THE NATIONAL NEXT

Evening Post, Issue 12, 14 July 1936, Page 13

THE NATIONAL NEXT

GLANCE AT FIELD

TRENTHAM FORM POINTERS

With the Wellington Winter Meeting concluded, the more important racing for the season is now completed, though there are still half a, dozen smaller fixtures yet to be, held, and eyes will now be" turned to the Canterbury Jockey- Club's. Grand '. National ■; Meeting, the first important, fixture of the new season. This meeting, which this year will be held on August 11, 13, and 15, strictly ranks as a winter meeting, though it is in' the new season, and in 1 this respect it concludes the winter session of the term. After Eiccartori the spring racing will be ushered in, but.not till,the following month. /Nominations have already been taken for the principal events at the C. J.C. Meeting,:- but the weights for them are not due till next Tuesday, Though they may make an appearance a few days earlier,-as they have often done. The scale of: weights for the Grand National Steeplechase, though they naturally follow the winter form, may be found to contain some intriguing variations,-as it has always been Mr. J. E.- Henrys's policy never to take "risks'with horses who haye proved, themselves over the Riccarton country.1. In'this year's field-are three past winners of the race^-Billy Boy, Thurina, and Valpeen—and also engaged is Diamond, so the topweight group seems to -be fairly, obvious. It is probable .that jthe list this year will start well below the maximum of 12.7, and also below"-12.0! "Last1 yeaA Valpeen was top with: 11.13, and he was the winner. ■ ■;•■'■

POSSIBILITIES TBDINNED OUT. iThe recent,racing at-Trentham has done much to thin out the prospects forthe Grand' National.. Several, indeed the majority, ~ of : the horses 'who. raced last week can .now" have . little chance of success in the Grand National; The field nominated was 26 strong numerically; it is most unlikely that there will be more than a-dozen, starters.

On Trentham form of course Diamond stands right out. : Last Tuesday he was as complete a victor as one could wish, and he may be an even better horse in a month's time, for he has only recently taken on the bloom of full,health again after being a little out of sorts physically for a • couple of months: He has been over the Riccarton country . once, last August, when he. finished second to Makeup when in-receipt of only 41b, which appeared arid was proved hard oh him. On that occasion he made ait*.least one, poor jump, at the sod wall,.but he is more seasoned now and the' southern country should not look so formidable to him. He is likely to- be weighted something over 11.0, an impost that has :not incommoded the improving cross-country horses in past years;" Valpeen, the winner the last two years, has recently been reported Jo be doing well in his work, but he would require to make very considerable improvement in general condition and appearance since he was seen.out at theEgmont Meeting in May to have much chance, in this year's National at the: weight he will have—without much doubt top weight, until'more is learned; about him one would not expect.him to be capable of ; recording his-- third consecutive success in the race, a feat that has never yet been achieved,', though Agent once won two successive Grand Nationals and.then-'rgcorded'aHhird victory fouryears" later:.,;;"", '•'';;"- :i'7 KY'". : -'l^-" y : .- eeesh Lease ov mfe. Billy Boy. has'taken fresli lease of Jite this winter, and his owner-trainer (R. W. A. Lewis) is quietly optimistic ne may yfin his second Grand National. But age will always'take its toll at last;'and von;this score; for Billy Boy .will be twelve years old on 'August 1, he has'the very hardest part now to do to win again. The older brigade, though once formidable .in •; the ; ■.. big steeplechases,- have generally had--to yield to good younger- horses-in-,the last thirty years: fWhen'art older horse has won it has -generally been because of the poverty of the younger, opposition.-. .-,-.-■■. .. , ;,:■-■,■...■. ./■ .:..-,. '.„ ,[...:. "■ . There Is a physical basis to 'support ■the theory that relegates the older horses in, modern races. As horses age-7-it is the same with the, human speedsters in the late twenties—the arteries become harder, and in a gruelling test, such as big steeplechases ■with the pace-on all the way are now, the blood will not clear the fine capilliaries of their lactic acid quite fast enough to enable'even the biggesthearted thoroughbreds to beat down the attacks of their more elastic-veined younger rivals. .-./.■• With Thurina may be grouped tPunchestown,'for they are both horses who have riot raced for some time but have nevertheless-been doing solid work in.:special preparation for the Grand National.. Thuriiia, the winner three years ago, has been off the race scene for nearly, two years. He was eight years old when he won, so he will be eleven years ;dld: next month. Punchestown will be twelve years old ' next month, so "he- wa's already, in., the doubtful years when he ran '■ second last year, and it-may be assumed that ■he can be no further improved now in physical possibilities, though he may be assisted by a' more serious and thorough preparation. Viewed through their ages these horses will find it extremely difficult to measure. up to so brilliant a; young horse as, Diamond, who ■ will be only seven years next month, and their chance may therefore rest',mainly in their ability to jumsafely and complete the course. OTHER TOUNGEB HORSES. " In the possible field are other horses of the younger brigade, who might cut a conspicuous figure in the Grand National. Dunmure, rising eight years old. is one of them. ' Dunmure was . easily second best on the day in the Wellington Steeples last week. Then he ■ failed ' lamentably in the July Steeples on Saturday, but he is a lightfleshed horse who .might not stand up to~ two hard races, in close succession, and further his badly-cut stifle must seriously have interfered with his Wellington preparation. It would not be" at all surprising if Dunmure is again ready for One of his best efforts at Riccarton., In the. last year's race he fell at one of the:• sod walls, but had not jumped too well previously and appeared to^e 'tiring at the time. Manawatu is another horse of the same age as Dunmure who is the right type for. the National.. He has been coming steadily to form, has very powerful quarters, and, as one might expect, is a capable jumper', though he has had to learn not to take his fences, carelessly. .

Still .another improving young horse is Battleground, a year younger than Manawatu^ and though he crashed on Saturday his two earlier efforts at the meeting, on top of an interrupted preparation, were performances that indicated he might go on to join the ranks of the leading cross-country horses in the land as his career approaches its zenith.

Forest Glow, also a young horse, was one or the big disappointments at Trentham and it is problematical if he can be brought back to his earlierseason pitch by National time. In any case he is iiot bred along lines that make great appeal, and possibly his earlier consistent place form was due more to fitness than to other qualities. ■■■ ■■■■■'; ■:-. .-.■•■

There may be other horses in' the National field who will come into the limelight of possibilities before the day. but some who_ may be ruled out on Trentham running are Kaokaoroa, Electric Flash, Emancipation, Miss Winston, Parasahg, and Umtali. Royal Limond might return to form after his break, and Royal Banquet, High Speed, and Kaola hold some remote prospects,' but Pahu cannot be favoured greatly, not only because of his long exasperating record in big races but also because of his advancing yeass, v