G.N. HURDLES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 127, 31 May 1937, Page 4

G.N. HURDLES

CANDIDATES DISCUSSED LORD VAL PREFERRED JOLLY BEGGAR’S WEIGHT (Special to “Chronicle.”) AUCKLAND, May 29. With the Great Northern Hurdles now only a week away—it is to be run at Ellerslie on Saturday next - ana all the preliminary meetings now over, one should be in a position to give a critical analysis ol the prospects of the twenty candidates engaged. At Te Rapa the going was sott and very good indeed lor winter racing, but it will be vastly different at Ellerslie in the event of the weather performing as it did for so many weeks prior to the Waikato fixture. Then again the Te Rapa Hurdles were fairly stiff, but not so difficult as those erected at Auckland’s headquarters, and the going there is right-handed, a factor which is serious when dealing with the chances of visiting horses from beyond the Auckland district. One of the autumn finds of the hurdlers was undoubtedly Royai Mimic, who took his double at Awapuni last month in impressive style, and he might have been regarded as one of the best of the southerners to be entered for the big Ellerslie event. Now he has missed the chance of racing right-handed at Te Awamutu througn the abandonment of the fixture there, and while schooling at Te Rapa two days before that meeting he went amiss and was unable to start. His engagement has not been continued. The stable has another good hurdler in Collision, yet apparently he was not thought worthy of a nomination in the Great Northern Hurdles. •

Harking back to last week-end’s racing, the star actors among the hurdlers were admittedly Lord Vai, Jolly Begger and Collision. Lord Vai's performance was one of merit, for although he just scraped home from Jolly Beggar, it has to be remembered that this was his first race over the sticks for seven months. Of course the position is about the same with the South Islander and it may be the weight factor that will be the deciding element in the Great Northern Hurdles. The majority of those who saw this race last Saturday would immediately seize upon Jolly Beggar as next to a “good thing” lor tne big race next week, and there is something in that contention —even if these so-called good things are meant to be beaten in 95 per cent, of cases. It is interesting to recall that in the Great Northern Hurdles Jolly Beggar was weighted at 11.13 and Lord Va¥9.2, the latter thus receiving 391 b. At Te Rapa Lord Vai was in receipt of 321 b., so The problem confronting the Auckland handicapper was interesting. Handicapper’s Problems

Should the going at Ellerslie be no worse than it was last Saturday then there would be ample justification for naming Jolly Beggar as the potential victor, but with real winter conditions his task will be very difficult, as the records indicate. Of course he is a rare stayer, while Lord Vai has yet to prove himself in this connection over hurdles, but as a Cornwall Handicap winner two years ago he should be able to stay any distance. In Ellerslie’s mud it has often been proved that with two horses fighting it out over the last couple of fences, one with some weight and the other down near the bottom, the latter has a wonderful pull. That is where Lord Vai may still have it on the South Islander. Passing Collision’s efforts over because he is not a Great Northern candidate, the form of the other hurdlers at Te Rapa was anything but impressive. Erination seems to have enough weight now to steady him; yet his form last week-end was too bad to be true. Sandy Dix is open to improvement and is a decided light weight prospect but he will probably race at Wanganui. Huskie stays well and his fourth on Monday was good, for he was on the rails most of the way and so got somewhat the worst of things until he pulled out and went round. He has 121 b. less and he stays. Prince of Orange Prince of Orange was plodding along in both his latest outings and if there are the usual crop of mishaps next Saturday he may once again be in a position to take advantage of them. Master Musk has not been produced of late so he cannot be right. The only other possibility seen out last week was Tout le Monde, who was produced on Monday only. He lost a few lengths at the barrier and afterwards ran up handy to be in the bunch behind the leaders at the turn, where he weakened. Perhaps he may do better at Ellerslie. Going through the list of those likely to run on Saturday, Lord Vai still seems the pick and he will only need to stay to be difficult. If it is wet his prospects will be enhanced, but on a fairly dry track jolly Beggar must be given a chance. That’s as near to it as one cares to go just now.