THE TRENTHAM DOUBLE

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 150, 28 June 1938, Page 15

THE TRENTHAM DOUBLE

STEEPLECHASE AND HURDLES

SCALE BELOW AVERAGE IN BOTH EVENTS

(By "Rangatira.")

Interest in the approaching Wellington Winter Meeting, which will be opened next Tuesday, has been further stimulated by the release pf the weights for the Wellington Steeplechase and other firstday events and for the Winter Hurdles on the final day, and racegoers will now have something tangible on which to work in seeking to solve the customary tricky Trentham problems. Although some of the better performers of the present, winter are missing from the lists for the more important events, the fields are of promising dimensions and the acceptances are likely to be excellent at closing hour tomorrow.

The mixed form of the last two| months and the successes of horses off low marks have compelled a scale below average for both the Wellington Steeplechase and the Winter Hurdles. It is somewhat strange that this should be the case, particularly in the Steeplechase, with the last Grand National and the last Wellington Steeples winners in the field; but none of the proved performers have yet graded themselves as comparable to the giants of the past in their deeds under weight. The effect of this year's scale should be to help the horses who have demonstrated their winning ability in the better class. When such horses are well up among the eleven stones one may optimistically search the lower half of the list for improvers who may upset the form; but in a year such as this one would incline to the horses who have previously won good jumping events. 1 One factor that may have to be given more consideration than usual this year is the position of horses who have not had much recent racing but who are capable performers when fit and well, In the Steeplechase, for instance, there are such as Nocturnus, Santoft, and Manawatu. One is more or less in the dark about the present state of fitness of these horses, but were they to accept and go to the post it would be a risk to assume that they are insufficiently forward to put up a vigorous bid for victory. One has only to remember that Master Strowan won his second Wellington Steeplechase when having his first start for nine months, and the class of jumper in his day was very high. ALL WITH CHANCES. The handicap for the Wellington Steeplechase is one that should meet with general satisfaction. Some will take the view that two or three horses have been better treated than they might have been, but the divergency in most instances is a matter of only a few pounds. " The scale adopted appears to give every horse a reasonable chance of success. It would really not have surprised if Mr. Coyle had not gone quite as high as 11.4 for his tops this year, but Jolly Beggar and Clarion Call had to have at least 11.0 and probably something over. Since the minimum was reduced to 12.0 in 1929, Mr. Coyle has only four times started higher, and last year, though Tudor was given 12.0, Valpeen, with all his notable successes over country, was let in second top with 10.10. Clarion Call and Jolly Beggar, the one carrying 11.10 and the other 11.8, both failed in the Great Northern, and neither started in the Winter Steeples, in which their weights were 11.7 and 11.5 respectively. Jolly Beggar would appear to have the worse of the deal now, but it is worth remembering that he Was making his first and only appearance to date in the role in the Great Northern. Both these horses must be allowed a good chance of success in the Wellington Steeples, Clarion Call because the Trentham country will suit him and Jolly Beggar because, he is expected to do better over flat country and now has the experience of a race behind him. As easy winner of tfye Grand National and Beaufort Steeplechases at his only two starts at Riccarton last August, carrying 9.12 and 11.1 respectively, Nocturnus had to be up round about the 11.0 mark, and his connections should have no fault to find with the 10.13 he has been awarded. With higher tops he would probably have had a few pounds more to carry. It is reported from Riccarton that he stood up well to his race at Ashburton on Saturday. OF PROVED ABILITY. j Manawatu and Santoft, winners over country in the best class, are each nicely handicapped at 9.13, and, near their best, they would be among the hardest horses in the field to beat. Manawatu, however, failed to reproduce his best form last winter, when his only win was in the Hawke's Bay Steeples, and he failed 1 at Trentham, since when he has not raced. He drops 41b from his weight in last year's Wellington J Steeplechase. Santoft won the last Wellington Steeplechase with the minimum. and was one of the early favourites for the Grand National under 913, but he went amiss and did not run at Riccarton. Reappearing at Washdyke in April he beat a poor field under 11.5 in the Pareora Steeples. That has been his only start to date this winter. His progress since has been .variously reported. Another winner of an important event who reads favourably handicapped is recent A.R.C. Winter Steeples victor Smiling Thru, who has only 51b above the minimum. However, until that success this mare wag still a maiden and Mr. Coyle has not cared to penalise her unduly. She is said to be a capable jumper, though small, and she must have a chance from her mark. It may be worth noting that she is to do Trentham only, with her stablemate, Irish Comet, who is missing Trentham, booked for the stiffer country at Riccarton. All Irish, winner at Te Rapa under 11.5 on Saturday, conceding 91b to Bryce Street (second) and 21b to Valpeen (third), could hardly have expected less than 10.9 in the Wellington Steeples. He was weighted 10.1 in the Great Northern but ran only over hurdles at the meeting. He showed last year, with his two seconds to Burglar, carrying 9.7 in the July Steeples on the final day, that the Trentham country holds no difficulties for him. ~ _ , Red Sun. Erination, and John Charles are recruits from the best class of hurdlers. Red Sun and John Charles being winners of hack events at their second start in the role and Erination having run third under 10.0 in the Great Northern Steeples. With 10.7, 10.2, and 10.1 respectively they should all be prospects if they manage the country. The distance is about as far as Erination likes, but the other pair are sound stayers. AN AUCKLAND FANCY. Bryce Street will probably be one of the main Auckland fancies with 9.7, which is half a stone more than he carried into second place in the Great Northern. It is only by a rare turn of fortune that he was not winner at Ellerslie, as almost any horse but Valpeen would have departed from the contest at that last fence; and then he must have had something round about 10.0 at Trentham. He now comes in 71b better terms against All Irish than last Saturday and at the longer distance and with that extra concession he appeals as the likelier of the pair. The second half of the list, horses from 9.5 down, contains others besides Smiling Thru who might upset the better form. Flashlight, for instance, has won both cross-country events he has contested and he is hailed in the south as the makings of a steeplechaser above the ordinary. However, as Santoft, winner of the Riverton Great Western less than three months previously, was given only the minimum last year, Flashlight could hardly have been placed, higher this year. Flash-

light is probably best form horse on the minimum for next week's race. But there is another yet who might be the Santoft in this year's field, and that is Chile, who has had three recent races to assist him towards his best form, who ran well for most of the way at Ashburton on Saturday, and who has as good general qualifications as any horse in the field to make a class crosscountry performer. Four_of the horses in the Wellington Steeples are also in the Mariri Hack and Hunters' Steeples, the opening event on the first day. They are Flashlight, Kahunoke, Chile, and Survoy. Flashlight has to concede weights from 81b to 181b to the other three in the hack event, so that he is the handicap pointer on tha minimum in the open event. With the hack steeples light in numbers the horses dually engaged may be found in that race, though Flashlight and Chile would not be out of place in the bigger event. THE WINTER HURDLES. The Winter Hurdles, run on the third day and forming what is popularly known as the Trentham jumping double, is no less open this year on the weights than the Wellington Steeplechase. But it is a much more difficult race to form an opinion about early, as nearly every year there are horses emerging from the previous days' racing with much stronger claims to consideration than they held before the meeting opened. Last year, for instance, John Charles had' not won a race for eleven months prior to capturing the Trentham and Winter Hurdles. The Trentham Hurdles on the first day has always proved a most reliable guide to the result of the Winter Hurdles. Surprises are nothing unusual in the first day's event, but form with rare excepticls prevails on the last day. Three times in the last four years horses have won the jumping double, these' dual victors being • Revision, Rasouli, and John Charles. The other Winter winner, Travelling Agent, ran fourth in the Trentham first out for several months, which was really as good form as was given by any of the first day's runners. The obvious topweight for the Winter Hurdles, with Jolly Beggar not accorded an entry, was Erination, the winner of the Great Northern Hurdles early this month under 10.5. Mr. Coyle has decided on 11.0 for this horse, which is less than the weight usually adopted to start off the Winter list. Indeed, on only four other occasions since he has been the club's handicapper, that is since 1914, has Mr. Coyle begun the Winter Hurdles with 11.0 or less, the occasions being Val Watch, 11.0 two years ago; Rasouli, 10.13 three years ago; Nukumai, 10.11 six years ago; and Tragedy King, 11.0 twenty-two years ago. AucklandeVs evidently believed that Erination would successfully carry weight when they sent him out favourite for the Campbell Hurdles under 11.11 on the final day at Ellerslie this month. The gelding, however, was brought down early in the race, and so the desired line could not be obtained on him. As he is a hard puller, and the ground on Winter Hurdles day at Trentham is usually very bad, he does not altogether look the best of prospects for such a race. The double, Wellington Steeplechase and Winter Hurdles, has not been achieved in recent times, and perhaps Erination will prefer the July Steeples, for which he is also engaged, if he races on the final day at Trentham. A line on most of the other Winter Hurdles candidates will be obtained from the two hurdle races on the opening day. Whatever wins or finishes handy in the Trentham Hurdles has the records of the race behind him. And this year there are some promising recruits in thp hack hurdles on the first day who - may also require consideration in the Winter Hurdles if they show the expected form in their initial outing at the meeting. The weights for the Winter Hurdles require little present analysis, as so much deoends on the first day's form. Full of Scotch, Small Boy, and Court Yard are recruits who promise to go on to better deeds, and Padishah has a big private reputation for when he makes his debut. No undue' chance has been taken with any of these horses, all of whom are weighted above 10.0. Of the proved hurdlers Donegal and John Charles have shown a particular liking for the track, and Spender, Southern Blood, and Aurora's Love are lightweights who will make some early appeal with the doubleseekers. NEW LADY OWNER PURCHASE OF STABLES (Special to the "Evening Post.") DUNEDIN, June 27. Mr. C. Gieseler's stables have passed into the hands of Mrs. M. J. Harrington, who will open her role of owner with two fillies. Both are rising two-year-olds by Blatherskite, their respective dams being Mardella and Ammalene, and they will be trained by G. A. McKay. Mrs. Harrington has lived at Wingatui for some time. There were seven horses from Wingatui stables at Ashburton on Saturday, and only three failed to finish in the money. Valantua and Valmarch both won their respective races, and Last Link and Strip each finished second. J. Dooley will ride Drinkup in the Farewell Handicap at Oamaru on Saturday, and if Astaire makes the trip A. Messervy will have the mount. J. Harvey brought over a rising two-year-old by Blatherskite from Flout to Wingatui on Saturday. She is well grown and very shapely. The Dunedin Jockey Club received a record list of entries for its classic events. The McLean Stakes, Champagne- Stakes, and Dunedin Guineas showed respective increases on last year of 21, 20, and 13. The club, incidentally, has experienced one of its best seasons in years. The gate receipts show an increase of £1000 for the season's operations, and the aggregate totalisator turnover reaches a new figure. The nominations for the principal jumping events at the Grand National Meeting show Wingatui well served ■with hurdlers, but steeplechasers from this centre are conspicuous by their absencc. The district's representatives in the Grand National Hurdles are Last Link, Valarth, Fireguard, and Travenna. Wingatui has a quintet in the Winter Cup in High Glee, Alma, Araboa, Monipere. and Pink Robe. Southland is not represented in the Winter Cup, but Quinopal, Bally Brit, Burwood, and Dunmure are in the Grand National, Beaufort. and Lincoln Steeplechases. Corban (National and Sydenham Hurdles), and Surge (Sydenham Hurdles) are two entries from the far south.

Stretto (9.4) should be included in the list of weights for the Epsom Handicap, to be run at Randwick.