A Derby Candidate.

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 124, 28 May 1928, Page 7

A Derby Candidate.

& The Kilbroney-Oratress colt Concentrate in H. B: Lorigan's stable at Trentham has made a good recovery from his recent operation} and he will race next year as a gelding. He is to bo, kept pottering about with Cimabue, Eoyal Duke, and Oratrix. The only member of the team in really strong work is Kindle, who is to race at Otaki. Archibald in Form. A couple of. weeks back Joim Williamson was not at all hopeful of Archibald playing a strong part in the settlement of the Great Northern Hurdle Race, but the bay gelding has given_ his trainer good reason to reconsider his views during the past ten days, and the satisfactory character in which he acquitted himself on Thursday -in a gallop over five hurdles with Aberfeldy will serve to bring him into the limelight, says tha "Herald." In the decision of the Great Northern Hurdle Race last year Archi- ' bald carried 10.7 into second place behind Wedding March, 10.3. The particular event over the battens that can be cited as furnishing the best performance registered by Archibald is the New Year s Hurdle Race, run at Ellerslie on. 2nd January last, when he carried 11.6 and was timed to -run the two miles in 3min 42 2-ssec. Archibald is weighted at 10.12 in the Great Northern Hurdle Race, so that, striking a comparison between him and Wedding March, he will meet his Waikat'o rival in the impending race on 141b better terms than when he filled the role of • runner-up twelve months' back. The Otago Steeplechase. The Otago Steeplechase, to be decided ion 2nd June, will be the twentieth contest, the race having been established. in 1909, when, it was run over two and a half miles. It was altered to three miles in 1914, and three and a quarter miles in 1926. In a nomination of a dozen for this years race, the hurdle racer Dubious is a likely addition to the cross-country game, and as he has not been engaged in the hurdle races at the meeting it looks ns if his owner is in earnest in his effort , to make him a steeplechaser. Dubious lias a good turn of speed, and, providing ho can jump the Wingatui fences he should take some beating. Dubious, when trained in the North Island, was held to be a bad actor in soft going; but he seemed to have good control of his stride, when working over a couple of circuits at Wingatui one morning last week. - Wedding March. There are glowing reports to hand con- \ ' cerning Wedding March, and there is no doubt that his prospects in the Great Northerns are very highly regarded, as his name is very freely mentioned in connection with those races. Track-watchers at Ellerslie may see little of Wedding March before the meeting, as R. Hannon may not bring his team to Ellerslie until near the end of this week. '*■ , A Much-Discussed Jumper. Whenever Glendowie is brought to Ellerslie he invariably works nicely, and - he infused a lot of dash into his last gallop. Improvement in his condition can be noted each week and he has certainly come-on a;lot since Easter. All.the same, he may not be quite ready yet to win a hard race like the Great Northern Steeplechase. A more definite idea of his chance in the big event may be obtained ' from his. running in the Hunt Club Hurdles, which will be decided on - the opening day. Prominent Last Year. Tt is some time since Royal Form and Zircon have been frt Ellerslie, and they came in for some attention when they went out to work on Thursday last. Neither is quite ready yet and both may need a race or two before being thoroughly attuned. Nevertheless, they are bright and healthy and should again pay their way at the winter meetings. W. j. Bowden has been engaged to* ride whichever of the pair starts in the Great Northern. For the Big Double. . } •, The following horses are engaged in both the Great Northern Hurdle Race and Steeplechase: Beau Cavalier, Wedding March, Archibald, Mannga, Pouri, Perle de Leon, and Royal Form. Aberfeldy Puzzles. Because Aberfeldy has , finished in the rear in his schooling work at Ellerslie so far he has gone out of favour for the Great Northern Hurdle Race. Those who have supported him, however, may get a ■ \ surprisingly good run, for he, like many other horses, may not do his best on the track. At the same time he gave the impression at Wanganui that one of the shorter hurdle races on the second or third day of the Great Northern Meeting would suit him better than the big hurdle race, it may be remarked that it was no disgrace at all; to be beaten by Archibald on the track, for he is a really "dashingfencer. ; Riccarton Horses for Dunedin. The Riccarton contingent for the Dunerlm Jockey Club's Meeting will number , about a dozen horses, those booked for the trip south being Fresco, Rotor, MalmKey, Zeuxis, Nine of Spades, Nincompoop, Chiekwbeat, Gold Mint, and the hurdlers,'' Onfiamb, .Heisler, and Royal Land. They look a useful lot, capable of getting some money during,the three days' racing at Wingatui. Amberley form should be a good guide so far as most of them are concerned. The Hawkes Bay Religion. The three-year-old gelding by Kin" Mark from the All Black mare Earthshine will probably have the name of Brownlie claimed for him. Mr. Frank Ormond has previously shown his liking for using an appropriate name connected with sport, for the Sarto-Links gelding was given the very appropriate name of Isjrkwood.

A Well-conditioned Trio. King Balboa is getting through very useful work in preparation for the D.J.C. Winter Meeting, and it has to be admitted that his looks are in his favour today. He is a long-striding galloper and a holding track at Wingatui would be a handicap to him, but he is also a horse of excellent action, and this might pull him through (says the '/Southland Times"). In any case, he is likely to run •well if produced for contests of from one mile to ten furlongs, and he will have a strong following from the home province. When J\ W. Ellis reaches Wingatui he .will have no cause to be ashamed of' the condition of his three wellknown handicap performers—Queen Balboa, King Balboa, and Bilbo. A Southern 'Chaser. There is no better conditioned horse working on the Invercargill tracks at the present time tfrnn Greenstone, the Pallaa gelding presenting the appearance of a ball of muscle (says an exchange). At the same time F. J. M'Kay's charge will need it all, as while 11.4 is not a severe weight in a big cross-country race, say, at Ricccrton, it is some load at Wingatui in the event of winter conditions prevailing at their worst, as they sometimes do early in June. Greenstone has gone on the right way since ho raced so successfully at the recent Southland and Riverton K.C. fixture? ond is now ready to give of his best in the Otago Steeplechase. To sonic extent liis weight is oll'set by the fact that lie is a very fine juniper, and this being the case lie will have., to be reckon- • •' cd with next week. Odds and Ends. The Dunrdin Jockey Club is going to : provide a tan track for trainers at Win-

gatiii. This will be available when the weather improves in the spring. Black Duke has :been missing from the tracks, and it will'not be surprising if he does not go far from his box during the next couple of weeks. It is suggested that the horse's connections were not satisfied with the weight allotted at Wingatui. Nincompoop has done well since he resumed work, and he may be seen to advantage in some of his early engagements. Zeusis will have many admirers when he races at Wingatui. He created a favourable impression on his first appearance at the Ashburton Meeting this month, and he should be a winner very, soon. ' Apache, who has the handy weight of *7.9 at Wingatui next Saturday in the Birthday Handicap, is being quietly talked about for that event. Doleful Ditty will have the conditions to his liking at Wingatui on Saturday. As expected, the Wanganui Jockey Club has abandoned the extraordinary idea o£ dividing its Spring Meeting into two single days. It will retain the common-sense policy of racing in September as usual.