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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; : --: -: . ' ;

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTR19290613.2.42.20

Bibliographic details

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

Word Count
489

TOP WEIGHTS AGAIN FAIL NZ Truth, Issue 1228, 13 June 1929, Page 13

TOP WEIGHTS AGAIN FAIL NZ Truth, Issue 1228, 13 June 1929, Page 13