NATIONAL FANCIES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 749, 23 August 1929, Page 13

NATIONAL FANCIES

A surprising feature of the meeting was the downfall of Overhaul, Mister Gamp and King Balboa, whose previous form had indicated that they were performers with excellent credentials for their Riccarton engagements. Mister Gamp’s Century and Great Northern victories entitled him to be ranged as the horse of the hour. Overhaul’s Wellington successes suggested that he would again be Mister Gamp’s most formidable rival at Riccarton, while King Balboa’s southern form led many to believe that he would walk away with the Winter Cup. But one by one these champions fell by the wayside, and their failures must have been costly to bettors. It was known that Mister Gamp had been suffering from kidney trouble after the Wellington meeting, but. he had done so well after his arrival at Riccarton that there were few track watchers who did not warm to his National Hurdles chance. Strange to relate, however, he ran a long way below the form that enabled him to win the Great Northern in record time, but it would be unwise to accept his form on its face value, and perhaps after all. he is suffering a temporary lapse. But in Overhaul’s case, his form must be very perplexing to his immediate connections. After running a good race in the Jumpers* Flat on the opening day of the carnival, it was expected that he would show considerable improvement in the National. He certainly stripped a fitter horse in the latter event, but his running was not in keeping with his Trentham exploits, where he had put a stop to Mister Gamp’s all-conquering run. Apparently, the Tractor gelding has begun to feel the effects of his strenuous racing, but with a let up he may come back fit to oppose New Zealand’s best hurdlers. After all, overhaul is only a novice hurdler. He made his first appearance over hurdles only this jumping season, and to succeed in winning two of the rich jumping plums at Wellington, he did exceptionally well. Next year Overhaul may develop into one of our best hurdlers.