INTEREST IN JUMPERS

Press, Issue 32345, 10 July 1970, Page 1 (Supplement)

INTEREST IN JUMPERS

From

J. J. Boyle

Tough Task Faces Matanuku Blue

WELLINGTON. The attempts of Matanuku Blue and Sifta Sam to win tough doubles and David William to complete a treble will be the highlights of the jumping races at Trentham tomorrow.

The Riccarton hurdler, David William, shown above beating Royai Fleet on Wednesday, will be attempting his third win from as many starts at the meeting. Matanuku Blue will attempt the Great Northern-Winter Hurdles double and Sift* Sam, shown at right, after his win last week, the Wellington Riddiford Steeples double. Unlike several others which failed when attempting to win the big one at Trentham Matanuku Blue does not have to battle under a crushing weight He won the big Auckland race with 9-0 and has 9-7 tomorrow. T. C Alcock. the Matamata tra ner of Matanuku Blue, is quietly confident his jumper

can repeat Foxonewa's feat of last year of landing the big hurdling double. He is not concerned by the failure of the Blueskin gelding in the Hawke's Bay Hurdles. His horse is essentially a “mudder" and conditions at Hastings were more to the liking of horses which do best on firmer footing. Sunseeker has a chance to command respect after his 1 win at Hastings. He was not as seasoned as some of his rivals when he finished fourth in Matanuku Blue’s Great Northern Hurdles. King Minos did not run within a stone of the form he showed to win last year's Grand National Hurdles when he appeared in the Trentham Hurdles last week.

On form from that race the Wingatui-trained Cassbridge should be a superior prospect at the weights. The southern jumper was checked at a vital stage of the shorter race last week, and he lost a possible winning chance when on a big run into a contending position at the last flight. Sifta Sam, whose dogged qualities carried him through to an easy win in the Wellington Steeples last Saturday. gets another rich opportunity to improve his consistent record in the $6OOO Eric Riddiford Steeples tomorrow.