SOME NOTABLE HUNTERS

Taranaki Daily News, 29 August 1930, Page 5

SOME NOTABLE HUNTERS

LAST SEASON'S WINNERS HIGHEST HONOURS ACHIEVED. ON FLAT AND OVER OBSTACLES. A review of the past seasons racing results should impress on the racegoer the important part played by horses which emanated from the hunting field. Not only have hunters won many of the most important steeplechase and hurdle races, but several have played their part ’liobly and well on the flat. Pride of place naturally is given to that gallant little mare, Aurora Borealis, winner of the Great Northern Steeplechase, the Wanganui Century Hurdle Race, and many other important steeplechases and hurdle races, to cap all by scoring a clear-cut victory in this year’s New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase. A mere handful, she ran with some success on the flat before being put to jumping. Her hurdling was fair, and what die lacked in inches she made up for in a natural ability to fence cleverly. It was the object of bringing out that favourable feature that Mr. F. R. Waller, after several disappointments with the colours up, decided to give her more experience in the hunting field, and she joined up with the Manawatu Hunt. The improvement effected was remarkable. Afterwards she rarely put a foot wrong, and last season quickly ran through the hack hurdlers’ class, and finished up . with ti.e highest honours in open hurdle and steeplechase ranks. She may not be the best hurdler in the Dominion, but there is no doubt that she stands supreme amongst our steeplechasers. And how does she do it? That little, square-built mare? Simply because she has “brains.” 'She is clever—and then she jumps like a cat. Her record during the past season is worth recording. It reads: — Ist. Styx Hurdles, Grand National meeting. 2nd. Tokomaru Hurdles, Manawatu summer meeting. Ist. Tiritea Hurdles, Manawatu summer meeting. Ist. Hack Hurdles, Marton summer meeting. 2nd. Second Hack Hurdles, Marton summer meeting. Ist. Hack Hurdles, Ashhurst-Pohan-gina meeting. Ist.' Kairanga Hurdles, Manawatu autumn meeting.

Ist. Adamson Steeple, Egmont winter meeting. Ist. Century Hurdles, Wanganui winter meeting. 3rd. Great Northern Hurdles, Auckland winter meeting. .

Ist. Great Northern Steeples, Auckland winter meeting.

Ist. Winter Steeples, Auckland winter meeting. 2nd. Wellington Steeples. ■Summary: 9 wins, 14. plaeings, £3,785 in stakes. Next in point of winnings comes Ponjola. The showy son of Taunaha is an even more striking product of the hunting field, and if unsoundness had not caused interruptions, he might have done even better. His last season s racing was done in the early spring, and after a long spell he returned to the track to win honours in open company in the late autumn. His record short, but good: — Ist. Hunt Cup Steeples, Poverty Bay Hunt. Ist. Hawke's Bay Hunt Cup Steeples. Ist. Waikato' Hunt Club Steeples. Ist. Egmont Steeples, Egmont winter meeting. ’ . ’ Ist. Wanganui Steeples, M anganui winter meeting. Ist. Hawke’s -Bay Steeples, Hawke’s Bay winter meeting. Summary: G wins, 8 plaeings, £1,646 in stakes. Then comes the Taranaki favourite, Omeo. Starting off with a win at the Taranaki Hunt meeting last year, he went on to win in better company over hurdles and bigger fences, and proved himself one of the finest jumpers of the year. He paid his way handsomely, but his record would have been very much better had not unfortunate mishaps interfered with his preparation on the eve of several important events. However, he is a young horse, and his futuro prospects are very 'bright. His principal performances last season were as follows: — Ist. Maiden Hunters’ Steeples, Taranaki Hunt meeting. Ist. Hunters’ Hurdles, Waikato Hunt meeting. Ist. Rahotu Hurdles, Taranaki summer meeting. Ist. Karere Hurdles, Manawatu autumn meeting. Ist. Autumn Steeples, A.R.C. autumn meeting. 2nd. Great Northern Steeples, A.R.C. winter meeting. Summary: 5 wins, 6 plaeings, £1,310 in stakes. A good all-rounder, and one not unknown to Taranaki sportsmen, is the Aucklander, Pompeius. This horse qualified with the hunt last season, and after winning in that class over steeplechase fences, went on to hold his own with good hacks, second class and first class flat racers. Ilis list is a good one:— Ist. Hunters’ Steeples, A.R.C. spring meeting. 3rd. Waikato Hunt Steeples. Ist. Maniapoto Hack Cup, Te Kuiti. Ist. Nolan Hack Cup, Hawera. Ist. Midhirst High-Weight, Stratford. Ist. Toko High-Weight, Stratford. Ist. Rotorua Cup. Ist. Puketaha High-Weight, Waikato autumn meeting. Summary: 8 wins, 9 plaeings, £1,930 in stakes. We now take a jump to the South to greet Snowfall, an old but little raced hunter, and a son of Balboa. There are few finer fencers in New Zealand, and he performed well at the recent Grand National meeting. Snowfall has been regularly hunted, and for some years has been a popular figure at Otago race meetings. Last year’s performances include the following:— • , . 3rd. Otago Hunt Cup. 'Steeples. I ■

Ist. Gardner Hunt Steeples, Birchwood meeting. 3rd. Aparima Steeples, Wairio ingIst. Southland Steeples. 2nd. Invercargill Steeples. Ist. Wingatui Steeples, Dunedin winter meeting. Ist. Dunedin Steeples, Dunedin winter meeting. , . Summary: 4 wins, 7 placings, £Baojn stakes. , , , Mr. W. H. Gaisford’s well-known hunter, Democratic, commenced in hunter*’ ranks at the Grand National meeting last season, and finished up by ■winning twice in open hurdle company at Wanganui. He did not always run up to ■expectations, but is a clever hurdler, and has pace above the average. Last season’s record read: ■ Ist. Hunters’ Hurdles, Grand National meeting. Ist. Lepperton Hurdles, Taranaki Hunt meeting. ' , Ist, Hunter*’ Elat, Taranaki Hunt meeting. 3rd. Ladies’ Bracelet, Waikato Hunt iii6ctin rr . 3rd. Kowhai Hack Handicap, Feilding Jubilee meeting. Ist. Okaiawa Hurdles, Egmont summer meeting. 2nd. High-Weight Handicap, Manawatu summer meeting. 3rd. Hack Cup Handicap, AshhurstPohangina meeting. 2nd. Okoke Hurdles, Taranaki autumn meeting. Ist. Westmere Hurdles, Wanganui autumn mee/ting. Ist. Fordell Hurdles, Wanganui autumn meeting. 3rd. Hack Steeples, Egmont winter meeting. Summary: 0 wins, 12 placings, £Bob in stakes.

And many more good hunters might bo detailed as above if space permitted. Sea Comet proved himself a fine famper of hurdles and “country,” 'but was unlucky. And then 'there were good ones like Waitaunaha, Calithe, Mashoor, Askari, Master Rowley, Lueess, Wilmoreana, Rakauponga (winner of three hurdle races on end), Son o’ Mine, Barrington, Ngahue, Fresh Breeze, Jiu Jazz, (Pildmai, Mandate, Copey, .Postman, Maiilos, Trouble,’Risk, Qorncroff, [Kala-

kaua, Red Heather, Tractarian, etc. They come from all quarters, all jumpers owing much of their ( ability to experience in the hunting fi'eli'