Song Of India Selected In Wellington Steeples

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27396, 8 July 1954, Page 5

Song Of India Selected In Wellington Steeples

RACING

Breeding, performances, ability in I bad ground, sure jumping, good horsemanship, and the knowledge that skill has gone into his preparation are good reasons for selecting Song of India to win the £3500 Wellington Steeplechase at Trentham on Saturday.

Song of India has been the find of the year among the jumpers. Certainly a it has not been a good year, and he J has yet to prove himself against the j stars of the Great Northern meeting, c but his superiority in the southern part of the North Island has been proved , beyond all doubt. ; Three wins in as many starts this 1 season is Song of India’s record for 1 Mrs C. J. von Dadelszen. His latest j win was a hollow victory in the Mana- < watu Steeplechase, three miles, at 1 Awapuni on June 19. His earlier successes were ih the Wairarapa Steeples : and the Manawatu Hack and Hunters’ ; Steeples. He is a seven-year-old bay j t elding by Bulandshar from Cantilena, daughter of Hunting Song—great , breeding here for jumping. The Wellington Steeplechase has done much to bring fame to Song of India’s trainer, J. J. Waller, of Awapuni. Waller prepared Gaiety (1949), Tabor Islet (1952), and Personality (1953) for their successes in this race, and if Song of India pulls his army of suporters through on Saturday a notable hat trick will be completed. Song of India has not been easy to keep sound, but Waller’s skill has kept him on his feet so far, and he has had a preparation that should have him at the peak of fitness for such a gruelling test of stamina provided by the Trentham mud. Oklahoma’s Credentials Song of India will have little if anything to spare from Oklahoma in the matters of jumping ability, stamina, and galloping ability in bad ground, but he is younger by two years, and may shade his northern rival for class. Oklahoma won a double at the Great Northern meeting. The Greenlane Steeples was won easily, and the Winter Steeples only after a hard chase after Peaseblossom.. The Winter Steeplechase was run over two miles, three furlongs short of the Wellington Steeples distance. Oklahoma should have the stamina to

run the extra distance out strongly, and he has already shone under the worst conditions at Trentham. He won the Trenthajn Hurdles there two years ago. Oklahoma w|ll be ridden by A. G. Waddell, one of New Zealand’s most skilful cross-country and hurdle jockeys. So far, Dunwold has been unable to win anywhere but at Ellerslie. He is

a plodding stayer, able to go on at the same pace for miles, and right in his element over the four miles and the searching run ovet the hill in the Great Northern Steeples. Many of the jumpers lower in the weights in this field are not proved stayers, and Dunwold will be battling on when several have felt the strain. A really heavy track may brighten his chance of winning. Repayment’s Record

Repayment was Dunwold’s strongest opponent in the Great Northern Steeplechase. He may have been feeling the effects of that hard race when Oklahoma and Peaseblossom easily beat him in the Winter Steeplechase later at the Great Northern meeting. Repayment is an eight-year-old gelded son of the Melbourne Cup winner Wotan, trained by D. N. Mclnnes for Mr H. Saunders. His form background of three seconds and a third from his last four starts will make him one of the popular place fancies, i He fell in the Wellington Steeplechase I last year, but was placed in the Matai and Eric Riddiford Steeplechases. Repayment’s conqueror in the Eric Riddiford Steeplechase was Gay Echo, which is also engaged in the Wellington Steeples on Saturday. This Waverley-trained Robin Goodfellow 1 mare has not made much impression in her races this winter. She was fifth in the Manawatu Steeplechase, but a long way behind Song of India, which should beat her again. Beauform jumped well and stayed on soundly for his win in the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase last Saturday week. He did not make the same impression

on a heavy track in the Manawatu L Steeplechase, and the best may be seen B of him on firmer ground later. He was J third in the Grand National Steeple- p chase last year. o Count Minerva has been well tried f ( without really distinguishing himself c at Trentham, though this is a weaker 1 field than some he has been in. He ' was third in the Great Northern £ Hurdles this year, but was beaten off a behind Dunwold and Repayment. i Peaseblossom schooled brilliantly at Trentham on Tuesday, and showed that * she has been brought to a high peak of J fitness since she ran second to Okla- J homa at. Ellerslie. She is bracketed with Green Light, a safe enough j jumper, but one likely to suffer by 1 comparison with others for class. i There does not seem to be a rising 1 star among the light-weights. Most , of them have been well tried and are t past the improving stage. Lay Off, j runner-up to Song of India in the Hack . and Hunters’ Steeplechase at Awapuni 1 two starts ago, may be the best of them. i Song of India and Oklahoma appear to dominate the race. Peaseblossom , and Dunwold may outstay the others. Chance for Golden Coronach Golden Coronach will make history if he wins the Whyte Handicap, the second leg of the double. A win for this good Woodville-trained miler will give him his third consecutive success I in the race. I From the time he won the Winter Cup with 9st 61b at Riccarton last j August, Golden Coronach failed in 18 starts until his brilliant win over : seven furlongs at Hastings last Saturday. We dropped in the weights bej cause of those failures, and was I weighted at Bst 71b-for the Whyte | Handicap. A rehandicap has lifted him I to Bst 131 b, but that is only 81b more 1 than he carried to victory last year. ( Golden Coronach is a great mud I galloper and a powerful finisher. With a fair run, he should be the hardest to beat. [ Top weight with 9st 31b is Curzon, 3 winner of the Auckland Racing Club’s

York Handicap at his last start. This Awapuni-trained Booby Trap gelding carried 9st 91b to victory on a very heavy track in a hack sprint at this meeting last year. Apart from his York Handicap success, one of his best performances since then was his close second in the Anniversary Handicap at Trentham last January. Royal Mail recaptured winning form at Wingatui last month. He was successful over seven furlongs on the first day of the meeting, and finished brilliantly for third over the same distance on the second day. The Wake has failed twice since winning over a mile and a quarter at Wanganui. His chance does not look as bright as Glenkay’s. This Trenthamtrained Boissier filly made a big impression when she won a middledistance hack race at Wanganui. Her biggest difficulty may be to master 9st on what will probably be a heavy track.

Vitalogy has been a versatile performer, and has shown his ability in bad ground. He has won up to a mile and a quarter, and that should be to his advantage at the end of a hard-run mile.

Bretton has also been racing soundly over longer distances. He did not look like measuring up to the class of the best of the three-year-olds this season, but he should do further good service for Mr W. S. Goosman in handicap races.

John Gilpin was runner-up to Golden Coronach at Hastings last Saturday, but the adjustment in the weights may not Jielp him to turn the tables, as Golden Coronach is probably the better miler.

Lyndomar was runner-up in the Cornwall Handicap at Ellerslie two starts back, but failed a mile later at the meeting. His best form gives him a chance in this field, but it is doubtful whether he has the

ibility to beat Saboteur on level weights and to give Santiago 21b. Beat King’s Fair

Saboteur beat the brilliant King’s Fair at Awapuni. King’s Fair had easily beaten Santiago a few weeks earlier.

Since then, Santiago has made a brilliant entry into open company. On a heavy track at Ellerslie on June 7, Mr D. H. Blackie’s three-year-old Sajakeda gelding easily won the King George Handicap, seven furlongs, and finished ahead some very smart sprinters. Santiago was successful over a mile as a hack, and his great speed should keep him well in the picture in this

The deterioration in the track will suit Topmast as much as any other runner. This smart Hastings galloper was not produced at the Hawke’s Bay meeting, where the track was firm* so apparently his connexions consider him far enough forward for this test. Last year Topmast was sixth in the Whyte Handicap. He then won the Winter Oats. If he shows his best

form—and he has been improving during the winter—this Timanova gelding will take beating from his place in the handicap. Battle Ensign and Himiler form a bracket that will be solidy supported, now that a heavy track is likely. Battle Ensign recaptured Winning form on a very heavy track at Wingatui. Himiler has had a string of failures this season, and has been dropped 161 b in the weights since he failed in this race last year, but there is a’ hint of a return to form in his recent record. At best, he is a very powerful galloper on heavy tracks. Sanford, which scored an improver’s fourth placing at Hastings last Saturday, may be the pick of the lightweights now that a heavy track is likely. His ability in bad ground makes him a place possibility, but success has eluded him since May of last year. Golden Coronach, Santiago, and Royal Mail may be the best prospects.