A NATIONAL PRELUDE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 26, 30 July 1937, Page 13

A NATIONAL PRELUDE

CHRISTCHURCH HUNT

HORSES IN LIKELY FORM

As the last of the fixtures preceding the Grand National Meeting, and the most important of all .the immediate preludes, the Christchurch Hunt Clubs Annual Meeting at Riccarton tomorrow will attract the greatest interest. iSot all the horses who are being discussed for the C.J.C. Meeting will be racing tomorrow, but a great number of them are, and their form is likely to provide some valuable clues' for the later gathering.- This is the first occasion since the meeting was restored after a three years' break in 1933 that the programme has consisted entirely of galloping events, \ . Last year there was no meeting, as it "had to be abandoned owing to a snowstorm on the Friday. The three previous years there was no race lor the open steeplechasers on the card, but the Homeby Steeplechase has been reintroduced this year "in place of one of the trotting" events, and it hasi attracted a fine field, including the thiee topweights and seven other cand date, for the Grand National. The National horses who will not be competing are Irish Comet, Santoft, Polydora, Bngadore, Black Banner, and Shillelagh Wood,-but the last pair are engaged in the hack event earlier in the day. The course' tomorrow will 'be soft, but after a'fine week it should not be excessively heavy. . The betting- will be under the .win-and-place system. OVER NATIONAL COUNTRY. The Homeby Steeplechase is now the principal race on the programme. The distance is a mile less than the Grand National, but it is over the same country and it should afford an excellent line on the bigger event. Among those who will be included in the leading fancies.are.Tudor, Streamline- Burglar, .Nocturnus, and possibly also Valpeen and. Cock o1 the North.. The others'will'need to show improvement on their form this winter. There are ' two other cross-country events on the-card, the Christchurch Hunt Cup, for the hunters with gentlemen riders up, .and -the Lawford Hack and Hunters' Steeples.. Weight evidently means little to' Kelly the Crow, who carried nearly a stone overweight to "victory in. an amateurs' event last Saturday, and he "will be favourite, for the Christchurch Hunt Cup, with Gfenmure probably best backed of-the others.. "In the Lawford Steeples Black Banner. Arctic Star, Shillelagh Wood, and "Tangled will all be' well backed, with Black Banner probably the favourite, but Arctic Star may upset the aspirations of the National candidates, and his.stablernate Spearmarch.is also due to show early improvement. - The hurdlers receive their opportunity in the Longbeaclr Hurdles, for which eight of the eleven acceptors are Grand National Hurdles . candidates.- The distance is seven furlongs short of the National distance, and horses'- who should be specially favoured are.Collision. Cotttngham, Ethiop,. and High Quality, while Red Sun should also make' a show on his favourite course if the'"going is not too heavy. The fences are proper hurdles, not brush obstacles, as- at many Riccarton- meetings now. ... ■- On the flat the Brabazon Handicap will help to disclose the form of the Winter Cup horses.. • There is a splendid -field for? this, contest,., and among -those"who'-Avill' claim-:plenty- of* notice from investors are Trench Fight, Concertpitch, Grey Honour. Pakanui, Alma, Bay' Duke, Rebel' Chief, Land Raid, Sovereign Lady, Shy, and Dictate. ■' " . ' ~ ."'

.The remaining events consist of the Maiden Stakes, the Camla Hack Handicap, and the Kennels Hack Handicap, in all of which there are strong fields likely to induce keen betting. ■

FORM AND FIELDS. The following horses are selected by "The Post's" Christchurch correspondent as likely to race well in. their engagements:— Christchurch Hunt Cup Steeples.— Kelly the Crow and Glenmure. . ..

Lawford Hack and Hunters' Steeples. —Black Banner, Arctic Star, and Shillelagh. Wood. \ Maiden .Stakes.—Cocksure. Happy Night, and Rockingham. . . ■ -Homeby Steeplechase.—Tudor, Burglar, and Nocturnus. ■ Carnla; Hack Handicap.—Palmyra, Lc Toquet, and Nolana. Longbeacb Hurdles.—Collision, Cottingham, and Ethiop. , . . Brabazon Handicap.—Grey Honour, Conc'ertpitch,' and Alma. ■ Kennels Hack Handicap.—Cape Gabo, Waitaka, and Grampian. The'; card is as follows:— 11.52 CHRISTCHURCH HTJXT CUP STEEPLECHASE, £50: about 2 miles. Kelly theCr.ow 12 9 Nlghtvrind ■.. 11. 2 Glenmure ... 11 9 ilacallpcln ..11 0 Scotsden ... 11 5 Bright Red .. 11 0. 12.27 LAWEORD HACK A.\D HUNTERS' STEEPLE- ... . CHASE, £130; about 2V4 miles. Black Banner. 11 4 Lycidas '. 0 9 Arctic Star ..10 9 Sne'armarch .. 9 2 Shillelagh Wood 10 4 Grey Boy 9 0 Tangled .... 10 4 Hostage 0 0 1.f2 ' MAIDEN STAKES, £100; 6 furlongs. Clubman ... 8 11 Valantua ... S 11 , Coming Star . Sll Baldoon .... S 0 Drink Up 8.11 Cocksure ... & 0 Knight Happy Night .80 .. Commander 8 11 Love Affair ..8 0 Lordship .-.-i 811 .Moonraker ..8 0 Lustral 8.11 Mother-in-Law 8 0 Nuipal 811 Rockingham .80 • Phalanx ■ ... 8 11 Screamer ... S 0 Rebel Queen .. 8 11 , Solpit 8 0 Te Ahurangl . 811 Ktromholl ... 8 0 The Wrecker . 8 11 Ticket 8 0 1.52 ' HOMEBY STEEPLECHASE, £200; 2/2 miles. Tudor- ...... 12 3 Burglar 10 0 Royal Limond 11 4 Forest G10w... 0 11 Valpeen 11 0 Tahu 9 '7 Streamline ..10 8 Cock o' the Manawatu ... 10 5 Xortii 9 0 Nocturnu3 .. 10 3 2.32 CAMLA HACK HAXDICAP. £120; about G furlongs. Wine Card ... 9 '2 Vola Dale ... 8 8 Mittie 9 1 Primak .... 8 5 Palmyra .... 9 0 Le Tofiuet ... 8 1 Countcrrane . 8 12 Delitim . 8 0 Peacock 8 11 Short Circuit . 8 0 Xolana ...... 8 10 Derive ...... 8 0 Colombo 8 8 Counterflight . 8 0 Liane 8 6 3.12 LONGBEACH - HURDLES HANDICAP, £150; •■ ■ ■■• • ' ■ 1% miles. Jtetl Sim"...'.. 11 4 Signaller 9 2 Collision 10 3 Glzcleswlck . 9 2 Etbjop i 9 8 Golden Lap .. 9 0 High Quality . $ Redolent 9 0 Cottlnjham . 9 0 Master Reynard 0 0 .You.rneY'.' ..... 9 4 3.52 ■ BRABAZON HANDICAP, £130; 7 furlongs. Concertpitch . 9 8 Greek Gold ... 7 12 Trench Fisht '. 9 3 Tunneller ... 711 Quesn of Song 9 0 Sweet Agnes ..Ml Arctic King .. 8 13 Dictate 7 11 Grey Honour . 8 1(1 Shy 7 9 Pakanui ' 8 9 Sovereign Lady 1 9 Wino 8 9 Metal Bird ..7 7 Bay Duke ... 8 5 Amelita 7 7 Tiger Gain ..8 4 Fiord 7 7 -Rebel' Chief .. 8 1 Owls Gleam ..7 7 Land Raid ... 713 Pelmet. , 7 7 Alma-. 713 Swordstlck ..7 7 Araboa 7 13 Top Hank ... 7 7 4.32 KENNELS HACK HANDICAP, £120; 1 rnllo. Rose of Tralea .• 9 7 Jetl Forest ..8 3 Chidden .... 9 5 Gold Boy .... 8 2 Terry ...... 9 1 Forum . x ... 8 1 .Toll.v Beggar. 9 0 Laceard 8 1 Waitaka' .... 9 0 Aggravate ... 8 0 Blue Tiger .. 8 9 Roy Bun 8 0 Cape Gabo ..8 9 Chaste 8 0 Grampian ... 8 7 Te Ahurangl . 8 0 Sir Hugh 8 6

According to a Chrislchurch report, Greek Shepherd has made good progress in his preparation. He shaped well in a short sprint this week. So far, the big Iliad horse shows no sign of his leg .trouble recurring. He has several engagements at the Grand National Meeting, but .he will not. be at his best till a little later.