A FORM POINTER

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 39, 15 August 1945, Page 10

A FORM POINTER

BETTERMAN AT ELLERSLIE

(Special to "The Post.") AUCKLAND, This Day. Betterman ran right up to expectations in the Grand National Hurdles and his fourth placing, a head behind Good Armour suggests possibilities for his engagement in the minor hurdle race at Ellerslie on Saturday. He has been withdrawn from the open sprint. Watchett, who finished second in the two hack steeplechase events at the Great Northern Steeplechase Meeting, was paid up for in the Pakuranga Hunt Cup only, and this may be a pointer of the stable opinion as to his chances. Watchett was a good stayer as a hack, and the distance should not trouble him on Saturday, so he may be capable of gaining a place at least with his light impost. The stablemates Our Gold and British Talent will not be coupled in the Jellicoe Handicap on Saturday, and as both have gone on the right way since finishing third in their divisions of the Cornwall Handicap they may be dangerous again. Our Gold seems the more likely improver, but it is in the favour of both gallopers that the ground will be very heavy. Since he won last New Year at Stratford Bueno has consistently disappointed and that success was the only one that went his way. It is possible that he will improve with age. for he is now a four-year-old, and he should be able to do better. He is engaged in the hack seven furlongs at the Pakuranga Hunt fixture on Saturday and will be bracketed with the three-year-old Balgowan, another likely winner later on. A useful sort of hack last season was Convallaria, and although she won/ her first race at Paeroa only last March, she had previously, and subsequently, run more than one good race. In the hack seven, on Saturday she will be suited by the going. Further, she will be bracketed with the three-year-old Bedivere, who disappointed alter winning one two-year-old event impressively last autumn. Convallaria is a six-year-old, but this is only her second season on the Turf. Two hacks who have been well spoken of recently in these columns 3re Old Scot and General Lytup. They are mentioned again because they will be coupled on the totalisator in the Firsjt Sylvia Park Handicap on Saturday. The former is a possibility on his running at the Great Northern Meeting, but the three-year-old may find it difficult to win so early in the season and under prevailing conditions, which have proved a stumbling-block in the past. Abbey Fox failed at the Great Northern Meeting and again at Trentham, and considerable improvement will be necessary if she is to win either of her Ellerslie engagements on Saturday. She is in the Jellicoe and Admiralty Handicaps. Her loss of form at the Wellington Meeting might have been expensive to her northern supporters after she had run an excellent race on the opening day at Ellerslie. However, she will find the ground to her liking on Saturday and that may help her. , ■ ■ The three topweights in the Jellicoe Handicap, Neenah, Constitution, and Air Port, will have their work cut out, for there are several below them quite capable of setting a hectic pace and thereby make them carry their weight. This applies particularly to - Neenah, who was in such brilliant form in June. Constitution may be the pick of this trio, although Air Port, if in form, would be every bit as good, but unfortunately he seemed to lose all form on his southern trip to the winter meetings at Awapuni, Hastings, and Trentham. Beau Martian has a lot of speed, as this colt showed when taken to Hast-' ings six weeks elo. He is in the second division of the First Sylvia Park Handicap on Saturday, and he should be able to run out the seven furlongs, as he has raced more recently than the majority of his opponents. He will be coupled with the unraced Wild Blood. The winner of the amateur riders' race at Awapuni and runner-up in a similar event a v/eek later at Hastings, United Nations is going to be heavily supported to win the Bullock-Webster Haridicap on Saturday, this also being for amateur riders, ije has not raced the Ellerslie way round, but he arrived in the middle of last week and thus has time to be tried out thoroughly. The owner of United Nations, Mr, H. Dods, was a very well-known amateur rider in his day, and he had several mounts at Ellerslie in this class of race. He won the Ladies' Bracelet on Quinvardia in 1927, this race now being the Bullock-Webster Handicap, an event he now aspires to win as an owner.