AN EXCELLENT DISPLAY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19846, 21 May 1927, Page 4

AN EXCELLENT DISPLAY

WANGANUI STEEPLECHASE RACE Promising Chaser From Hawke’s Bay

Tho elevon contestants in the Wanganui Steeplechase provided a fine spectacle as they kept pretty well together for the first two and a-half miles of the race, all jumping splendidly. It was an interesting race for supremacy over the big fences, and the pleasure of witnessing such a fine struggle was not altogether dimmed by reason of the fact that two outsiders should be the horses to recuperate the plucky investors. Eight of the eleven completed the course, Peter Rosa crashng at the hencoop with nearly half tho journey covered and putting the obstacle out of alignment, and this was in a large measure responsible for the favourite, Comical, falling when commencing his run in the third and final round. ]t was also a. hencoop that caused Hallowmorn to blunder and injure himself sufficiently to warrant H. McSweeney pulling him up.

Comical’s Debut. Comical, winner of the last Grand National Hurdles, was making his first appearance over country, but this did not prevent backers sending him out a good-priced favourite. He stripped a picture, too, and this, together with flattering accounts of the manner in which he had been schooling, encouraged his admirers. Whether Comical would have won had ho stood up is problematical. The odds were against him.

He was always in the van for the first couple of miles, despite the fact that he faltered at the brush fence at the two furlongs the first time round, and the second time he nearly came down at this same obstacle. It was then that he lost ground, and setting out on the last mile he was well back in sixth place. It was when making his run entering the back stretch that he fell and was out of the race. Up to this Comical was pulling hard, and his rider appeared to be fighting with him to keep him from running himself out. Will Do Better. Although he fell, Comical can be looked to to make a name for himself ever the big fences. He is in tho Groat Northern Steeplechase with 11.9, but if he pulls like he did at Wanganui it is extremely doubtful whether he will last the journey. Still, the hill may steady him willy nilly. Maunga’s success was a genuine surprise, for it was a long time since he had won a race. Apparently he likes a journey, for he was third in the last Grand National Hurdles. The manner in which he shaped on Thursday suggested that he is taking kindly to the bigger obstacles, and that he should win, as did Landbird two years ago, ajt his first public appearance in a steeplechase must be very encouraging to his party. So once more has Hawke ’s Bay introduced a promising steeplechaser. Great Northern Prospects. Maunga’s rider, A. Griffiths, rode his mount at every fence, and he got over each time with little trouble. On a course like Riccarton, however, he might be bothered, but it is always on the cards that he will improve sufficiently to win even a Grand National. In the meantime ho will have a chance to win further honours in the near future, for he figures in both the G.N. Hurdles and tho G.N. Steeplechase at Ellerslie. He has 9.9 and 9.6 rcspcc-

tively in these events, plus what penalty the handicapper feels disposed to place upon him for Thursday’s win. Bonny Rill ran a surprisingly fine race, and in getting to within half a length of Maunga she accomplished the best performance of her career. She is a good jumper, and has won both over hurdles and country. H. Gordon had her always near the leaders. Bonny Rill is not engaged in the big Ellerslie events. Plodded Along. Gilgai was not in great demand, despite his success at Hawera. He has never looked better, and to run into third place was no mean performance. That he has not much pace he showed in the run home, for he could make no impression on the two in front of him. and indeed they went away from him. On the other hand Gilgai is a splendid jumper, and throughout the race never put a* foot wrong. Omahu ran a fairly good race, and it was noticed that he was running along at the finish. He was in the middle of the field during the greater part of the contest, but whether he is good enough once more to run into a place in the Great Northern Steeplechase is one of l those problems that will only be solved on the day. At Ellerslie he will have eight pounds less to carry, and with Thursday’s race in him he might be all the better.

Passiu’ Through Falls. As expected the pace was too warm for Passin’ Through, who was given a chance over the three miles. With H. Burt on the favourite the southern rider E. Shaw was put aboard. The Taranaki representative was handy enough for most of the journey, and yet he failed to produce a finishing effort. He might have been fourth, but he was not hunted along and Omahu was allowed to pass him. Passin’ Through will have, a stone less to carry in the Great Northern Steeplechase. Peter Maxwell was prominent for the first mile, and’ from then on he began to drift, until he was the last to finish, excepting Birkenella, who could be said to have headed the “second division’’ so far back was he. Tuki, too, was very disappointing, considering the fact that he had raced over the big fences in the far South as much as six ‘weeks ago. He could not keep with the field over the first two miles, and the fact that he did improve a bit towards the end was not over encouraging. Peter Rosa’s Exit. It was a bad jump that brought about the fall and subsequent despatch of Peter Rosa to the happy hunting ground for horses, wherever that may be. His shoulder was badly injured, and although the horse was standing for some time afterwards he had to be given the friendly bullet. This did nut eventuate until some time later, for at tho time some of those with tho horse considered that ho had a chance of recovering, but it was a vain hope. PetriRosa was going quite well at the time, albeit it was too early in the piece to say that he would have played a prominent part, or otherwise.

Hallowmorn was a cot case when pulled up. Comical did not appear to be any the worse for his fall. Birkenella was only a shadow of the Birkenella who scored in tho Wellington Stoelechasc.