Northerners in strength in jumping races tomorrow

Press, 2 August 1985, Page 9

Northerners in strength in jumping races tomorrow

By

J. J. BOYLE

North Island jumpers will be out in strength at Riccarton tomorrow, extending some interesting form patterns in the build-up to the two Grand Nationals next week. Last year Retinere and Nukumai were successful favourites in the Koral Steeplechase and Sydenham

Hurdles respectively but failed to finish in the Nationals, for which they were also the most popular fancies. Two years ago Grey Warbler was the successful favourite in the Koral, then ran fourth in the Grand National Steeplechase. Jean Rapier captured the 1983 Grand National

Hurdles without a lead-up race at Riccarton and the Oamaru-trained Royal Kassel completed a brilliant double for the North Island jockey, Stephen Jenkins, by winning the Grand National Steeplechase. Jenkins, who partnered Sebastiano to win the Sydenham-Grand National Hurdles double in 1982, will be back at Riccarton tomorrow to ride the talented Gun for Fun in the Sydenham Hurdles and Region, the Koral Steeplechase top weight. Region, the Grand National Steeplechase third in Royal Kassel’s year, will put some gloss on Australian form if he wins at the Riccarton carnival. His latest run produced a second in the Australian Grand National; he had to bow only to another New Zealander in Gogong. Gun for Fun has been writing successful chapters to establish him as one of the hurdling stars of the year. He could not have been more impressive in winning the Wellington Hurdles, some compensation for an unlucky third in the Great Northern Hurdles six weeks earlier. The North Island will have others with appealing

form for tomorrow’s jumping races. Ken Browne, for whom Crown Star won the Grand National Hurdles last year, has that Crown Lease gelding pointed for the Koral this time, and will have the veteran Stipulation as his runner in the Sydenham Hurdles. The Te Puke-owned and trained Greek Boy returns as a form runner for the Koral Steeplechase, earning a trip after winning the Manawatu Hunt Cup and running second in the Riddiford at Trentham on a light racing build-up. Greek Boy ran third in the Koral last year, but was jarred by the firmish footing, and did not run in the Grand National. The Washdyke trainer, Pat Corboy, who won last week’s Pyne, Gould, Guinness Homeby Steeplechase with Sweeney Todd, will put form runners into both feature jumping races tomorrow. Proud Leigh, unbeaten in two starts against the lower grade hurdlers at last year’s Grand National meeting, has this time round assembled a sequence of six victories in a mixed programme of jumping and flat races.

His first clash with the North Islanders at this level will bring much interest to bear on the Sydenham Hurdles. Corboy’s hopeful for the Koral is Alaska Lad, a laststart winner on his home course at the expense of Sweeney Todd, which put some gloss on the form by going on to win the Homeby. In the absence of Sweeney Todd and Bymai from the Koral Steeplechase it will be up to Battle On to prove there was any value in form from the Christchurch Hunt’s feature race. Battle On’s third in the Homeby in his first start over Riccarton, held high promise for tomorrow’s race and for next week’s Grand National.