ONLY THREE FINISH

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 13, 16 July 1934, Page 6

ONLY THREE FINISH

RfOTOUS WfNS STEEPLES

_The'five horses who had accepted for the July Steeplechase duly went to- the post, b-qt'only three of them ever had any say; invrthe result. Riotous and Valpeen soon opened up a break on the others, jumping. fence for fence, and later on Jaysoii joined in three furlongs j'rom home, Jjut at the", finish Jayson tired after his effort and "Riqtous's superior pace on the flat enabled him to run in a good length wiriJjer from, the Ancklander.

It'was interesting race to. watch if only because of the three-mile strugsle be.twwn -the winner and runner-up. Ou the

flat between the fences Riotous was usually slightly in front, but Valpeen repeatedly drew , level or ahead at tie obstacles. Riotous was getting into the brushes, and at thestands double the last time Valpeen jumped away from him, but they were together before the next fence. After this Valpeen was unable to head off his rival again, even-at the fences, aud lie was under pressure to hold his place going to the last brush. Both horses were little more than jogging on the stretch. beyond, but Riotous had, a length lead and he held oil to it tillthe post was reached.

Riotous weut a really good race to finish/ third irf, the Steeplechase on, Tuesday, and oh Saturday he found Val-: peen a. much easier horse to go with out in,iront than Thurina had proved to be.i He has.; been steeplechasing only this season and he already has an impressive1 record'of successes,, with wins .in the Mangere Steeples.■'■,»<; Ellerslie at Easter,: the, .'Egmont iS.teeple's, and the. Wanganui1 Steepler prior 5tbfSaturday. In Saturday's' race,; meeting !:Valpeen at 131b bettor; terms,^ he; ayengeel'his defeat at' Te Rapaia MayV;'at.;;thei;l«inds ;o£:,ithe',- subsequent; Great Nofthern^winner:- '- He is owned by; the' AwapnnirstrainervL. Knapp, whose, stable also shelters Txidor arid Callamart.;

Valpeen gave, a better display: of fenc-. ing than;he;di{l .in the Wellington Steeple-,1 chase, ;;but, despite' his proven stamina,' the, Winner always had his.measure on the' flat. a brief few moments below the' last-fence -his -final -valiant challenge looked like succeeding, but he proved to: be; as "tired as Riotous was and could not' sustainvhis claim. .It would seem that he is .' no.tv quiW the; same horse over flat country as,he js oVer the]Ellerslie hill, or, else, as twice on.other, occasions, Be likes, the change pf a previous race on the same; .day^ before tackling' the ' really serious business.:..;!: ■'.. .. .-L! .-' .':..-'' '•;■ ';

Jayson was ; the only other io complete. He-was.'eight or. ten lengths * from the leaders a mile from the finish, but H. Dulieu then began pushing him along and : he was almost up with them between the last • two fences. The - effoi^t, .however, drained his reserves and,he stopped to a; walk in the home run to be six lengths back at the end. He jumped very high early, but lie measured the later fences' much better.. The boards -neat the straight entrance was an obstacle he seemed tp. find, a. lot of difficulty, with/ and he rapped it shard the. second tinny round. Membo gave quite a: good display, of; jumping till lie lost his rider at the boards five furlongs fr6m home. Had he stood' up,'his stamina would have aided him at the, finish. Copey was in trouble at the end of two miles and. he was pulled up at the fence at which Membo dropped his rider., - ;

Riotous and Valpe.en weve ridden by the •brothers C. and E. E. Thomson respectively. These brothers also fought out last year's Great Korthern Steeple-, chase, with the result also the same.