WHY HE WAS IN LIGHT

NZ Truth, Issue 1175, 7 June 1928, Page 11

WHY HE WAS IN LIGHT

On Past Hurdle Form, Rjisk Was Probably Justified (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.) It is easy to be wise after the event— and it is the same over Beau Cavalier's weight m the Great Northern Hurdles.

WHICH race, as everyone knovvs, he -has added to his list of victories. . That it did seem queer reasoning for a horse thought lit to be allotted 12st. 21b. m the Great Northern Steeplechase, getting ; off with, .only 9st. 21b. m the two-and-a-half mile Great Northern Hurdles, was certainly adversely commented upon by a few .who did. not study the hard facts upon which the Auckland hahdieapper based his calculations. , i Still, there- was no direct objection from hardened turf students before the race, for the simple reason that Beau; Cavalier '■■ ha,d proved a failure m inaportaiit hurdle events' at, 'about the same time that he was winning afl .the '' .big'. steeplechases m the 'land V by a street. . . . . ; :. In short, last winter he was; a "crack-ajack" steeplechaser, but a 1 rank -failure when it came to fighting out the bitter end of any classy < hurdle .syent. Last June he did not start m the G.N. Hurdles, but, reserved for the G.N. Steeples, he won with' 9.7 by a long stretch.. -. Then he itook the Wellington Steeples With 10.7, but failed to, get into th« money m a high-weight (9;11) and the Winter Hurdles (9.12) at the same fix;turei\ ■'.-'' ':.,:■ ; ••.".-.'■.• '„-.': ■ . O' ; "-' ; Going on to Riccartori, ,he again rpmped home -'in-; the Grand National' Steeples, carrying 11.7, bu^ once again* failed to get into aplace Avith only 9.6 m the Grand" National Hurdles. ; ' .'.". 'Then again, irt a two-mile hurdle event at the . last A.R.G. \ summer gathermff,' Wed Sing March (11.7) defeated Beau Cavalier. (9.8) comfortably by. three lengths, with • Archibald (12.2) m third Placje. , . In these big hurdle contests mentioned; '/'the Beau" usually" led up for a term, but ran himself" out. ; .■•■■[.... It was no doubt this reasoning which found Beau' Cavalier risked m the Great Northern Hurdles at only 9.2; There was one fact lost sight of by most punters until the actual day— which was that Beau Cavalier was taking on his Great Northern Hurdles job Without haying had a trying steeplechase put of him, as at Trentham and Ri.ccarton last winter. . At Ellerslie last Saturday he was tackling his Hurdle task a fresh horse, which evidently made all. the difference, for Topman's charge was not allowed to,. beat jiimself out m front. . • •. '■ ■ ■■'-•. '■ ..'.- ■■■■ '- " *■' r\ ■ '■ ■■■•■•>T

Once Mister Gamp toppled out of :the picture, he raced home m time which was only headed off once m the 2%---mile contest — and then by that good-, horse, Bon Beve; -which ran the dis- > tance In 4.51 .ten years back. ■ Beau Cavalier ran 4.52. The only other winner to equal that— bar .Bon Reve-— was Wimmera, m 1910, Therefore, Beau Cavalier is now de-. finitely classed as a' hurdler with more .... than ordinary pace, for last, Saturday's gbing ;at Ellerslie was anything .but firm, -v -' " ■■.:':■" ' . ' . . ' .. •' ■ •'■.' ■- ; - : v To have won over ten hurdles m 4.?2 Stamped the ex-hunter, as, being trained '■■.;. to perfection by his veteran ■mentor, Sam TOoman. " "> '■'/■■- ' "What the .result. has done is to make „ i matters, harder for first-class steeplei chafers' which attempt to 'repeat the dose, for they, will never get m the "■■ Great Northern Hurdles with the same easy poundage as did Beau Cavalier. The one experience should be :.; enough to provide against that possibility. ■;,.•";•; "■';■ '■-■ :- ■ .:. Few, seriously blamed Frank Mac- ; mariemin before the race for taking the. risk with the crack 'chaser, so why ■after? ;<;. ■.' '■'[ ".•;- .' .' ...... \: . -.w .-■ -.'. .. On" previous performances '?Frank> ;Mac." appeared to' have facts m his favor, but Beau Cavaliei? upset all calculations by being struck more flit for the big task, than. at. any previous stage of his career. ; That is all there 'Is to it. .