JUMPERS AT AWAPUNI

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 164, 17 July 1946, Page 6

JUMPERS AT AWAPUNI

INDIAN SIGN WON HIS THIRD ’CHASE Winner of the Wanganui Guineas at the Marton course in September, 1942. Indian Sign won the July Steeplechase at Awapuni on Saturday, scoring- decisively at the finish, though he was doing his best. At the finish of the three-mile journey, Indian Sign was tired, but so were his opponents, and as he was the most favoured candidate on the lotalisator, his success was popular. JI is win did not come out of turn, but as lie is engaged in the Grand Xational Steeplechase he must now be seriously considered for the big cross-country event at Rieearton next month.

Saturday’s success was not th; first steeplechase win for India! Sign, but it was the first time ii four starts this season that he ha; scored. Last season he had only three races for two wins and on; failure. In his first start over Hit big fences he won the Combine.: Clubs’ Steeplechase at the Ashhurst and Marton Jockey Clubs meeting at Marton, and then went on to Ellerslie to win the Tantaki Hack Steeplechase by a narrow margin. A fortnight later he failed to gain a place in the Manawatu Steeplechase, won by Foxiana. Indian Sign is young as ’chasers go, for he is still a six-year-old, so he has plenty of time to make a name lor himself over the big obstacles. He is a bay gelding by Bulandshar from the Paper Money mare Countersign, dam also of Bailynokane and Pnaleron Sign, and also of Linguist, Reorapa’s dam. He is raced by Mr. P. Curtis, of Wellington, lor whom he is trained by T. it. George at Opaki. There was an element of luck in Indian Sign's success, for a faulty jump by Red Glare six furlongs from home resulted in interference to Tideover, at that stage a likely contender. Tideover actually linished second, three lengths behind Indian Sign, but whether she would have beaten the favourite with an uninterrupted run is a matter of opinion. A week earlier Indian Sign had finished second to Red Glare in the Metropolitan Steeplechase, 20 lengths behind the winner and almost as far ahead of Abbey Lu. A feature of his display on Saturday, as in his earlier efforts, was that he jumped carefully, and a horse that makes no errors at the obstacles will always win his fair share of cross-country events. Indian Sign has 9.11 in the Grand National Steeplechase, and that is a handy weight for an aspirant for major honours in big steeplechases. He should handle Riecarton going well, for he appeared to appreciate the softer track last Saturday better than he did the firm going a week earlier. i * ♦ * Tideover, runner-up to Indian Sign, was a winner at Te Rapa in May and again scored at that course at the end of June, but in the Metropolitan Steeplechase at Awapuni she was never in. the picture, being last of the five that finished. A change of riders may have been responsible for the improvement, as C. A. Bowry was on the Tiderace mare on Saturday instead of F. Paul. Tideover was just ranging up with Indian Sign to challenge Red, Glare when the latter struck the sodwall six furlongs from home. Indian Sign was instantly clear, but Tideover .collided with Red Glare and almost pulled up. Before she could be got going again Indian Sign had increased his lead to a dozen lengths, and Tideover could not bridge the gap. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Red Glare's usual pilot, J. Fagan, was in the saddle in the July Steeplechase, but. conditions were against the topweight, who found the task of carrying 12.4 in puggy going too much for him. Still, the Rocket gelding gave a brilliant display of jumping while he lasted, leading for practically two miles. It was only at the board fence near the half-mile that Red Glare made a doubtful jump the first time. This was the obstacle at which he was noticed to be uncertain durin? the running of the Metropolitan Steeplechase a week earlier, but he jumped it in his stride the second time round on Saturday. Red Glare was tirin' l ' when he blundered at the sodwall, and it might have been that he would have been overtaken by Indian Sign and Tideover even without the error. Still, a horse out in front has always 1o be caught, and Red Glare would not lose any friends as a result of his defeat. It is to be hoped that he has not suffered any ill effects as a result of his mistake, though he anoeared to be rather distressed when he competed the course, well in the rear of the he'd. • ♦ ♦ • Opal town had a lot of ground to make un ove" the final circuit in the July Steenlechase. but he was going well a mile from home and gave every indication of his ability to make a forward move when his rider

.decided to lodge his claim. Opaltown ran up to Authoress crossing the top, and the pair followed Indian | probably do him good. He is enISign and Tideover into the straight. I Over the concluding stages he was’ going as well as anything else, tired as they all were, and the race would gaged in the Grand National Steeples, but it would ncX be surprising to find him contesting one of the minor 'chases before then. | • Gay Rouen completed. the course in the July Steeplechase, a feat which the Gay Boy gelding had been unable to do in either the Manawatu Steeplechase last month or the Metropolitan Steeplechase last Saturday week. Probably over a journey a little shorter he may be expected to play a more prominent part. * * * * Abbey Lu is not one of the dashing type of ’chasers, and on his two displays at Awapuni his only likelihood of winning a Grand National would be as a result of his opponents’ blunders. It is a pity lhat Authoress is troubled by soreness as she would otherwise rank as one of the most consistent ’chasers in commission. She can generally be depended on to jump carefully, but will have to be taken on trust as she mav not stand up to racing much longer. ♦ » • Golden Tide had too much pace on the flat for lhe other contestants in the Hack and Hunters’ Steeplechase at Awapuni last Saturday, and this enabled her to wear down High Morale in the run home after blundering at the board fence at the half-mile. Trained by J. J. Waller at Awapuni, Golden Tide has frequently promised to be hard to beat in useful fields on the flat and in hack hurdle races, only to disappoint. With, age she is thickening out and may come into her own in steeplechase events. High Morale created a good impression by beating all but Golden Tide in the hack ’chase last Saturday, i This Bulandshar gelding is from the I stable of A. M. Wright, capable mentor of jumpers, and it is on the cards I that in High Morale he has in the i making a jumper of the highest class. I At any rate, few ’chasers could have I gone such a good race as High Mor- | ale did on Saturday on the lightest l of preparations.