TURE-TOPICS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 124, 2 July 1941, Page 8

TURE-TOPICS

WELLINGTON STEEPLES

STREAMLINE DOMINATES FIELD TEST FOR BIRKOLOGY To state that racegoers are seriously concerned at the moment about any meeting other than the forthcoming fixture at Trentliam Avould be a banality, just as it Avould be to emphasise that the field for the Wellington Steeplechase is a strong one. So far it is .a, field in name only. Acceptances are due to-day. Prima facie, Streamline, Birkology and the Slayer-Whirr bracket should be dangerous opponents for any of the others that go to the post, for their form has much to commend them. A r nnber of those entered appear to have been paid a compliment, and over a third of them are in cn the minimum, somei possessing J jumpers' chances, Avliich make cross country racing all the more intriguing. Streamline, 11.9, i:> deservedly topweight. The son of Day Comeit and Sailor's Hope has run in only Lliree steeplechases and he holds an unbeaten record. Four season's ago, ho succeeded in a couple of them, and then his owner, Mr J. H. Grigg, put him aside for a couple of years, producing him last season to Avin the Great Northern Hurdles from end to end. This year, he Avas "set" for the Great Northern double, and after being someAvhat unluckily beaten by a nose by Fisperance Bay in the Great Northern Hurdles, ho carried 10.10 to victorin Ihe Great Northern Steeplechase. The opposition in thei Northern Steeples AA-as not strong, but Streamline, a dashing and brilliant jumper, eamc right aA\'ay at the end of the three and three-quarters miles jcurnej", leaA'ing the impression thaf he AA'ould go on improA r i.ng as the sermon advances. He is by no means 'ladlv treated Avith 1.1.9, but there is the possibility that his OAvner, a Soulh Island sportsman, will reseiwe him for the Grand National in August. It Avould be easy to Avrite quite n deal about Birkology. He has been running on strongly at the end of his races, and undoubtedly has improved out of all knoAvledgel with every race he hasi had. Just howgood he is is problematical. The Slayer-Whirr bracket: Slayer is an aged gelding by Valkyrian from Battleflag, and although he is getting on in years he is one of the proved steeplechasers of the Dominion. In the 1938-39 season, he fell while going like a Avinner in the Wellington Steeplechase Avon by Survoy, and he won the Matai and July 'Chases on the tAvo folloAving race days, so that lie knoAVS the Trentliam course. Taken on to Riccarton, Mr L. C. 1 Hazlett's horse beat all but Padishah ! and Erination in the Grand National and after Avinning the Beaufort Steeples under 10.10 on the third ' day, he Avas reproduced in the Dun- 1 edin Steeplechase ten months later 1 to beat a good field Avith 11.11 in 1 the saddle. *

Slayer lias had little racing res cently. He "was made favourite fo? the Dunodin Steeplechase on June 7 but finished at the tail of the field. Whirr, stablemate of Slayer, is bred on jumping lines, being by Tractor from Meghan, and he makes a powerful combination, for Mr Hazlett and his trainer, A. J. Cassclls. Produced at Dunedin on May 31, Whirr, carrying the minimum, 9.0. easily defeated Ballj-brit, 11.8, Surcoat, 10.9, and half a dozen others in the Otago Steeplechase, and he won at Wingatui two daj\s later just as easily with a stone more in the saddle. Whirr is stated to lie only a pony In size. Slayer, 11.7, and Whirr, 10.3, should read well on race day. Among the lightweights one is in:ned to pause and seriously con j shier the chances of Dozie Boy. This fellow won three .minor even Is ever the big timber last season, and after running a good c econd to Bridegroom in the To Rapa Steeples h? came into prominence for the Grca! Northern, in which he fell when Possessing an excellent chance of winning. This performance he repeated in the Winter Steeplechase.

He hasi been in the news in the interim as an acceptor, but has not gone to the post since the Northern. Dozie Boy is well worth keeping in * mind for Trentliam, where he won a year ago. Astral Flame (9.2) won the Dunedin Steeples, and is owned by an other branch of thel Hazlett family. There is little doubt that early discussions will centre mainly t around Birkology, Streamline, the - Slayer-Whirr bracket and Dozie Boy. 1 ) bridegroom resting Bridegroom was a surprising omission from the Wellington entries, r but his owner decide*] to rest him I until the Grand National meeting, . as he considers the horse is not sea- . soned enough to taltet on the Well-* ington Steeplechase after his gruelling race in the Great Northern. ONE TO REMEMBER Majority was given his second race as a jumper in the Rangitira Hurdles at Manawatu. He led for a mile, giving an excellent display of jumping, and he should not require much more experience before he is getting in the money in this role. Majority looks as well now as ever he did. VERY BACKWARD Deolali, the half-sister by Bulandshar to Mittie and Lady Tinkle, had her first race at Manawatu, but was very backward in condition and may need a good deal of racing to attune her. Like most of the Bulandshar breed, she is built on bulky lines. She was named after a military post in India, where her owner, W. H. Hume, was stationed for some years. SPECIAL PREPARATION Schoolgirl who will be remembered as having led the field for the greater part cf the jpurncy in tl>e last Wellington Cup is reported to have developed into a solid mare and at present bears a very robust and bright appearance. She is trained by her owner, the ex-jockey, C. G. Humphries, and is being given a special preparation for the Winter Gup. THE CARDINAL It is expected that the Cardinal's next public appearance will be at Wellington this month. W. Cathro < has persevered with this horse and he is now being rewarded as there i is little doubt that lie will have to i be reckoned with whenever saddled up. The Cardinal is a born stayer and one of the big handicaps should < come his way next season. The Car- : dinal comes from a well-known fam- < ilv of cup Avinners, amongst whom are Menelaus, Nones, Peter Jackson, \ Gaine Carrington, Wotan, Jericho and Beau Vite. , i LIKES ELLERSLIE i Valmint's failure at Tauranga : again brings to notice the fact that 5 this horse seldom runs good races 1 aAvay from Ellerslie. His record in the Cornwall Handicap at the Auclc- 1 land Winter Meeting is remarkable. He has finished in the money in that race for three successive He ] was the actual Avinner last year; ( three times second tp .Boomerang. ( Ghaval de Volee and Royal Appel- £ lant, and third this season to the i Cardinal and his full sister Lovaale. i

RACING FIXTURES JULY

s—Oamaru Jockej' Club s—Hawlce's Bay Hunt Club 8, 10, 12 —Wellington Racing Club 19—Mianawatu Hunt Club 19—Waimate District Hunt Club 2(5 —South Canterbury H.C. '26—Rangitikei Hunt Club