Sporting & Dramatic REVIEW AND Licensed Victuallers’ Gazette. With which is incorporated the Weekly Standard. THURSDAY, MAY 17, 1906. THE BIG JUMPING EVENTS AT ELLERSLIE.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 845, 17 May 1906, Page 5

Sporting & Dramatic REVIEW AND Licensed Victuallers’ Gazette. With which is incorporated the Weekly Standard. THURSDAY, MAY 17, 1906. THE BIG JUMPING EVENTS AT ELLERSLIE.

Very promptly to time Mr. Morse declared his handicaps for the Great Northern Hurdle and Steeplechase Handicaps, and these have been closely scrutinised, with a result that as a whole they have come in for considerable approbation, although, of course, it has been impossible to please all, and there are certainly one or two points open to criticism. In the G.N. Hurdle Race Hautapu heads the list of thirty-nine horses with 12st

21b opposite his name. He won all the jumping events at the Easter liitieLiig m such easy fashion that Mr. Morse could not well have given him less, but it is probable that the extra length of the journey may find him out if the going is heavy. Up-to-Date is badly treated with list 91b, and will probably remain in Sydney. Miss King (list 81b) has a fair chance if the going is good, but Comfort (list 21b) reads better, and he is in winning form just now. Kremlin will be an absentee, but Sol (lOst 131 b) has a nice turn of speed, and should hold his own with the best of them, as also should St. Lyra. Perhaps the best-treated horse in the race is Aka Aka with lOst 101 b, and he has been made favourite. This race will take a lot of winning, however, and some of the lightly-weighted ones should give him a lot of trouble. Waiwera (lOst 10Tb) has never shown any fondness for heavy going at Ellerslie. Of the others who seem to have geen given good winning prospects Ranana (lOst 71b), Cavalry (lOst 61b), Convoy (lOst 61b), Weary Bill (lOst 61b), Ability (9st 81b), Cuiragno (9st 61b), and Oryx (9st) seem the likeliest.

In the Great Northern Steeplechase Up-to-Date heads the list with 12st 81b, and from this it would appear that Mr. Morse was more impressed with the gelding’s win in Sydney against a lot of duffers than anyone else. The son of St. Hippo is the worst treated in the race, and no inducement whatever is given to bring him over from Sydney. Kiatere has 12st 41b, his full deserts, but he has been booked to go to Australia. Old Haydn has been bowling along in the most juvenile fashion, and as he has received 31b less than that which he carried into second place last year, thus meeting the winner on 211 b better terms, it follows he must have a cliance. It is uncertain if Slow Tom (list 71b) will come North. Sol (list 3TB) should run well, and in some quarters Hautapu, on the same mark, is thought to be a very likely winner. Whether he will be found equal to staying out the long journey remains to be seen, but he will be probably trying to spread-eagle the field in the early stages. Phaetonitis has been given a chance, as also has Moccasin, and if himself the latter should be dangerous. Aka Aka, with lOst 91b, has every opportunity to get his name on the list of winners; indeed, if one horse is to win the double the son of Regel looks a likely one to do it. Pharos (lOst 31b) has a capital chance, while of the others Weary Bill and Baritone read the best. As the acceptances close to-morrow evening we shall then be in a position to know more about the likely starters, while the running at Wanganui will give something of a line as to the probable winners.