Chumson’s courage sees him through

Press, 29 August 1977, Page 18

Chumson’s courage sees him through

Special correspondent. Auckland. The race to win the Pakuranga Hunt Cup on Saturday seemed desperately hard on Chumson, but according to the best authority it was not the toughest the big gelding has had. The trainer, Alan Kaye, who knows the horse better than anybody, believes the one at the Great Northern meeting tested him more severely. Showing all the determination of a champion staying Jumper, which he undoubtedly is. Chumson on Saturday carried his 69kg to a clear win—by four lengths and a half—but it was only in the run from the last jump that he mastered Lord Grey and Thornhill, lesser weighted by 10 kg and 12kg respectively.

It was Chumson’s second race over the Ellerslie country. The first was the Tamaki Steeple chase, a much more minor affair, on June 6, which he won under 63.5 kg. The horse was then. Kaye says, a bit short on experience and very much still on the way up. He won by a couple of lengths or so and probably could not have done much better. The Hunt Cup. as gruelling as it appeared, did not. Kaye considers. take as much out of Chumson as did the earlier Ellerslie race for the reason that the horse’s rider. Michael Gillies, was not able to get everything from his mount.

Gillies, as Kaye explained, had a couple of spills during the previous week, at the Taranaki races, and on that account might not have been as thoroughly fit as he would have liked. Then again he had to ride Chumson this latest time In a shot vest so as to make up the big weight, a fair disadvantage when it comes to going 4900 metres and over 20 jumps. These were reasons perhaps for Chumson being not always as sure in his jumping as he is usually. Certainly he put in some great leaps and he never looked like making a mistake so bad that it might bring him to earth. But two or three times, once on the hill the first time, he was decidedly awkward.

The outlook for the favourite looked hardly promising, too, when Gillies had to stir him up several times before they were even into the last 800 metres. When they came down the slope the last time Ragamuffin Man was out by two or three lengths from Chumson and Lord Grey. Once over the second last jump Ragamuffin Man went a bit further ahead but Chumson joined him with a rush at the last and they had a sharp set-to before Ragamuffin Man weakened.

Lord Grey, after losing lengths with a bad jump at the second last fence, ran on again to cut back Ragamuffin Man and Thornhill and take second.

Lucanus. from which much was expected, looked the one for

Chumson and all of them to beat when lie came into the last 1600 metres galloping strongly in front but the next moment he was down, after standing off too far at the fence near the .1400 metres. Chumson, at extraordinary short odds for such an event, and Lucanus dominated betting on the Hunt Cup. Between them they carried almost half the win and place pool. Chumson was entrusted with a third of the win and place—s22,ooo out of $66,000 —and his dividends were microscopic: $l.BO and $1.45. A six-year-old. trained by Kaye at Awapuni for a two way partnership. one of the owners from Levin, the other from Manakau, Chumson nas managed seven wins from the eight steeplechases he has contested. all In three months, from May 28. His stake eartungs during the period were $38,875. this latest success having added $6500 and a further trophy to the five he had already brought his lucky owners.

Chumson will now be spelled. Just what Will be done with him next year is uncertain but big handicaps will almost certainly mean that not too much will be seen of him, a tragedy when it is considered he will be still young for a jumper. Some thought was given to his being taken to England for the Grand National but that plan, Kaye believes, has been fairly certainly abandoned bv the owners.