THREE MAY TRY THIS YEAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 30, 3 August 1940, Page 15

THREE MAY TRY THIS YEAR

JPADISHAH ONLY ONE TO ACCOMPLISH FEAT

19i^ Great TNprtfaern double has been won by one horse in the same year on a number of occasions, but only one horse has ever yet taken the jumping double at Trentham or Riccarton in the winter, this feat being accomplished by Padishah last year at the Canterbury Jockey, Club's Meeting. l,t has not been for the want of trying, but that steeplechase-prior-to-hurdles sequence, even with several days in between, has so far been an obstacle that even the best jumpers have been unable to surmount. It is therefore, all the more interesting to observe that.no fewer than three horses remain in the two Grand Nationals—rPadishah, Clarion Call, and Erination.

The record of the races is, of course, practically, against any horse's winning the two races in one year, but it is not a wholly impossible feat. Padishah accomplished the task in rather comfortable fashion last year, • while Aurora Borealis and Clarion Call just failed' to set a Precedent a few years back. Actually only three candidates, Dummy/ Haydn, and' Padishah, have won the events in different seasons, but Clarion,' Call has been a triflevunlucky iii riot doing 50,,-as hie has been twice second and then third in three successive oh the Grand National Hurdles. Since the Grand National Hurdles was first'added to^ the programme for the CJ.C. Grand National Meeting in 1890 there have been many, attempts.,to capture the double. Padishah, Erina« ; tion, and Clarion Call are three who; may make a further attempt'this year*: though, of course, only one of them (unless there were a dead heat in the Steeples) could be left as such a prospect after the decision of the first "leg" on Tuesday next. SOME EARLY ATTEMPTS. In the first two years (1890 and 1891) the races were run on the same day, arid, as would be expected, no horse then contested the two events.' In 1917 and 1918 the races were again decided onihe same day, but the next year the club reverted, to its general practice of holding the Steeples on the first day arid the Hurdles on the second day (after a day's interval), arid there has been no change since. There will again be a day's v interval between the two • events this'year; In 1892, the first, occasion,on which the races/ were'iun-o# different; days, two horses (Kaimanawa- arid: Courarito) stepped out in both, but they were unplaced in each. Couranto had won the Hurdles the previous year. A% : year later Mutiny, vwho was de? stii3^ito^wr^-Vttte"^S^feepleg'v-iii'-i895 and 1895; ran^thitdi over? the? country,»,and was \mplaee£tiri th£ Hurdles. Despised;: iiaS, Victrix also r'air in both events that year. . Ih'l^malibrse contested/the double, but-Llbi?£ai6r and Despised ;unsuccessfuUy^ifjMes, the attempt in 1895. r The nexjj'fgear "Liberator, who had won the HurßJes-in'"lß93 and .1894, ran unplaced in they Steeples and 'flnished'.third in the:Hurdles.:Narrate ■vfras -another dual run^et'^hat'-Sear. ■ '... :.\v-\; ■■ Tfte&st-.Grarid National* Steeplechase winJier^b^be iisaddled^jjp? a^;\*rell the' <13tiiQ]k&:; "twoi %-<3ays^ later was Levanter in 1897, but he failed to figure in the places. Flirt and Ulster also ran in the two events that year.

In, 1898 there was no dual essay, but in the^next four years Dummy,, Dundee. Kaimate, ;Mpifa%^yaUer,p,;and Huku all lailed" to gain places in either event when, attempting the double. In :( 1903Awahu£L wonjthe^ Steeple^ huA^was.. unpflfac.ed' in.J;he;. Hurdles,, and a : . year later "Slow; Tom- registered the same perfbrnaahce. In the following four years the only horses to run in the! two races were Catherine Gordon and Ranana, both without gaining places.

Then in 1911, after a lapse of four years in which no horse had turned out in the ;two races, Paritutu repeated the feat previously achieved by Levanter, Awahuri, and. Slow Tom, : and two;

years later Bercola was-similarly partially successful. After 1913 the next horse to try for the elusive double honours was Lochella in 1920, but, although he was favourite in the Steeples and second .favourite in the Hurdles, he failed to run into a place in either event. Lochella had won the Steeples the previous year. MORE RECENT ESSAYS. Another interval followed, broken only by futile ventures from Omahu (1923) and Sir Roseberry (1925). Then in 1927 Beau Cavalier, who had won the Great Northern Steeplechase and the Wellington Steeplechase during the preceding two months, and was destined to win the Great Northern Hurdles the next year, followed in the steps of fairly well-established precedent by winning, the Grand National j Steeplechase and running unplaced in the Hurdles. Kawini also contested both, races that year. The next year Pouri ran second in the Steeples -and nowhere in the Hurdles, and Beau Cavalier was unplaced in both. King's Guard was a j dual runner in 1929.

Then came Aurora Borealis's best accomplishment to date, for, after winning the 1930 Grand National Steeplechase, she was beaten only a length and a half by.Corinthia in the Grand National Hurdles. That same year Omeo ran third in the Steeples and was unplaced in the Hurdles. •In 1931 Wiltshire (who had won the cross-country event in 1928 and 1929) and Wako King both failed to gain a place in either race, and so did High Pitch the next year. In 1933 Billy Boy, who had won the Steeples the previous year, went a point better than his immediate predecessors by finishing third in the Steeples though out of the money,in .the Hurdles. There were no dual attempts in 1935 and 1936.'

The two horses who ran in both races in 1937, Irish Comet and Brigadore, each gained a place in one of the "legs," the former being third in the Steeples and the latter third in the Hurdles. Two years ago Clarion Call ran his first and third, and Erination. after failing in the Steeples, finished fourth in the Hurdles.

From this survey- of'the records it will be seen that no fewer than eight horses who have aimed at earning double honours in the one year have won the Steeples, but have then missed in the Hurdles, with the exception, of course, of Padishah,. The eight are Levanter, Awahuri, Slow Tom, Paritutu, Bercola, Beau Cavalier, Aurora Borealis, and Clarion Call.

Another point of note is that no horse that has failed in the Steeples has ever gone on to win' the Hurdles two days later. Indeed, only two of such horses have filled a place in the Hurdles, those being Liberator, who ran third in the 1896. Hurdles, after completing the course and being unplaced in the Steeples,. andf. Brigadore; who ran third in the Hurdles two years ago, after falling in the Steeples.

It will therefore be seen that the path in front of any horse who essays the double this year is one that is most difficult to achieve. Still, Padishah made light of the task last year, and there is every probability that he will start favourite, unless he should cut up "badly in the Homeby Steeplechase at Riccarton.