PROMISING WINTER MATERIAL FOR JUMPING EVENTS

Wanganui Chronicle, 27 May 1948, Page 3

PROMISING WINTER MATERIAL FOR JUMPING EVENTS

With two open steeplechase events as well as a hack and hunters’ cross-country race on the Wanganui Jockey Club’s centennial winter meeting, to open on Saturday of next week, it is satisfactory to note that there has been seen in action at recent meetings some promising material. Promise is also held out for the hurdle races, of which there will be three at Wanganui,’and in spite of the clash with the Great Northern meeting there should be good fields for the jumping events here.

it is fortunate tor the Wanganui Club, which has offered generous stakes and trophies for its jumping events, that the. circuit of autumn and winter meetings preceding its June fixture provided plenty of opportunities for the jumpers to get sharpened up for their engagements here. Steeplechase events were staged at Waverley, Hawera, Woodville, Otaki and Foxton, hnd there will be another at Levin on Saturday. In addition, there have been several hurdle races, and among the contestants at Wanganui there will be many who were seen in action at the fixtures named. Before proceeding to assess form at the recent Foxton meeting, it might be as well to recall the winners and prominent place-getters at the meetings preceding it. At Waverley Specialist and Foxland were first and second respectively in the hurdle race, and Red Glare, Peria Prince and Political Boy filled the places in the' Waverley Steeples. Going on to Hawera, Political Boy won the Rgmont Steeples from High Morale and Peria Prince, and a week later Royal Scholar, Tatara Lad and Kilmanagh filled the places in the Adamson Steeplechase. Foxland won the firstday hurdle race at Hawera, with Provider and Glenfayle next to arrive, and the Manawapou Hurdles on the second day went to Whooray, Foxland and Full Pitch being second and third respectively On the same day as the Hawera meeting concluded the Woodville fixture was held, and there Vassilikos, Vernon and Imperial Crown filled the three dividend-paying places in the cross-country event. The hurdle race at Woodville went to Pimlico, with Rockanui and First Act the minor place-getters. Next came the Otaki meeting, where Captain Jesse and Tortago dead-heated in the Rangiuru Hack and Hunters Steeplechase, Light Tea being third. There was no hurdle race at Otaki. At Foxton last Saturday hurdlers and ’chasers were catered for, and in both events there were useful fields, with recent form pointing to the ultimate winners. Imperial Crown, unlucky in the final stages of the Woodville steeplechase event, made amends by winning convincingly. He was kept in a handy position followiiig the leaders in the early stages, and with a mile to go was following Ring Scarf, Matapan, Pollux and Te Aki, who were disputing the lead. At the halfmile Imperial Crown had only Te Aki and Pollux in front of him and was going easily, and a little further on R. J. Auckram took him to the front, soon putting a gap between himself and his nearest opponents. At the last obstacle, a brush fence, Auckram lost an iron, but fmperial Crown ran on for an easy win. Bt. Rocket, who has sired several useful jumpers, including Red Glare, Imperial Crown looks like making a useful ’chaser, and as he is only rising six he may have a profitable career ahead. Te Aki, who beat the others just as easily as Imperial Crown beat him, was ridden by the formei Wanganui horseman G. W. Ivil, and gave a display which suggested that he might be improved by the outing. In the spring he showed an aptitude for hurdling, filling a minor place on more than one occasion, and as he is from the stable of G. W. B. Greene at Hastings, he is in capable hands. Captain Jesse was expected to play a prominent part after His forward display at Otaki, where he shared the honours with Tortago, but he was nevertheless at a generous price, probably because of the support forthcoming for High Morale and Incident. After being restrained in the early stages Captain Jesse moved up to be one of the leading quintet at the halfmile, and he came home strongly into third place to enable his each-way supporters to show a profit. After an indifferent display at Otaki Pollux was the outsider save one of the field at Foxton, but the Phaleron Bay gelding nearly brought off a surprise. Instead of being at the rear, as many expected, Pollux was up with the leaders, and but for being not too confident at his obstacles he might have been out tn front. He was still in the picture two furlongs from home, and it was only in the last 50 yards that Captain Jesse was able to relegate him to fourth place. Pollux, was ridden by N. D. Lynch, now resident in Wanganui, whose memory of his Foxton experience 12 months ago was not a happy one. On that occasion the steeplechase event was the first race on the programme, and Lynch had a nasty fair when Spearfish came down. Later he took the mount on Bay Robe in the hurdle race, and in spite of a fractured collarbone he scored a popular win. That broken collarbone kept him off the scene for some months, but Lynch very nearly made a spectacular comeback on Pollux last Saturday. Oemo was not greatly fancied, but he was doing his best work at the finish and should be improved by'the outing. Incident, second favourite, probably because A. G. Waddell had the mount, was never dangerous but he finished the course safely. High Morale was backed down to a short price but was never in the picture. This was rather disappointing after his Hawera display, but the Bulandshar gelding will have opportunities to make amends. High Morale, Captain Jesse, Imperial Crown, Oemo, Incident, Tortago and Te Aki are some of the Foxton 'chasers who claim engagements in the Hack and Hunters' Steeples on the opening day at Wanganui, and in the light of Ih<v Foxton disp.ays the clash with other up-and-coming jumpers will be full of interest. EASY FOR SPECIALIST When the former useful sprinter Specialist registered his first success in a hurdle race, at Waver.ey last month, he was ticked off as likely to repeat the effort at an early date. Under the circumstances, his supporters were rewarded with a rather generous dividend when he won the Poroutawhao Hurdles last Saturday. Specialist jumped into the lead at an early stage and was never afterwards headed. He was challenged by Glen

Urquhart half a mile from home and after clearing the final hurdle Baksoon made a dab at him, but he was holding his challenger at the finish. Specialist is by Broiefort, several of whose progeny have shown an aptitude for jumping, and in spite of the fact that he is now getting up in the weights—he has 10.0 in the Century Hurdles at Wanganui—he should go still further as a hurdler. Baksoon is a useful jumper, and when investors saw that A. G. Waddell was in the saddle they had no hesitation in installing him an eachway favourite. The Christopher Robin gelding was always prominent., and when he moved forward half a mile from home it appeared as if he might run past Specialist. However, he could make little impression on the pacemaker in the run home from the final hurdle, Specialist having too much pace on the flat, for him. Christopher Wren returned a place dividend not far short of a score when he came home solidly for third place, ahead of Glen Urquhart. He is another of Christopher Robin’s progeny and Is from a Hunting Son" mare, so it. appears as if he is a hurdler in the making. He carries the colours of Mr. H. F. Collinson, who is partial to jumners, and he has had plenty of schooling in the hunting field. .Among the novice hurdlers who finished out of a place at. Foxton Ganges made the best imnression. He was not. too confident in the early stages, but he was doing better towards the end of the journnv. Bv Bulandshar. sire of some usefu l jumpers. Ganges mav be licked off as an early winner at this branch of the game.