GENERAL NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12459, 29 May 1926, Page 8

GENERAL NOTES

The nest events of importance are the Great Northerns, which are to be contested at Ellerslie next week. The Great Northern Hurdles will be run on June 3rd, and the Great Northern Steeplechase on Juno sth. In a period of 34 years the big double lias been won by the one horse on five occasions. Back in 1895 Liberator accomplished the feat. It was not repeated till 1916 when El Gallo scored. El Gallo won both rfices again in 1917. Lochella in 1920 and Sir Koseberry in 1025 are the only others. Sir Koseberry won the Hurdles last vear with 10.12. This year lie is top weight with 101 b more, but with all his Weight he is a first-class chance. Landbird was not seen at his best at Wanganui, and will improve' with schooling, but Sir Koseberry ought to account for him if he is as well as he was a year ago. He has been schooling brilliantly, and evidently is undergoing the right preparation. Eric has been racing over country, but is such a good mare that nothing can be regarded ns beyond her. King’s Guard is good at the hurdling business, but has not vet beaten anything of the class he will meet next week. Peter Maxwell :lins gone out of favour since Wanganui. Gaze has rushed into favour since his win in the Century Hurdles, and lie stvikes one as among the most promising of the jumpers in commission. Of the remainder the only possibilities appear to be Hick, who always goes well at Ellerslie, and Crown Coin. To fine the race down to two, one does not care to go past Sir Koseberry and Gaze. Sir Kosebery, with 12st, has the honour of being top weight in the Great Northern Steeplechase as well as the Hurdles. He won the race last year with 91b less. 'Again he will be hard, particularly if he wins the Hurdles. One of liis toughest opponents will be Erie. Landbird, though improvement can be expected, ought to be accounted for by Erie. Llewelyn is a boom horse, but ns he has not been seen in public for a while he has to be taken on reputation. His past indicates that he will do better at 6teeplechasing than at hurdling. Tuki has done well recently in the north, but has not been seen in this part of the island. Dick must be reckoned a possibility at Ellerslie, and Gaze might go well in the steeplechase, despite the fact that he has been hurdling of late, as he has been hunted and has done well. Erie, Sir Kosebery and Gaze suggest themselves as a dangerous trio. Nippy, Degage, Income and Tanadees ought to have chances in the Cornwall, and the best of these might be Nippy and Degage. Since P. E. Hazleman relinquished the position of trainer of Mr C. E. Elgar’s large team at Featherston, most of the horses have been on the easy list, and few, if any, will be raced again until the spring. Several of the younger members of the string are at present at Trentham, but at the time of writing no definite arrangements have been made for their future preparation. W. Galbraith, who usually has three or four horses in work, is without a representative at present in his stable. Prince Hal is spelling, and Sir Lucullus is not likely to be gone on with, as his form has been very poor. Two of Mr T. H. Lowry’s horses, Phoenix Park, by Kilbroney—En Parole, and the two-year-old colt Lackland, by King John —First Blow, have been sold to a West Australian sportsman, whose headquarters are at Fremantle. Dissertation has been relegated to the brood mares’ paddock. F. Tilley has put the Limond—Rose Queen colt through his pacings at Fordell, this being the only rising two-year-old so far in his stable. This juvenile was purchased at the Koatanui yearling sale for 700gns by Mr W. Duncan. Tilley expects to receive any time now the Paper Money—lsabel gelding who was added to the list in April. This is Isabel’s first representative, as she slipped her first "foal. Luke is being qualified as a hunter. He is likely to shine in hunters’events, unless all his pace has left him. Accommodation was booked at Wingatui for the North Island representative, First Line, and E. Shaw was engaged to ride him, but he received word on Wednesday (says the Christchurch “Sun”) to the effect that his mount had broken down and would not make the trip. As the Advance gelding is just about to enter his 13th year, it is little wonder that he is beginning to display signs of wear and tear. He has been a consistent performer over country since he was six years old, and