National double for Ken Browne?

Press, 7 August 1981, Page 1 (Supplement)

National double for Ken Browne?

Bv

J. J. BOYLE

A spectacular jumping double is well within reach of the Waikato ownertrainer, Ken Browne, who won the Grand National Steeplechase last Saturday with Charlestown, and has Dark Purple in form to mount a strong challenge for the Grand National Hurdles tomorrow.

Dark Purple goes into the first leg of the Canterbury Jockey Club’s T.A.B. double tomorrow as a last-start winner. And from a position close to the tail of the handicap he is capable of capitalising on his great store of stamina to end a run of South Island successes in the last of the big hurdle races for the winter.

Dark Purple, a nine-year-old by In The Purple out of Otarata, whose sire. Statesman. was a son of the great stallion Bulandshar, has 58.5 kg. and has to give weight only to Charlson.

Ken Browne delayed DarK Purple’s entry into the ranks

of his campaigners at the meeting until the Spreydon Hurdles, and his nine-year-old established easy mastery over the others with a superior show of stamina over 3000 m under 64kg. Browne ran Stipulation in the Sydenham Hurdles last Saturday but his eight-year-old. like other North Islanders, failed to enter contention and was a fairly distant fourth.

Bymai, winner of last year’s race under 60, has 66 this time, and the Wingatui gelding will have to run the race of his life to make a second entry into Grand National Hurdles records.

Last year Bymai was second in a minor hurdle race on the first day of the meeting on his way to his Grand National Hurdles victory.

Miracle Jack, the Sydenham Hurdles winner with 60.5, has one kilo less in the Grand National Hurdles. His jumps record of four wins from five starts will command the respect of everyone.

He is trained by Bill Hillis, for whom Rapid Flight won this race three years ago. When private trainer for the late Mr Bill Hazlett Hillis also prepared Eiffel Tower to win the race twice.

Royal Kassel, from Oamaru. had Miracle Jack under pressure until he made an inferior leap at the last flight in the Sydenham Hurdles. He still managed to finish within a length of the Southlander. Mark's Gold, winner of the Great Northern Hurdles, has not distinguished himself in previous attempts at Riccarton. He would have to improve out of sight on his

Sydenham Hurdles seventh, as would the Awapunitrained Sencore on his fading fifth. Cellay fell close to home in the Sydenham Hurdles, for which he was favourite, but his jumping was safe enough on Tuesday, when he finished third behind Dark Purple. He stays well, but would have to find improvement on Tuesday's run to edge out Dark Purple this time. . Purcil was unable to place any pressure on Miracle Jack and Royal Kassel when third in the Sydenham Hurdles but has to be regarded as something of a chance after his win over a longer trip in the Wellington Hurdles.

Charlson, a first-year hurdler, has marked galloping ability in bad ground, and should be still gaining in jumping skills. He was the successful favourite in the Trial Hurdles last Saturday, and form from that race has had its value as a guide, apart from Bymai's second last year. Detroit won the Trial Grand National Hurdles double five years ago.