DISAPPOINTING RACE

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 36, 11 August 1933, Page 4

DISAPPOINTING RACE

GRAND NATIONAL HURDLES

EASY WIN FOR HOUNSLOW

(From "Rangatira.") CHRISTCHURCH, This D.iy. A very poor field ou paper lined up for this year's Grand National Hurdles, the main race on the second day of the Canterbury Jockey Club's Grand National .Meeting, and although the time, 4min 51 2-oscc, was apparently good, it niu&t be taken into account that it is not often that there is suck a fust track at "Riccarton in -August. The race itself was a very disappointing spectacle, and three horses on the minimum gained all the honours. The winner turned up in the first day s Trial Hurdles winner, Hounslow, who again never put a foot wrong in his fencing, and stayed on much too solidly for anything remaining in the contest over the closing stages. He took the_ lead about seven .furlongs from the finish, and although Punchestown made a big - effort for the next half-mile or so to get to him, he was not seriously troubled to retain his vantage position and to continue on from the last fence and win by a dozen lengths. ~,*!. HoUnslow is an eight-year-old chestnut son of Thurnharn from the imported Newmarket mare Heath Lass, who was brought out to the Dominion at the foot of her dam, Pitbrow Lass, by the late Mr. J. Grigg about a dozen years ago, so that he represents a combination of excellent English blood. Heath Lass's first foal was the useful Royal Saxon, and Hounslow also gave a lot of promise early on the flat but proved rather disappointing in his races and was converted to hurdling about twelve months ago. He won.at the last New Zealand Cup Meeting, but'his subsequent form was very mixed, though he ran two quite good races in two of hi* three starts last month at Trentham, prior to giving a disappointing exhibition at the Chnstchurch Hunt Meeting. He is owned by Mr. E. Hay and is twined at Riccarton by T. H. Gillett. . , Punchestown, the favourite both ways, lacked the solidity of the winner. He was lafet except fot Gold Knight for a mile, but then improved and'was in hot pursuit of the winner sis furlongs from home. He was under the whip before they reached the laat fence, which he jumped carelessly and had a life, but once recovered, although of no menace to the winner, he easily retained second money from Advance Camp. The former North Islander, Advance Camp, who lias" lately been steadily improving in hia jumping, was always handy to the front, being never further back than fourth, and he stuck on over the dosing stages to gain third money five lengths away. As far as was observed his fencing was without mistake. The only other two to finish were Gold Knight, eight lengths away, and Henry of Navarre, a dozen lengths further back. Gold Knight was always in tho rear, but Henry of Navarre was going well in third place for over a mile, then quit seriously trying almost without warning and drifted back to last. . The first horse to go out was last year's winner, Membo, who crashed heavily at the initial obstacle. After that Prince of Orange and Adventus cleared out at a great bat, but trouble was brewing coming to the hurdle near the end of the first completed round (alongside Cutts's), and both horses were there cliAdvcntus was probably most unlucky, foe Prince of Orange was hanging m on him and his rider (M. Nicol) was unsaddled in trying to get out of tho fix. Nicol was succeeding in dropping Adventus back, but nearing tho hurdle Prince of Orange switched out the other way, and Nicol was unbalanced off Adventus, who apparently also swerved over when Prince of Orange's weight was off him. Nicol fell among the legs of the following horses and was on the ground before his mount crashed at the fence, but he fortunately escaped injury. Prince of Orange completed his part by running clean off. the course at the hurdle.