STAR GOD AS HURDLER

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 31, 31 October 1932, Page 14

STAR GOD AS HURDLER

Trained Without a Rider Unusual methods -were adopted in the education of the New Zealand-bred gelding Star God for hurdle racing, and they succeeded at his first start in a hurdle race at Moonee Valley, Melbourne, this month. When in Sydney some time ago the Tasmanian owner-trainer, Mr. George Cann, who is a regular visitor to Melbourne with teams of horses, purchased Star God with the idea of winning the Launceston Cup with him. His ambitions were not realised, however. The gelding ran second to Royal Simon. Star God had not been long at Mr. Cann’s property near the Elwick racecourse in Hobart before Mrs. Cann decided that the gelding would make a good jumper. Her husband allowed her to supervise his education and to her he gives all the credit of “making” a jumper of Star God. Mrs. Cann adopted the plan of schooling Star God without a rider. She would place a few jumps in an open paddock and the gelding would jump them without trouble. This unorthodox system was proceeded with for more than a year. Only on three occasions was Star God schooled with the assistance of a rider.

Star God has jumped hundreds of obstacles without a jockey, bnt he has cleared only 12 hurdles with a rider in the saddle. Star God. who is a brother to Star Stranger, started favourite for the Sydney Cup in 1930. but was seriously interfered with in that race and it spoiled his prospects. He has won two small races on the flat In Tasmania. His early career was supervised by J. H. Jeffcrd'at Ngatarawa.