Glandovey may extend notable stable record

Press, 11 August 1979, Page 20

Glandovey may extend notable stable record

By

W. R. CARSTON

If Glandovey wins the Koral Steeplechase today he will have added another notable chapter to the outstanding record of horses from Eric Temperton’s powerful Awapuni stable in major cross-country events at Riccarton.

And in his attempt to make another major contribution to a first-class record on his present campaign on the course Sir Walter Norwood’s durable eight-year-old has much to commend han. Glandovey started his current campaign here with an impressive victory in the! Homebv Steeplechase on Christchurch Hunt day. He'

s-had to settle for second to i his stablemate. Guess Who, s in the Grand National : Steeplechase but the manner i' in which he ran last Satur--11 day’s 5600 m out made him Hook a top prospect for today’s shorter journey. Ilf Glandovey is successful today he will have become the third horse in the last ■ six years to have won .the

l race after filling the role of runner-up in the National. The last Koral Steeplechase winner to achieve the feat was Kinrara, the runner-up in Fumbler’s National in 1975. The previous year Big Bang won the Koral after chasing Loch Linnhe home in the National. Glandovey will be reunited with his regular race rider,

Michael Gillies, today. Michael’s older brother, Tony, who was Glandovey’s National rider, has taken the mount on Peter Rose today. , This Matamata-trained ’chaser emerges as one of the obvious chances after his second to Connecticut in the Hunt Cup on Wednesday but it is very doubtful whether he will be able to turn the tables on his Invercargill rival with a pull of only 1.5 kg in the weights. Connecticut has been one of the “stars” of the recent steeplechase scene in Canterbury. He followed up wins over country at Waimate and Washdyke with a polished display of leaping at his first attempt over this tougher course to win Wednesday’s Hunt Cup by 13 lengths.

If Connecticut’s stamina and jumping ability, combined with a good turn of speed on the flat, stand to him todav he should prove Glandovey’s most formidable rival and might even extend an unbeaten record as a ’chaser.

Hunting Chief and Excessive Talk will be a popular combination for the T.A.B. double, which will be run on the Grand National Hurdles and the Islington Handicap. The first leg field remained intact yesterday and there were no additional scratchings in the second leg from which Duty Point and Meed were withdrawn on Wednesday.