THE NATIONAL HURDLES

Southland Times, Issue 25746, 9 August 1945, Page 9

THE NATIONAL HURDLES

Arabian Night And Good Armour conditions’ to suit FAVOURITES

(Special) CHRISTCHURCH, August 8. The state of the going on Saturday promises to be one. of the deciding factors in the decision of the Grand National Hurdles. Several of the more favoured candidates—Good Armour, Arabian Night, Ramillies, Strip and Greek Effort—have demonstrated that they are better suited under heavy conditions. This is certainly so in the case of Good Armour and Arabian Night, which are probably a stone to two stone better horses when they are required to race under the worst possible conditions. There seems little doubt that the going will be heavy. Good Armour will endeavour to emulate the feat of Town Survey in 1943 by completing the treble—the Great Northern Hurdles, the Winter Hurdles at Trentham and the Grand National Hurdles. Good Armour has already won the first two, tire Northern Hurdles with 9.0 J and the Winter Hurdles with 9.11. He has 10.8 in this week’s race. Good Armour is an out-and-out stayer, and although he failed last week it can at least be said of him that he was closer at the finish than any other' stage. The National Hurdles is run over almost five furlongs further. In the Whiter Hurdles he won by only a neck from Arabian Night, when the pair had a great duel over the last half mile. On Saturday Good Armour meets Arabian Night on 71b worse terms compared with their Trentham meeting and lib worse terms compared with their Sydenham Hurdles class, when Arabian Night finished second to Flying Spy and Good- Armour a long way back. The longer journey, however, will find Good Armour much better suited. Arabian Night, too, is a great mudlark and Trentham form suggests that both ■will be in the picture. LAST YEAR’S WINNER Flying Spy, winner of last year’s Grand National Hurdles with 9.1, has 10.8 in this year’s race. She scored a runaway win in the Sydenham Hurdles on Saturday and she now meets Arabian Night on 81b worse terms. Compared with their meeting on Sat-

urday, when Good Armour was not in the picture, he meets Flying Spy on only 31b better terms —which points to the handicapper rating him highly over the longer journey. Flying Spy is a brilliant hurdler and a grand stayer, but unlike the majority of the Hunting Song breed she is not partial to heavy going. The conditions when she won last week, when the sting was out of the going, played right in to her hands, but she will not be so well favoured on Saturday. The fact that a mare of her class has struck form is one point in her favour and she is a danger to any class of field. There is no guarantee that Strip will start. A. E. Didham stated today that only in the event of his making good progress in the next few days will he take his place. Strip has done his recent racing over country, being twice placed at Trentham. The going will not trouble him, and if at his best he will not be out of it. ENGAGED TWICE

Boolamskee is also engaged in the Spreydon Hurdles and a decision has yet to be reached as to which race he will contest. He has not met with much luck in his last two starts and is a better horse than this form makes him out to be. He will have a following if he takes his place in the National Hurdles, while he will be a pronounced favourite for the Spreydon Hurdles if that race is chosen for- him. Ramillies may race more kindly over hurdles than he has done in recent steeplechase events, having refused to complete the course in his last three starts over country. At Ellerslie he finished second to Good Armour- in the Great Northern Hurdles when in receipt of 91b and in Saturday’s race he meets Good Armour on only 11b better terms. Greek Effort may be the best of those near the tail of the handicap, but Arabian Night is at least one which should hold him safely. At this stage Good Armour, Arabian Night and Ramillies have the best credentials.