KILMANAGH AND GAY ROUEN EGMONT STEEPLES DEAD-HEAT

Wanganui Chronicle, 6 May 1947, Page 3

KILMANAGH AND GAY ROUEN EGMONT STEEPLES DEAD-HEAT

Sharp improvement on his AVaverlcy Steeplechase form was shown by Gay Rouen in the Egmont Steeplechase at Hawera on Saturday, when he was left in front seven furlongs fr6in home and never surrendered the lead, though Kilmanagh worried him hard over the final two furlongs and eventually shared the honours in a dead-heat.

Dead-heats arc not infrequent m Hat racing, but they arc seldom registered over the battens oi over the big country. Thus the dead-heat in The Egmont Steeplechase will go down in the records as an unusual result, but it will also be remembered by those who saw the Hawera race as one of the most exciting finishes staged in a steeplechase.

In the Waverley Steeplechase a week earlier Gay Rouen, carrying 10.8, was conceding 161 b to Oemo and was elected an each-way favourite, with Oemo second in request. Only at one stage did Gay Rouen give any indication that he was entitled to favouritism, that being when he moved smartly half a mile from home to trail the two leaders, Last Match and Oemo. At the finish he was not putting any dash into his work, and fourth was the best he could do. There was a different tale to tell at Hawera, the race and the track work of the intervening week having worked improvement in the form of the Gay Boy gelding. Gay Rouen had 9.8 at Hawera, meeting Oemo at 151 b better terms, and it was surprising to find him 5/5 in the betting, with Voltaire, Red Glare, Oemo and Kilmanagh preferred by investors. In the early stages of the Egmont Steeplechase Gay Rouen was bowling along nicely, with Oemo keeping him company, the pair being half a dozen lengths behind Red Glare and Sir Saladin after going six furlongs. When Sir Saladin took over and led through the straight at the >end of a circuit Gay Rouen was almost on terms with Red Glare, and he was left in the iead when Sir Saladin ran off at the obstacle seven furlongs from home. •Gay Rouen went on to give an excellent displav of jumping, until he was joined bv Kilmanagh two fences from home. Having the inside running, he had the edge on his challenger, who was further handicapned when Gay Rouen carried her still further out. Inside the last half-furlong Gav Rouen’s rider lost his whip, and Ki'managh just managed to get up in time to make a dead-heat of it. ! Gay Rouen appears to be in excer- J lent form for the jumping campaign, | and as he is still young for a ’chaser. | being only a five-year-old as yet. he appears well placed to build up a re-1 cord. Kilmanagh ran an excellent race and she was a Irifl* unlucky in not securing the major honours, as if her <der had brought her along on the inside of Gav Rouen she well have turned the tables. She has had several outings to fit her for the campaign. and it appears as if she would hold her own in better company than that which she met at Hawera. Moderate was having his first ow- • ing in an important cross-country jevent and was nor dis°Tace*. finishing] |nn for third money, though o do?/'n, (lengths behind lb* dead-heateis. j I was at the rear of the fieP efte’’ ja mile and a-half and still had a lot [of ground to make un six furlongs j from home Tn addition, he strinned .* ilcg badly and displayed !** ; coming on sol’dly over the final stares. The veteran Fnnin" was another to come f v om well back and- was only half a length behind Moderate at the finish, to earn £2O for fourth place. He would only need to improve a little to win one of the season’s steeplechase events. Last Match h an honest sort but found the company better at Hawerr than was the case at Waverlev.. Red Glare cave a dashing disnlay of jumping while he was in front, but found the distance just a trifle far in his present condition. He also should improve. Roval Scholar was well outclassed, and Oemn got into ore nf the fences and his blunder took all the steam out of him. Sir Saladin was going well in front he ran off. and be r n n be ticked off as a winner at an early date in a hack steeplechase. Votaire’s rider lost an iron at a very early in th* Egmont Steeplechase, and T. Tito had a very uncomfortable ride till his mount was pulled up after covering about a mil° and a-half. He should not be long in making amends for this failure.