NATIONAL HURDLE

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 254, 23 July 1936, Page 15

NATIONAL HURDLE

South Island’s Strong Claim NOTES AND COMMENTS Silver Streak For Australia (By The Watcueb.) Jolly Beggar, who heads the list of handicaps for the Grand National Hurdles, wou last year with 8.10, so he has 221 b. more to carry this year. He wa_s one of the leading performers at the recent Auckland meeting, and was considered to have a good chance in the Great Northern when he fell two fences from home. On that occasion he carried 10.7. On the concluding day he carried 11.3 and won the Campbell Hurdles, with The Smuggler, 10.7, second. Vai Watch, 11.8, fell. Now The Smuggler is in at Riccarton 91b., and Vai Watch 171 b. better. The Smuggler’s Chance. Jolly Beggar did not race at Wellington. nor did Vai Watch, and compared with the weights in the Winter Hurdles here, in which The Smuggler was unplaced, the latter is down only lib., but Aal Watch, a non-starter, is down 91b. Clarion Call, who finished fourth, is down 31b., and Ruaform, third here, is down 21b. On Trentham running it is a strong declaration that The Smuggler did not show his true form here, and that Mr. Henrys expects him to be dangerous in the National. Few who kept close watch at Wellington will disagree with him. The Smuggler had 9.13 when he ran second in the Great Northern Hurdles, but it was a fortuitous second placing, and on the second day, when he met Clarion Call, he was in receipt ot 31b. Wellington Winner.

Travelling Agent, who won the Winter Hurdle Race so easily with 9.7, has been raised 111 b., so they all meet him ou considerably better terms, the most substantial being Vai Watch, who comes in 201 b. better.' It seems fairly clear that Mr. Henrys is of the opinion that Val Watch will not run the National distance. On the other hand, she has been given every chance against her most formidable opponents. Streamline.

Streamline did not run in the Winter Hurdle race, but in the Trentham Hurdles, in which he finished third, he had 10.0. He is let down only 31b., whereas The Smuggler is down 81b. from his 10.7 On that occasion. Ruaform, .who was second, is down 51b., and Travelling Agent, fourth, up 91b. Saltspray is left oij 9.9 Mr. Henrys has summed up Trentham form fairly definitely in favr our of Streamline, The Smuggler and Travelling Agent, and he appears also to regard Saltspray as a possibility. Polydora a Good Prospect.

Polydora ran a good race in the National last year under 9.9. She was just out of a place, aud ou the last day won the Sydenham Hurdles under 9.11. She was a winner over the brush hurdles at the New Zealand Cup meeting, and ran fourth on the flat in the Metropolitan Handicap to Silver Ring after being last into the straight. She was weighted at 5.3. She had a rest during the summer, and has had six or seven races on the flat since Easter. She ran second in May over ten furlongs at Timaru to Argentic. Polydora is a good class mare who will have to be considered very seriously this year.

Few Lightweight Cliances. The field has a long tail, but the majority of the lightweights will have to show very considerable improvement. Outside Saltspray and Silk Sox, the possibilities are few. The South Island this year has a very formidable quartet in The Smuggler, Streamline, I’olydora and Jolly Beggar.

Silver Streak for Sydney. The Oamaru trainer T. Hobbs has completed arrangements to leave for Sydney on August 1 with Silver Streak.

Veteran Revived. , Hymgreat, the winner of the Ridditoiu Steeplechase at Marton yesterday, has been off the scene for a long time, but four or five rears ago he showed useful hurdling form" for his then owner, Mr. \V. R. Kembull, being trained at Trentham by AV. Hawthorne. On one occasion he scored a surprise win in the Karere Hurdles at the Manawatu autumn meeting. Marton Maiden Winner. Princess La Jeau, the winner of the maiden event at the Rangitikei Hunt meeting, is a rising five-year-old mare, half-sister by Lapidary to Arrow Lad, Arujeari and others. She commenced meing late last spring and has not often appeared. Her last start was also at Marton in May, when she ran unplaced in the Trial Plate won by Garter Red.

Manawatu Meeting. . . Very good acceptances were received for the Manawatu llacing Club’s winter meeting to be held at Awapuni on Saturday all the fields being well filled the smallest being eight in the principal fiat event The Hunt. Cup Steeples has drawn a field of 15, and there are 11 in the hurdle race. Although there has been plenty of rain during the week, a clearance will see the track in good winter order, aud with the completion of the renovations to the stands there will be ample shelter for patrons. Betting will be on the single pool system.

Emotion. , . Emotion does not show* improvement, and' he ran a very poor race at Hastings last Saturday. It is reported that unless he gives some indication of better things in the near future he will be returned to his owner.

Ruaform and Riccarton. Taranaki reports state that no decision has been made regarding Ruaform’s trip to the National meeting, but it is considered improbable. G. A. Reid lK at present handling for Mr. Brewer an uunnmed hunter by Rua papa from l asadena, by San Fran from Ngaio, by iorpedo—Honeysuckle.

English Breeders Annoyed. The Aga Klaus sale of Blenheim to an American syndicate for £50,000 has brought him into disfavour with some English breeders, and not without camv. either. A few had booked mares to Bleuheim for n couple of seasons, and they hold that that was a contract the Aga Khan should have honoured. In the case of a man to whom £50,000 would have meant an opportunity not to be miHWd, the English breeders concerned might not have been annoyed, but they are evidently of opinion that the Aga Khan’s financial position warranted his giving first consideration to any contracts into which lie had entered for the services of Blenheim. One to Improve. Gay Boa was making his first appearance when he won the Hunters Plate at Waimate. He is one of th? team the Winton trainer F. Langford brought to Waslidyke some weeks ago. Gay Boa is by Balboa from the Nassau marc Geraldine, and is well enough bred to win in much better company than he met on Saturday.

Answers to Correspondents. “.T.0.8.,” Miramar: (1) £l/18/-. (2) 14/-. (3) 10/-. (4) £l/6/-. (5) £l/16/-. “A. 8. Foxton: (1) £l/13/-. (2) £2/10/-, (3) No dividend. (4) Silver Lark started once only, end ran second to Silver Coat.