NOT UP TO STANDARD

Evening Post, Issue 98, 27 April 1936, Page 13

NOT UP TO STANDARD

FAR SOUTHERN 'CHASERS

.RIVERTON FORM REVIEWED

(Special to the "Evening Post.")

INVERCARGILL, April 24

The steeplechase'events of the Riverloii Racing Club's Easter programme did not provide the. spectacular contests of former years, and there appears at presenTio be a deficiency in the Southland, Province as far as its wealth of steeplechase recruits is concerned. Of the five cross-country events decid--ed,' Canterbury. stables (with Royal . Limond ■ twice and, Pahu). : won three, Wingatui: Xwith. Umtali) one, and the home province (with Miss Winston) one. While the .-.racing in this section •was Of quite .an- interesting nature, there was no argument about the fact that the standard of the local entrants • was nofcfup: to the quality of recent years;-v • ■'•■■ ' ■■ < An outstanding feature was the success' ;0f Royal Limond on the second and third days. When raced at Otautau a> week prior to Easter, D. O Conner's pupil'did not strip as well as was the^case'when'he was sent south, last ! year,. but,the race; at that meeting did the Limond gelding a world of good, and-with-each race he. had at Eiverton he- came up a .better horse. Had the Great Western been decided on the third day instead of the first, the Riccarton invader would have taken a power of beating. Twelve months ago Royal'Lirnijnd finished second to Dunmure .nr;th& .Great Western, but he is .'"twice the.■lchaser now he was when he pufup. that exhibition... He is a stayer of the first water, and an unusually fine jarnper, although an idea to shirk . his- fences' sometimes takes, him, a. pen-chant-not-surprising in. a Limond, as this" sire's;'.horses, are inclined to go sour with too much racing. IN THE VETERAN STAGE. '■UmtalC's'.Great Western success was one: >oOhe";most popular victories of the-meeting, as a deserving horseman in Wl-Cooper, of Wingatui, piloted the veteran,' who has fought many of his battles- intSouthland.: Umtali, a safe fencer ana-genuine-stayer,! was fav-oureU'iir-many quarters in this years Western"field; which' was.not a: strong one,J and.lie. won with all the honours in his..favour. .He stripped in great heart, a-, tribute to the ability of the Wingatui trainer, F. Shaw. The most.experienced of critics were unanimous that Dunmure was trained to the minute, and he looked the part. He appeared an even better horse than "last year. .; But he proved he was not the Dunmure of. twelve months earlier, when he won the Western, and at no stage at: all- this year did he threaten real danger. When it came to galloping ability over the last half-mile he was always '■ labouring, and finished only a moderate fourth.- He was 111 the minor money, on. the second and third days, but it was only his jumping ability and the poor fields that en- • abled him to do this much. They were not convincing efforts. ''What.is wrong with Dunmure?" was a question asked on all sides. It was unnecessary to go far for an answer. Dunmure is a fine 'chaser, but is not a weight "carrier, and his 11 stone-odd each day found him put: He is never Jikely to rival Royal Limond m this direction. He us again to make the, Wellington and National trips this season, and under;, a lighter scale of weights offering he should make mat tcrs much more interesting than he did v at R'iverton. 'It was very noticeable •that Vincent Langfard did'not knock him about in any of his races. ..> HORSE YEt1. Parasang, who finished second in the Western, is a likely young 'chaser who has been in the limelight this/season as ' a result of four good winning brackets.-, His .utter, disregard for ibrush obstacles, has more than once been his, downfall. He was being hailed as a National possibility a' few weeks-back, but he ■has a'long-way to-go yet-Jsefore; such "hopes are" likely to be.toornefput.^..- . ..- . • Probably •'.the finest Jehcer,,^ South-, ■]and-;at; the' moment' is--.the.:-Panrnure ; mare- Panocha, who- gave ,two.!beauts fuL.sxhibitions. at Riverton awhile she lasted. Twelve months ago thereiwas-' good reason to'regard her. as a:rivar to Dunmure, and at one .stage there was talk of taking her across th' 6' Tas-v man for some of-the big races in the Commonwealth. Unfortunately, .how, ever she appears to. have developed wind trouble, which may stop her go- ' ing far in'the game. There, is no doubt about her brilliance over short courses.-..:. ' ■-.:■• - Quinopabis jumping .-as welLas ever, but he puts little dash into his work, and his prospects pf staging a. comeback are not the brightest. Miss Winston is a likely novice, winning one of the maiden 'chases really well, but she has a good deal to learn about jumping yet.' The dam of this Tractor mare Lady Winston, won. the Great Western -twice.. . Pahu may win; again at the--jumping,game, b,ut-he is not always-prepared to jump- Tnsox is a likely: lightweight that .has . shown ability but his Riverton record •or th'tee: Starts for three was a bad'one; -Trisox is to be taken to Wellington .and Riccarton, as he is. a ■ much-.better,.'horse than hjs Riverton form indicated, and Miss Winston and Gay "Eoa-Ca novice 'chaser) will accom.Pan.y;hjm- on the northern trip.