King's Jest and Taumai Were Best Hurdlers

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 996, 12 June 1930, Page 14

King's Jest and Taumai Were Best Hurdlers

Mister Gamp May Win Soon

It was not only the steeplechase class at Ellerslie recently that was weak. The hurdlers were about on a par with the cross-country performers, but as was the case in that direction, there were a couple of bright spots. Summed up, they were King’s Jest and Taumai. This goes to indicate that there were plenty of disappointments. The good schooling tasks indulged in by King’s Jest prepared many for his succees in the Great Northern Hurdles, but all the same there were many critics, who were mainly guided by the records in the supposition that a maiden hurdler, on his initial appearance at Ellerslie. could not win the Great Northern Hurdles. True, it had been done only once before, Cynic being the horse that confused the critics. Proven King’s Jest came, he saw, and he conquered, and in doing so proved himself the exception that but served to prove the rule. The Greenmeadows trained jumper is endowed with plenty of pace, and it was perhaps fortunate that events framed themselves as they did. In giving the mount at the last minute to R. Syme, the owner had a lot in his favour, for it will be generally agreed that in this horseman they had one perhaps a better rider than E. Stanway, who was engaged earlier. That without in any way offending the latter. Stanway has not had a great deal of luck in his riding of late, and the ho-doo hanging over him was maintained to the last—which was when Sir Archie gave him a toss that effectively prevented him from taking the mount on King’s Jest. Hence the last minute engagement of Roy Syme. Jumped Well In the Great Northern Hurdles. Syme gave King's Jest plenty of time to find his feet, and he was also content not to make his run too soon. He was right up with the field with five furlongs to go, just prior to which he chanced one fence —the only blemish throughout the contest. Over the last hurdle he came with Roman Abbey and he easily beat the Waikato gelding home. On the second day he was nroduced in the hack hurdle class —imagine a Great Northern Hurdle winner coming out two days later and taking on the hacks—and his weight saw him beaten into third. It was something of a come down surely: To get £1,250 for first place and two days afterward £3O for third money. Of course with 12.5 he had something to do, but still he was made favourite. Probably the object in asking him to take on such a stiff task was to give him additional experience rather than with the expectation of getting another good prize. If such was the case the objective gained, for with all his load King’s Jest jumped excellently, although the lightweights ran away from him over the first half mile. Next For King’s Jest King’s Jest has been entered for the Hawke’s Bay Hurdles, to be run on June 21.. but no doubt that engagement all depends on the views of owner and handicapper on the score of weight. Then he may be found listed for the Winter Hurdles at Trentham, on July 12, the final day of the Wellington meeting. It remains to be seen if he will run. On the other hand it is said that he will not be at Trentham, but will be reserved for the Grand National Hurdles in mid-August. Whatever the programme mapped out for the King Mark gelding, jockey Roy Syme wil be found in the saddle. However, plans are only made to be

changed, and it would not be surprising to find trainer W. McKinnon producing Mr. Ormond’s fine jumper before the National rolls around. The Hawke’s Bay district in the past has furnished the Turf with some doughty performers both on the flat and over hurdles and the bigger fences, and King’s Jest may take rank with the best of them before the curtain is run down on the present jumping season, which practically ends with the Grand National meeting. Taumai’s Rise to Fame The two early wins of Taumai at Ellerslie were full of merit. He capped this on the third day with a win that could rightly be called fluky, albeit there was no denying the gameness of both horse and rider. He spreadeagled the hack hurdlers the first day, and then treated the best class the same day two days later. It was a treat to see him go out and prove a nuisance to Prince Lu, one of the fastest and greatest jumpers in the country, a horse who could always leave plenty of daylight between himself and the opposition over the early part of his races. He found his match in Taumai on this occasion, however, and the latter beat him at his own game. It was the same on the second and third days. In some ways it was a pity that Taumai was not in the Great Northern Hurdles; he would have made it mighty interesting for King’s Jest and company. At any rate the Te Aroha jumper is class enough to line up with the best over the battens. His ownertrainer does not go far afield these days to race, but it is to be hoped that he will give Taumai further opportunities to distinguish himself. Mr. P. Swney has a more than useful sprinter in the three-year-old filly Honiton; now he has a first class hurdler. Unlucky Mister Gamp In Taumai and King’s Jest the Great Northern meeting introduced two rattling good hurdlers. But it also

went to show that Mister Gamp is not a has-been: indeed, with an ounce of luck he should have won at least one of his engagements. His royal chance in the Great Northern Hurdles was ruined when Wako King brought him down two fences from home, at which his rider was beginning to make a forward move. On the middle day he found it impossible to concede Taumai 301 b, and in running the latter to four lengths at the end of two miles he showed that he is still good. On the final day Mister Gamp had onlv to stand up to win in the farcical Campbell Hurdles contest. Instead, his rider’s impetuosity got the horse into a blind spot coming to the fourth hurdle and over he went. Bowden has lew superiors as a hurdle horseman, but his efforts on Mister Gamp on the first and third days at Ellerslie displayed a lack of judgment. The chestnut appeared to be a bit above himself, all the same, and therefore, he can be expected to be a better horse at Trentham and Riccarton: if he does not win at the former place he may make amends for his last Grand National failure. All Moderates Outside the trio already referred to, the hurdlers seen at the Great Northern meeting were hardly past the moderate class. Prince Lu was obviously not at his best, and Elysianor made only one appearance. That was in the Great Northern Hurdles, when he fell at the sixth hurdle, which was surprising, for he had it well sighted. If he comes down in the weights at all —he is sure to be dropped a. few pounds now—he is a possibility in the big jumping events ahead. Wako King went well for two miles in the Great Northern Hurdles, suggesting that he should win a race up to this distance. On the other hand it has to be borne in mind that there was not a great deal of pace on in that race. Luminary’s Success The two successes scored by Luminary in the hack events were obtained by good jumping. The Bay Comet gelding is endowed with a lot of pace on the flat, and as he runs kindly out out in front, he stays on pretty well for a horse used to making liis own running. He is a promising one, whose efforts in future will be confined to the best hurdle company. Of those that took on the hack hurdle events, probably the best novice was Carlaris, who might have beaten Luminary on the middle day, for he was catching the winner fast at the end. That was his first outing over sticks, and it was certainly a most promising debut. On the final day Carlaris was lying just behind Luminary when he bungled the hurdle near the old five furlongs. He did not take off right, and the crash could be forseen even before it eventuated. However, Carlaris can be ticked off to be an early winner over the battens. A Gisborne Hope It was illuminating to find the Gisborne candidate, Kongo, shaping better each time he raced or schooled over the Ellerslie hurdles. The first time he schooled he finished a long way behind his companions. He gradually improved, however, and a fair race on the second day of the meeting indicated early place money. Indeed, he might have beaten Luminary the last day. He ran up to him coming to the penultimate obstacle, but here pecked, and was beaten into second place. The hurdle class was by no means strong at Ellerslie. but several may do better shortly. The pick of them were King’s Jest, Taumai and Mister Gamp, and Luminary, Carlaris and Kongo among the hacks. This sextet will get some money before the jumping season ends.

SMART FILLY WON CLASSIC ON A PROTEST Trenette, which is now looking well and progresing satisfactorily in her training at Randwick, has had but one run to date. That was in the Gtmcrack Stakes. It will be remembered that Trenette won the Gimcrack on protest from Eulclare, which passed the judge’s box first. Eulclare was beaten into third place shortly after her defeat in the Gimcrack, and she. was then sent for a spell. In five starts since returning from her spell, Eulclare has not been able to fill a place. In view of her failures, it will be interesting to see how Trenette shapes when she sports silk again, comments a Sydney critic. Very often the early two-year-old winners prove disappointing in their later races. Trenette was handicapped at the recent Warwick Earm meeting, but was not ready to take her place in the field for the St. John’s Park Nursery. RACING FIXTURES JUNE 19, 21—-South Canterbury J.C. 20, 21—Hawke's Bay J.C. 25 Egmont-Wanganui Hunt. 27, 2S—Napier Park R.C. 28—Ashburton County R.C. JULY -s—Oamaru J.C. &, 10, iz—Wellington R_C19—Waimate District Hunt. 17. 19—Gisborne R.C. 26 South Canterbury Hunt. 31. August I—Manawatu R.C Winter