONAL HURDLES TO EIFFEL TOWER

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31134, 10 August 1966, Page 4

NATIONAL HURDLES TO EIFFEL TOWER

Stamina Of Six-year-old Proves Decisive

The stamina that has given Eiffel Tower top ranking among New Zealand stayers carried the six-year-old to an easy win in the Grand National Hurdles at Riccarton yesterday.

In this, his first test in an open hurdle race, Eiffel Tower ran right away from the others and won easing, by six lengths from the favourite, Beyond.

He gave his owner, Mr W. E. Hazlett, and trainer, W. J. Hillis, first winning experience in the race, but gave the stable its second major hurdle success of the year. Macdonald won the Great Northern Hurdles in the Hazlett colours at Ellerslie in June.

Cup Winner Eiffel Tower won the Well-j ington Cup in 1965 and ran second in both the New Zealand and Wellington Cups last season. His career has run almost parallel to that of Padishah, winner of the Wellington Cup a few months before his first of two Grand National Hurdles victories in 1938. Eiffel Tower was once regarded as a doubtful racing proposition. He was troubled! with recurring unsoundness before he started racing and it was found he had a chipped bone in a knee.

The Invercargtll veterinarian. Mr C. H. G. Irvine, operated on Eiffel Tower to remove the bone chip and the Kurdistan gelding has not been troubled since. Sire’s Treble Kurdistan, second on the' sires' list for the season just ended, has now sired the winners of the three major hurdling races of the year. Macdonald and Kumai (Wellington Winter Hurdles) were also sired by the import ed Tehran horse. "Everything was made to suit Eiffel Tower,” said W J Hillis, the trainer-jockey of the Grand National Hurdles' winner, after the race. “He settled down nicely, jumped well, and had the stamina to do the job.” Hillis has ndden winners of three Grand National Steeplechases, but this was his, first win in the Grand National Hurdles. In 1951 he rode Bragden Into second place behind All Pockets, and was third on the Hazlett-owned Test Flight j later. “Next year, perhaps, will he his big year." said G. Jenkins, rider of the favourite, and runner-up. Beyond. “Beyond hung badly on me. He will strengthen with a bit more time." Gashed Leg Beyond came back with a gash above his knee. This happened in the mix-up after Grand Coeur fell near Cutt’s. | Grand Coeur kicked out when he fell and clipped Beyond on the leg. Riders of two noted mudlarks in the field found, much to their surprise, that their mounts were uneasy in the ground, R. J. Walsh, rider of the third horse. Confer, said that the Avondale-trained Conclusion gelding had rolled about in the going. “He felt as if he needed the ground wetter and deeper to have a winning chance today,” Walsh said. Uneven Jumping “Funny thing, my fellow was no good in that ground today,” said Kumai's rider, B. J. Anderton. Kumai's jumping, he said, had been very uneven, and he was beaten a long way out. i "I thought I had a chance going into the back, but he did not last much longer." said G. A. Walters, who had attempted to complete a big double on the Great Northern Hurdles winner. Macdonald. Macdonald, which was bracketed with Eiffel Tower, finished fifth. J. H. Hely was shaken by his fall from Grand Coeur,

which came down heavily at the hurdle near Cutts’s brush • about a mile and a quarter: from home, and brought down ! Robert Earl. I “He took off too far back,” ;Hely said. t J Ran Clear h Ataarangi, Pahi and Grand I I Coeur disputed the early pace. At the end of three ' furlongs Beyond ran to the) [ front, but Pahi took the lead . I inside the next furlong. Grand Coeur was on terms with Pahi at the stand 5

I hurdle. When Grand Coeur fell neai’ Cutts’s brush, Beyond was left in front, two lengths clear of Macdonald, with Pahi next and then two lengths to Kumai and Eiffel Tower. Confer had tailed off six lengths back. I Racing to the half-mile Eiffel Tower had reduced ißeyond’s lead to three | lengths and he had the Wanganui-trained Red Mars gelding covered racing to the last fence. Eiffel Tower coasted home six lengths clear of Beyond. Confer passed a tired Kumai in the straight for third, five lengths further back. Kumai was in a gap of six lengths in fourth place, and Macdonald, Pahi and Ataar[angi came home at intervals behind him.