AT IT AGAIN

NZ Truth, Issue 1079, 29 July 1926, Page 11

AT IT AGAIN

Uncle Bob Oyer The Bobs

Twelve months ago a horse called Uncle Bob came into the boom m the South Island. HE won two hunters' steeplechases m succession, and his wins brought^him quite a lot of publicity; •■■>'. ' : Most of the publicity was about his prospects at the National meeting, but with that fixture over Uncle Bob lost all his friends, and also the reputation that he possessed. In three starts he had failed to get | round the course! ■ominiiiHiiiinmninitHiiinmtHmnnniixniiiiitiHiiiHnuiiiriiimttniiiiniMMititMiiiiiinnniiiiiMiiiif ■MniiiniiniiHiuiimrowiminuimiiluiauHHiHutimmmuiiMiimniiiiiiiHiuiiMiiMHimnuiiiiimiii

AftlralunKuniitußinliusnciintiuiiilliiuiiiiruiiiiiiiiiiiituuilltlilliilliiliinilluilliuiliiiillllllllltlllllu Now Uncle Bob is back again, and his name is being whispered . as a likely winner at the coming meeting at Riccarton. - Bad riding cost him the Waimate Steeplechase last week, but on Saturday, with a change of riders, he won the South Canterbury Steeplechase comfortably, ■' Uncle Bob is m the Homeby Steeple-: chase, run at .Riccarton on Saturday, and is also engaged m the Grand National Steeplechase with 9.2. It will be interesting to watch him on Saturday — to see if he remembers the fences that brought him down three times •on end twelve months back. THE new Henry barrier was demon- •*• strated on the two -year- old track at Ellerslie last week with a number of juveniles lined up at the tapes, and onlookers generally agreed that the invention is sure to be m demand because of its simplicity and speed. By simply, touching: a spring the tapes — which are on a level with the horses — are released towards the outside of the field at such speed that it seems impossible to become entangled. Starter Charley O'Connor has seen' the contrivance, and it is j understood that he has expressed approval.

ALL things considered the fields are of good size and quality, the only poor acceptance being strangely m the big steeplechase. " To start off with there are 28 m the Maiden 'race and fully two-thirds of them are unknown quantities. On form Essential is the best of the crowd and the distance will suit him. Jen always finishes well, while Hathor is, reputed to possess any amount of pace. Fit and well the Park Hurdles would bea good thing far Mangatoetoe, Who jumps well and has plenty of toe. . i Monte should do best of the others, while if Blue Jay takes to' hurdling she will pay her way before leaving the district. ■ ; It is getting about the time for Koodoo to win a race and to-day may be the day. The best he has to meet m

the Flying Handicap are Jeanette and Startle. i .With four acceptors m the Gisborne Steeplechase there will be little speculation. Cuth. Morse's prad, Highway, would only have to run up to his race m the Wellington Steeplechase to be home on the bit. .. Polar and Rapiata look the likely pair m the Hack Flat Handicap. Wenday. has some form and she may be the best of the remainder. ; There is a good field m the Hack Steeplechase and most money should be invested on Kovno. Given time to find her feet she will take all sorts of beating. Guanaco and Birka are possibilities. : , . ■ Princess Ngata, Cohesion and Othon may share m the' money m the Winter Oats.