THE WINTER CAMPAIGN

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 96, 23 April 1940, Page 13

THE WINTER CAMPAIGN

FIELDS AT EGMONT

PAIR FROM SOUTH ISLAND

Some idea as to the material available for the jumping season is usually given by the nominations for the hurdles and steeplechases at the Egmont Winter Meeting, but there are not many horses from far afield engaged in. these races this year. However, the Franklin Meeting that is now held in the Auckland district at the same time gives an opportunity nearer home for ..the northern horses, and the far. southerns have their chance at the Southland Meeting. The only southerners who are to make the Egrriont trip this year are Streamline and Flashlight, whom G. Kidgway is bringing north for Mr. J. H. Grigg. Streamline made a reappearance at Waimate last Saturday after an absence from racing since he ran third in the Homeby Steeples at the Christchurch Hunt Meeting in 1937, and he is engaged in the hurdle events at Hawera though he might go back to steeplechasing in the Great Northern Steeples if he does satisfactorily in his racing during the coming month. Flashlight is the candidate for the Egmont Steeplechase, and his efforts on the tour will be confined to the country. Auckland stables are represented at Hawera by Full of Scotch, King Musk, Devon, and Sir Tommy among the hurdlers and by Celtic Lad, En Tour, and Enjoyment among the steeple-chasei-s. Sir.Tommy is the only one of these horses listed.as well at Franklin, so a line on the northerners should be provided by the Egmont racing. The Hawke's Bay candidates for Hawera include the hurdlers Blue Tiger and Lady Stella, the latter being entered as well for the steeplechases. The Trentham nominees are Lustral, Ruling Star, and Dungarvan in the hurdles and Lustral in the steeplechases, and, as these three horses hail from the same stable. Lustral may be kept to the cross-country game, a role in which he is expected to excel. Much interest in the Egmont Steeplechase will centre in the reappearance of Clarion Call aver country. The Hunting Song gelding has been racing successfully over hurdles this season, winning at Trentham and Ellerslie, but the last race he had over the bigger fences was when winning the Grand National Steeplechase under 11.1 near-, y two years ago. on that occasion beating Bryce Street, 9.6, by three ehgths. He won the Egmont Steeplechase two years ago-under 10.12 when having his first race for eight months. Bryce Street, who has not raced since last winter, is now a, member of the same stable as Clarion Call, and' perhaps he will take on the steeplechase at Hawera on the day Clarion Call does not run. He was disappointing in the north last winter, but his form two seasons ago was most promising and he is still a comparatively young horse. . A number of horses entered for the Egmont Steeplechase have yet to make their debut over country. They include Enjoyment, Lustral, Disturbed, Lady Stella! and One Whetu- Enjoyment, a son of Delightment, has won three hurdle races impressively in his last three starts in the north, and he is a most interesting recruit to the country game. Lustral, Disturbed, and Lady Stella have all shown promise in their early schools over; the bigger fences, and they are proven hurdlers who should not be troubled, to. jump the Hawera country. Lustral is the real stamp for a steeplechaser, and Disturbed has the stamina for the longest races. . Two horses whose showings • among the-hurdlers will be carefully • noted are Aussie Ra - and Full, of Scotch, as they, are prospects for the bigger hurdling events later on in the session. Full of Scotch was one of the most promising young hurdlers of the year two seasons ago, and he returned, to the winning list in one of the hurdles at Te Aroha in February at his most recent start. Aussie Ra was first produced as a hurdler late last winter, and '. he quickly made his mark by capturing the Longbeach Hurdles at the Christchurch Hunt Meeting and running seconds to Padishah in the Grand National Hurdles and to King Rey in the> Sydenham Hurdles at the Grand National Meeting. He later jumped badly at Trentham in October, which was his last raring to date. A newcomer to the hurdling ranks with class on the flat is Dungarvan, who will probably make his debut in the role at-Egmont. ' He has not yet had "much schooling, • but what he has done has been promising. He may take a bit of making at the game, but his connections are in no hurry with him. It is in his favour that he has always done his best on winter tracks.