THE SAME OLD STORY—AND IT'S TRUE

NZ Truth, Issue 1176, 14 June 1928, Page 11

THE SAME OLD STORY— AND IT'S TRUE

There .Are Few Stars In Jumping World, But Any Amount of Falling Ones

NATIONAL-TIME FIELDS WILL BE VERY POOR

EACH WINTER BRINGS forth the same old cry— our jumpers are a poor lot, not to be compared with the stalwarts of the old days. Perhaps that is right, and perhaps it is not, but there is no disputing that there is every indication of there being a lean winter this year. There were a few stars at the Great Northern meeting, but they do not make a winter, inasmuch as a swallow does not make a spring. - "

MEN of experience, men who have seen countless Great Northerns Tim, do not hesitate to class this year's jumping double as the worst it has been their lot to witness. Ten runners in the Hurdles and <only five got round — arid the fifth was so far behind the winner that he looked like the first horse home in the. next racel The Steeplechase was even worse — eleven started and only the horses to weigh-in, finished'. With' the season just under way, the stai't was anything but auspicious, and there is room for the doubts that are being expressed regarding ; poor fields at National time. Trentham will probably be lucky— its geographical position gives it a big pull over other courses. Next month it will be found that the best" of the • two islands will meet at Wellington— but a month later at Riccarton it may be a different story. , ; So far. as the jumpers of the big country at Ellerslie are ( concerned, there was. nothing to. equal the brilliance of' Glendowie, the erstwhile hunter. '■■■■.. He had three runs and won on each occasion. ' \ His display over the. bigger fences was not aj together faultless, but, when his errors are balanced off with the big improvement he is capable of, he is entitled 'to a'seat in the bes|t of select company. \ . • . In both, ' his . winning essays, Glendowie, hooked the sod wall, while a fence on top of the liill nearly spilt him in the' Northern. ' ' ." v^. Perhaps it will need a fall to teach him to pick up his hind legs —there is nothing like a tumble to' - educate a horse. Wellington nominations close on Monday next and Glendowie is- sure to be included in the list. There is nothing definite yet to say that tie . will be a . runner. It may-, be found that he is to be saved for the National. . ; , That being the case, , and' in with anything like a -reasonable weight, "N.Z, Truth" does not wish to look' further at this stage. - Wellington will probably find as runners Tuki, Maunga, Comical, Wharncliff, Brigadier Bill, Kawini, Beau Cavalier, The Babe, Wiltshire, Wetldjng March, Passin' Through and possibly Pourl. It this bunch can be brought together, there should 'result a fine contest. t ■ Of course, there will be no doubt as to the top weight — Beau Cava- , Her must occupy this position. "Truth," holding the theory that the big fellow will not race twice on end, llllll!IIIIIIIIII(IliyillIIIIIIIIIIIIU!llllllllllllllllllIII|IIIIllllllllllllllllllll!l!lllllll!l!llll

will be interested to await his fate when he comes up fresh. To date it has always been in his first outing that "Beau" has shown exceptional brilliance, / It is only reasonable, of course, to expect his end-tp-end winning tactics to take a lot out of him — and so far they have when he saddled up the second time. . Everything going on well in the meantime, Kawini is going to be a hard one to beat at Trentham. His rider the last day at Ellerslie was in an awful hurry to make his run — it was asking the impossible to expect a half-ready horse to go to the front and win at the foot of the hill. Maunga, by his persistent failures, is being dropped by the public. Jt is hard to make him out. ..••■• Had he not dropped his rider — and it looked inexcusable that he should come off so easily — he would have been a source of annoyance to Glendowie in the Northern. The Hastings horse was pulling double when he passed the stand the last time and looked a certainty to be one or two. , 1

The last day, however, he fell at a small obstacle. It is time there was a change of riders on Maunga— Griffith has had a fair enough run — but it is said that his owner will not make an alteration. Tuki istme of the type to do it only once at a meeting. On the right day he plods along at the same pace all the way, jumping excellently, having only one objeptive— to get there. His Northern second was an excellent effort, considering the time. Brigadier Bill failed to "draw" a fence right in the Northern, but in the hack event the last day he was going a lot better when he toppled. His owner . thought the reverse way round had something to do with his poor showing, but the best reason iat. the 1 climbing of the hill. That's thei part tq try them out. . > On the flat at Trentham, he should do better, but staying it right but is another thing. : . : ; 1 A young horse, Wiltshire, is going to make a success, but it .may be next season before he. comes into his own; He knocks himself about a lot during

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a race, taking chances, but It must be said for him that he keeps on going when he belts a fence. A; lean-framed horse, this season's racing should fill him out, ■ arid, if. given a fair chance, he will '' pay for the easy treatment next winter. . , • Wedding March and Pouri are . two that will be in the limelight, but they may just miss reaching the best class this winter. . Passin' Through does not like Ellerslie — there are no two ways about it. He is getting to the veteran stage, but rightly placed will win. But Trentham does not hold out rosy prospects for him'.. ■ Comical was going well when he ran off in the Northern, but when he completed the course the last day he was beaten to the wide. * He may win a steeplechase, but when that day *arrives he will .^deserve it — and the. rest will deserve condemnation. i ■ are- in^tho . habit of glossing- over, the prospects of southern Kbrses; in either flat or jumping races* but there ; is at, least one down that way wh'jch will be respected thia year. fc'JfLe'.'yia' Wharncliff, recently pur.chase.d by Steve, Barrett to win him the prize of his life— a National. '.Wharncliff is a good horse, , and; natural jumper that, he is, the big fences will — or, at least, should— be to his' order. . x .''.... ' In the last twenty years; the south has only won ' two Nationals. This year, they have a horse thfc,t may break the run of outs. ' i Winning over Wingatul country and over Trentham fences are two very different things, Thus The Babe, which scored in ; the Otago Steeplechase, will have a totally altered task if he comes to Trentham, There' will be pace all the, way and the fences will not give him any advantage. - Riccarton will be more to his liking, but then two or three others will appreciate it just as much and they, incidentally, have more toe. On the information that can be gleaned at this stage, there is the likelihood ' of Trentham having a good average jumping meeting. The class will not be anything to talk about, but it will be the best that is about. ■ ;* '■ . It is reasonable to expect a number to feel the effects of the racing— and .then; what of the National? Present indications, as the weather man has it, are for a poor lot. . "Truth" expresses the hope that-^ like the weather man, on numerous occasions — this prediction may prove to be wrong. . UIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH