THE RACING WORLD

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 266, 6 August 1929, Page 15

THE RACING WORLD

NOTES AND COMMENTS

(By

“The Watcher.”)

Acceptances for the Grand National meeting will close on Thursday at 8 p.m.

Mrs. A. McDonald’s team for Riccarton, consisting of Locarno, Red Fuchsia, and Giyn Dim; left last night on the Wahlne. Also on board were Maunga and Zlppor from Hastings.

Ths winner of the Hoineby Steeplechase at the Christchurch Hunt meeting, which has now been a rehearsal to the National for the past six years, has never won the big steeplechase. Similarly Lochson is the only open hurdler winner at the Hunt meeting to score in the National. On the other hand, Brabazon Handicap form has generally supplied a good line to the Winter Cup.

Lady Cintra has retired to the stud and will be mated with Hunting Song.

R. Syme will ride Horomea in the Grand National Hurdles. Syme was on her here when she won her double at Trentham. There is no secret about the fact that Horomea’s party give her a great chance in the big hurdle race.

Black Duke, Haiti, Taboo, Historic, and Tcheka were all Winter Cup candidates to finish in front of Royal Game in his races at Trentham last month.

Kawini’s trainer says that the going at Trentham was all against his horse, and that he will go a lot better at Riccarton. Kawini’s form in the Longbeach Hurdles on Saturday certainly bears out that contention.

Several of> the National horses will be making their first appearance over Riccarton country. In the past this proved practically an insurmountable obstacle, and the winner usually bad one or two fail ures before getting home. The last three winners, on the other hand—Peter Maxwell, Beau Cavalier, and Wiltshire—explode that theory, for they had never, prior to their success, appeared in public at Riccarton; It suggests that the fields of to-day do not put up such strenuous all round opposition as they did in years gone by, or possibly the country Is not so formidable. It cannot be put down to inferior jumping, for some of the old-time steeplechasers could lose to-day’s jumpers over the fences. It may be that nowadays horses are put to the game much younger than they used to be. Not so long ago the ranks of hurdlers and steeplechasers were almost solely recruited from flat racers who had seen their best days so far as speed goes. More than likely the solution to the success of inexperienced horses over country lies in their youth.

Lord Ranald’s National chances are now being discussed, and in some quarters he is confidently expected to get the prlxe. If a horse that has been six weeks at the steeplechasing business can win the Grand National Steeplechase then the rest of the field are not a high-class lot. Certainly they do not average very high, but there are one or two who will run and make it more than a hunt club race.

Only one mare has ever won the Grand National Steeplechase, twenty years having passed since Nadador placed It to the credit of Hawke’s Bay, but It is not often that mares run. A year or two back Eerie ran second and was a certainty beaten, but there are not many of her class and ability about to-day. This year Uralla has arrived at Riccarton, and as the winner of the Great Northern Steeplechase she has attracted considerable attentlom Though not impressive in appearance, she has her good performance at Ellerslie to recommend her as a likely candidate for Grand National honours, for she has shown that she can undoubtedly stay a trying course. This is her first visit to Riccarton, where the country takes more jumping than Ellerslie. t A good deal of Interest wlil centre round her schooling. As it is probable she will be tried out over a course before race day, a good display will make friends for her.

Glendowie has been a much-discussed candidate for the Grand National Steeplechase for some time past. He railed in each of his starts at the Auckland meeting in June, but his admirers looked for something better at Trentham, especially after he had given a brilliant exhibition of jumping in a schooling effort on the eve of the meeting. In both his races, however, he ran badly, though he did improve somewhat in his second start. In face of these failures it did not look worth while continuing the trip, but he waa shipped south at the conclusion of the Wellington meetinfi. On his arrival he went into W. J. Tomkinson’s trotting stable at Addington, while his owner-trainer, A. Rhodes, paid a visit to some of his relations. It was understood that the horse would be removed to Riccarton about a week later, but the shift has not been made yet. This change of plans was necessitated by his trainer's bad luck, as Rhodes has been unable to give the horse much personal attention, having been on the sick list since he arrived in Christchurch, It can be stated that the connections' of Glendowie anticipate that he will be hard to beat in the National. The Glendowie who made Brigadier Bill look a novice in his schooling at Trentham and the Glendowie that we actually saw in action were as wide apart as the poles.

It is not often that a trainer has two hurdlers of the class of Mister Gamp and Novar in his stable at the same time. Mister Gamp has been the star performer of the winter campaign, his wins in the Century Hurdles and Great Northern Hurdles being followed by two seconds at Trentham, beaten by Overhaul on each occasion. Overhaul has had a substantial rise in weight and he will find Mister Gamp much harder to beat at Riccarton, where the Otago horse meets his northern rival at a stone worse than in the Winter Hurdles at Trentham. These two can act in heavy ground and both of them can stay, two Important qualifications. Under the circumstances, it is no matter for surprise that they are the prime fancies for the Grand National Hurdles. While Mister Gamp has done so well this winter, however, it is on the cards that his stable mate, Novar, will have to be seriously reckoned with. He was a good performer on the flat, with a Manawatu Cup among his successes. Since he started his career as a jumper he has done well, winding .up with a win in the Hawke’s Bay Hurdles. less than two months ago. He is not partial to heavy going, but with favourable conditions the Riccarton course should be all right for the Grand National Hurdles, in which Novar should have -ood prospects. He will be ridden by C. Robinson. A. Hobson would have been his rider had he not incurred his five weeks’ suspension at the Wellington meeting last month.

Kaha, who joined A. Tinker's team at Te Rapa about New Year, and won a couple of races since, has been getting road and hill work lately and will be ready for racing in the early part of the new season.

If ever a good thing was beaten It was Waicullus in the Malvina Welter at Caulfield on Saturday, July 20 (says “Fernhill” in the Melbourne "Sporting Globe”). He suffered defeat by, half a head after having been seriously interfered with at a critical stage of the race.. About five furlongs from home Waicullus was going well, on the inside of the field, not far from the leaders. Suddenly he was seen to drop back, losing many lengths. His chance of regaining the lost ground appeared to be hopeless. - But H. Cairns, his rider (who since met with fatal injuries), mapoeuvred him to the outside of the field, and he was not far from the pacemaker as they turned into the straight. Then came a bitter struggle to overhaul David Garrick, who was in front from the straight entrance. Just as Waicullus had overcome David Garrick near the winning post, Southdown enme with an electrifying run on the outside and snatched victory from the. New Zealand-bred gelding. It was a wonderful finish. Waicullus has been rather unlucky of late, as he went under a similar margin to Hltuchi at Flemington.

Discussing the form of Wiltshire nt the Great Northern meeting, R. Syme said that the Day Comet gelding was by no means at his best when he was beaten into second place by Kawlnl in the Winter Steeplechase on the concluding day at Ellerslie. After meeting with an Injury in the Northern Hurdles hot packs were applied to the gelding’s back; but subsequently he caught a chill and it was as a result of this that he had to be eased in his work. He made a good recovery, however, and judging by his condition now he must be very near the ton of his form. Wiltshire has done everything asked of him in recent weeks, and the dashing manner in which he has schooled over the big fences has pleased his trainer immensely. In last year’s Grand National Steeples Wiltshire took the lead from Beau Cavalier over six furlongs from home,-,and if he can reproduce that on National day it is quite conceivable that he will repeat his victory.

When Supremacy goes out to work at Te Awamutu he attracts a lot of notice. He is moving along very attractively in exercise, and is pleasing his trainer. It is not intended to race Supremacy at the Avondale September meeting, and he will bo reserved for the Great Northern Guineas.

Trainer F. Loonib has three two-year-olds in training for spring racing (says a northern writer). They were Sprinted two furlongs on Thursday morning, the watch returning 20}sec., with little between them at the end. Biddy’s Boy, a bay gelding by Illumination from Lady Biddy, showed a nice turn of speed, and led the other pair throughout. He is a well-proportioned youngster; In fact, he has nearly everything that goes to make an attractive juvenile. Biddy’s Boy will carry the colours of Messrs. Monteith and Willis and will make his debut In the Avondale Stakes, a race won last year by a Te Awamutu representative in Supremacy. A similar type of two-year-old is Illumlnagh, a bay gelding by Illumination —Erlnagh, though he is more sparsely framed than Biddy’s Boy. Still, ho is to be recommended on looks and should play a prominent role in two-year-old races in the early spring, for he has already shown an aptitude for galloping. THE TRUE BELL'S OF SCOTLAND! You want the Best Scotch Whisky —be sure you get it by demanding the Yellow Label Whisky, bottled by ARTHUR BELL AND SONS, LTD., PERTH, SCOTLAND, famous throughout New Zealand for over 30 years. “Afore ye go—BELLS.”—Advt.