TOP WEIGHTS AGAIN FAIL

NZ Truth, Issue 1228, 13 June 1929, Page 13

TOP WEIGHTS AGAIN FAIL

I . . . ■ Alteration In The Minimum May Ease The Position PACE TOO SEVERE THESE DAYS (From "N.Z. Truths Special Auckland Eepresentative) . It is, becoming" a debatable point whether the minimum should not be raised m connection with the Great Northern Steeplechase.

17ACT is, tiiat of late years, 1 those 1 1 4 handicapped at under lOst. have had all the best of matters, and it may not be unreasonable.' to consider 1 the raising of the minimum to at least 9'st. 101 b., or, even lOst. ,■ • . . .• .. And while on- this point it should also be worthy of consideration 'whether , there should not be some reasonable fixed. maximum .;imp;ost. ■.;.; „■■ ■ : . ' . Of '/the last eight /big cross- ■ country contests oV.er the Ellferslie _ : hill.no fewer^ than six victors have' been favored with, imposts aftogether too' light to give the tbpweights any reasonable chance of : success. ■■■ '•• ■ .; ■■■■■■,- '..'."■.■, ,- -,- At least three of the half-dozen coh 7 tests referred to have been won m very easy style, viz., ' those of Beau; Cavalier (9.7) m 1927, .Glendowie (9.7)---in 1928, and .tJralla (9.0) m 1929. . ; it is true Kaitere (12.13), Coalition (12.5), ; The Guard 7(12.3), Lfevanter (12.1), Waimai (12.0), and Macaroni (1210) have figured among the winners, during the 45 years the race : has been run, but m the majority of those years , there was nothing like the pace set that there is nowadays, ...wliile of late years the Eller'slie steeplechase- course is ■ more m favor of ; the medium fencer . with pace. ■'"".' .- '.' x - - Coalition. certainly niade good time (8.7) fbr one with such a big load as • 12i5, w-hile Waimai's 8.12 . was crediti able with 12pt. aboard, but the qthei'S ! with big loads took'from Smiris. 18secs. ■ to 9mins. 19secs. to conipiete the trip.

As for Coalition he was a super 'chaser at his best, while Waimai also was what could be termed a genuine fencer. ' ■.'"•:'■' ■ ..',' Nevertheless, it is very doubtful •if either of these, could carry theirbig burdens and succeed against the lightly-weighted division of late ... years. ■ ' ' ' . - ' : -/< . ■. '• .'- ■ ■ ■.■ ■ ■ Take Beau Cavalier and Glendowie, . for instance, .as argument against 'the present minimum' being altogether too lOW-. : ■'■ 'l. ■'■'•':".:■-■' ■■'■■' -"' '';' ■ ' ' '■" ' ' In 1927 Beau ' Cavalier, won m hollow fashion with 9.7 "and after; also taking the Wellington and Grand National Steeplechases m the same year, felt his. burden^ of 12:2', m 1928, and/jthis after capturing, the . Northern Hurdles with 9;2 two. days previously— -thus ' showing that he was in| form. ■ In 1928 Glendowie (9.7) won easily by eight' lengths, yet m 192 9 with 11.4 he can do no; better than a bad sixth— tho last to finish. It certainly seems : that the weights are up. against it these days 'to. capture a Northern Steeplechase so long as the minimum .remains as at present.,' ,■ ;. '" .''•■". .. ■",'■'." The tendency to "set" reasonable jumpers with speed for the Eilc~slia cross-country prize is all m. favor of the light-weights and "N.Z. Truth" hones the club will' go -.sw/uuisiy iiuo the . matter of a minimum .iincl iimximum impost; : --: -: . ' ;