STILL UNBEATEN

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 9, 10 July 1940, Page 11

STILL UNBEATEN

EL MEYNELL AS HURDLER

Maintaining his unbeaten career as a jumper. El Meynell was a decisive winner of the Trentham Hurdles. He gave a faultless display of Dumping Ind on the flat he was too bnUiaru for his opposition. On this showing he shouldbe a very hard horse to keep out of the honours m the Winter Hurdles on Saturday, and he also becomes a very definite prospect for the Grand National Hurdles next month. El Meynell was always one of the leaders. For the first couple of fences he was in behind Hessketoon and Jewelled Girdle, but then he pulled his way forward to join Hessketoon. After jumping the hurdle near the five furlongs he was allowed to slip clear, and from that stage he gave the. others a hopeless chase, finally winning witn something in hand by five lengths. El Meynell's two previous starts over fences were at Otaki. but he did not impress then as he did yesterday. Between his two races at Otaki he was off the scene for a short space because of a slight injury, but since resuming he has been capable of succeeding both on the flat and over fences. He is another of "the Hunting Songs, a breed that has already established itself m the jumping fold and whose penchant for winter going is well known to Trentham racegoers. . It is a coincidence that at Otaki recently E\ Meynell and Pekoe filled the first two places, and between them they won the hurdles double yesterday. Soho was always going well behind El Meynell, and he stayed on best of the others for second money. He has yet to win over hurdles this winter, but he has raced consistently and he appears to be improving with" every

outing. His improved form yesterday was one of the surprises of the race.

Blue Tiger, coming up by the shortest route on the turn, outstayed Hessketoon for the other dividend, but these two horses were both tired at the close. Hessketoon, previously unbeaten in the role, had every chance. Curie was a possibility when third half a mile out, but he weakened, into a moderate fifth, alongside Aussie Ra, who was finishing strongly from the rear. Jewelled Girdle found his weight beyond him, Hirangi ran fairly without ever looking dangerous and Student Prince dropped out after a brief spurt forward along the back. Survalyon, who was well fancied, crashed at the second last fence and broke his neck. He had been one of the rear horses all the way.