IN THE SOUTH

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 86, 2 July 1927, Page 6

IN THE SOUTH

WELLINGTON NOTES CROWN COIN’S FUTURE “WILL MAKE GOOD NATIONAL CANDIDATE” (.Special to THE SUIT.) ELLINGTON, Friday. The weather in the Wellington area has taken a turn for the better, and there is now some prospect of the course being in something like decent order for the Wellington meeting, which opens here on July 12. However, even if no more rain falls the going will be heavy. Trentham course is one of those tracks which consist partly of made ground, and therefore becomes either exceptionally fast or very boggy. Good drainage in recent years has done a lot to improve the winter conditions, but cannot altogether eliminate them. So those who

want to back a winner at a Wellington winter meeting are always on the safe side in looking for something which has proved its ability to plough through the mud. Hokioi’s Weakness

Trentham was not strongly represented by horses at the East Coast meetings, but two who were there were Uokioi and Matu, Hokioi contesting steeplechases and Matu hurdle events. Hokioi, after his success at Napier .Park, had a solid following for his engagements at Hastings. As usual, he jumped fairly well throughout his races, but his inability to stay prevented him from winning. He was going well on the first day of the Hawke’s Bay meeting when he toppled over three furlongs from home. On the second day he looked a possibility at the weights, but in his race he never gave the impression that he would beat Woden. There was not much between them at the last fence, but Woden was going much the better of the pair. In fact, Hokioi travelled so slowly over the ground separating the last fence from the winning post that Sanforte gave him a start and beat him home. Hokioi, on these showings, is not improving as a stayer, and can only be considered in the future for steeplechases run over short courses.

About Banjuke Although Banjuke won the steeplechase at the Hawke’s Bay Hunt meeting, he did nothing to indicate that he is ever likely to win a good race over country. He is a fine jumper, and he had the assistance of one of the best of New Zealand’s crosscountry horsemen, H. McSweeney. McSweeney nursed him all the way, and got him home by a head from Woden, after giving one of the finest exhibitions of steeplechase jockeyship seen for many a day. Next time the pair met Woden easily turned the tables. Banjuke will always be worthy of consideration in his own class and over short distances, but his class is not the best.

One Who Shirks The elderly Wairarapa trainer, R. Knox, is endeavouring to make a steeplechaser of Sir Wai, but Sir Wai is objecting strenuously. Sir Wai has never been anything out of the ordinary on the flat, but he lias shown a great partiality for heavy going, and on that account if he would jump well he would have a chance of picking up a bit of money in hack steeplechases. However, he has taken a strong dislike to the game, and runs off on every possible opportunity. This was his complaint last season, and yet, when kept on the course one day, he scored in great style, and naturally paid a good price. He got off at one of the fences when racing at Hastings last week, and the next; day 11. Gordon was tried on him, and this rider had a big fight with him to keep him on. He was practically off at the stand double, but to Gordon’s credit it must be said that he pulled him back and drove him over. Sir Wai is a possibility in the near future, and on account of his propensity for slipping off the course he will be at a remunerative price whenever he lines up. Woden is Tough A tough little steeplechaser is Woden, and, contrary to the expectations of some of those who had seen him run at Napier Park, he has improved with racing. It took Banjuke, who had been well schooled, well prepared, and who was excellently handled, all his time to beat him very narrowly at the Hawke’s Bay Hunt meeting, and the next time the pair came together Woden was so much better that he simply waited on Banjuke to the last fence, and then romped away from him. He appeared in open company on the following day, and won more easily than he had won before. The open company he defeated was by no means strong, but Woden could do no more than win, and he won in a manner which suggests that he is a strong possibility for other events in company of a similar strength. He is not big, and a bit of weight might make a lot of difference to him, but he is very fit, a good jumper, a good finisher, and a game sort. In the same stable as Woden is Kovno, and she too proved on the East Coast circuit that she will have to be reckoned with among the minor steeplechasers. Kovno gave a fine exhibition of fencing on the last day at Hastings, but while her stablemate was always near the front, she was well back. She finished well. Poor But Honest

One of the poorest-looking horses at Napier Park and Hastings was Peshwa.

The son of Illiad’s Hero is not a good traveller, and he feeds very badly when away from home. Of this he showed distinct signs, particularly at Hastings, where the effects of under-eating appeared to be telling on him. Cui'iously, however, he ran good races—better races as his condition disappeared. He ran much below his form at Napier Park, but no one regarded his display as his true form, so he was well backed in his starts at Hastings. At the Hawke’s Bay Hunt meeting he ran second to Perle de Leon, and on the first day of the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club’s fixture he was backed to beat his conqueror, but the task was beyond him. However, he did well to run second, for he fell on his nose after landing over the last hurdle, and then scrambled to his feet and beat Peneus out of second money. Produced again on the last day, he had no Perle de Leon to encounter, and after allowing several to lead him to the home turn he finished with great dash and won very easily from an outsider in Blissfulness, and a favourite in Calluna. Peshwa is not robust enough to lump big weights, but he is a tough customer, and has stood up well to some hard racing and unsparing thrashings of late.

Still Improving Easily the best steeplechaser seen on the East Coast circuit is Crown Coin, who won both the Napier and the Hawke’s Bay steeplechases. His trainer appears to be going the right way so far to make a good steeplechase horse of him, and he might win a big race with him this season or next. Crown Coin is not a fast jumper, but he is pretty safe, as he is better than the spectacular sorts inasmuch as he gets out of difficulties very neatly. In this respect he showed marked cleverness at both Napier Park and Hastings. He stays on too well for the average steepplecnaser, and in the longer races which are to be run at the Wellington and Canterbury winter gatherings in July and August he will be running on when many of the others have cried enough, provided the country does not trouble him. He has something to learn yet about fencing, but I heard a man who has ridden raajiy miles in steeplechase events say, after witnessing his two successes on the East Coast, that if Crown Coin does not master the Riccarton country he will admit that he is no judge of a jumper. This authority, in fact, holds the opinion that if he goes on the right way, and receives the correct preparation between now and the racing at Riccarton in August, he will be the hardest of all the prospective candidate to beat in the Grand National Steeplechase.