GOOD TE RAPA TEAM FOR ELLERSLIE

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 206, 29 May 1944, Page 3

GOOD TE RAPA TEAM FOR ELLERSLIE

Confidence Jn Hurdle Topweights ' Dominion Special Service.

HAMILTON, May 27. Following torrential overnight rain, the Tc Rapa tracks were partially Inundated this morning and the course was closed. With an improvement in the weather. It is hoped to open the tracks tomorrow for those horses who will be racing at the Great Northern meeting at Ellerslie next week. A contingent of horses from this centre is booked to leave by river transport on Tuesday morning on the first stage of the trip to Auckland. „ Abbey Lu. whose Great Northern Steeplechase prospects arc highly assessed here after the impressive nature of his success af the Waikato winter meeting, lias already left for Ellerslie. His elevation to 11.2 will not improve his Ellerslie prospects, but he has splendid Jltnesz on bis side, and this, coupled with ins polished fencing, will make him a decided force to be reckoned with. He will again have the services of L. C. Brown, who has a thorough knowledge of the Ellerslie country and can be relied upon to get the best out of the Lurina gelding. , Te Rapa holds a strong hand in the Great Northern Hurdles in the equal topweights, Erndale and Town Survey. The former, for whom a substantial offer was refused after the Waikato meeting, has taken no harm from recent racing. His impressive finishing run under 11.7 in the Hamilton Hurdles was one of the highlights of the fixture, and it will be surprising if he is not one of the hardest to beat at Auckland. Erndale is in his element in heavy going. Totfn Survey did not start at the Baikat.o meeting, but the quality of his work and his dashing schooling displays suggest that he will strip in tip-top order for engagements at Ellerslie. Town Survey made jumping history last year by winning the three main hurdle races of the winter season, the Great Northern, Wellington Winter and Grand National Hurdles, and bo should add further to his laurels in the mouths ahead. . Varuna, a stablemate of Erndale, is also an acceptor for the big hurdles, and if a surprise is recorded it is not unlikely that it may come from this direction. He wul be coupled on the machine with Erndale. The Cardinal, who ran a creditable fourth In the Te Rapa Steeplechase, is to contest the steeplechases at Ellerslie, anu though he pulled up slightly tender alter his race here, there is nothing the matter with his present condition, and he pulled up well after a solid work-out on a recent morning. Slight improvement on his Waikato running would give him a chance next week. He was the runner-up to Chat last year. , . „ Bronzemor. who Is to contest the Green Lane Steeplechase, fell when in a prominent position in the running of the fc Rapa Steeplechase. It was too early in the contest to gain a reliable lino on his prospects. Usually a good jumper, his downfall was disappointing. He is a fine upstanding horse and will have an opportunity of making amends at Ellerslie. Colonel Vaals has gone o>) the right way since winning stylishly among the open sprinters at the Waikato meeting, anil in his present forward condition he should soon add to his account. Tie was slow away and was hemmed in early, yet when he worked his way clear he effectively smothered file opposition in the final furlong. , , Marble Fo,x is steadily on the up-grade, and as she lias previously run, well at Ellerslie her Cornwall Handicap prospects cannot be iighllv asse.sed. Her third in the mile and throe furlongs Presidents Handicap at Te Rapa was indicative of better things. ,