HENRY BEATS OPEN ’CHASERS IN MATAI

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31111, 14 July 1966, Page 4

HENRY BEATS OPEN ’CHASERS IN MATAI

(From Our Own Reporter) TRENTHAM. Henry, a distant second in the hack steeplechase on the first day of the Wellington winter meeting, came out on top against open class jumpers in the Matai Steeplechase at Trentham yesterday.

Five started, two fell, and the win favourite, Prettypeen, was the only one to put up a show against the Carterton-owned light-weight.

Henry is owned by his breeder, Mr W. H. Steel, and is trained by the former South Islander, C. G. Humphries. The race was robbed of much of it’s interest when Flying Swift, last year’s winner, fell a mile from home when in front, and when Cinnaman fell near the seven furlongs. Prettypeen led momentarily in the back straight but she dropped back to second after

hooking the fence near the five furlongs. That was not the last incident. Henry landed badly at the last fence and Prettypeen got pretty close, but Henry rallied quickly and pulled away to beat the little Matamata mare by five lengths. Crown Prince was never able to muster the pace to be a real contender, but he managed to get around safely without mistakes and this gave him third which was worth £l5O. He finished a furlong and a half behind Prettypeen. J. H. Hely remounted Cinnaman and schooled him around for fourth and £75. The Blenheim-owned and trained jumper mixed his jumping before he came down and lost ground and energy

i when he hooked the brush ; fence a round from home. He should be better at Rici carton where he will find the ■ ground more to his liking. I ! Easy For Confer Confer justified strong • favouritism with a decisive ■ win in the Lambton Hurdles. This was his fourth win as ' a hurdler on the course where • he was trained earlier in his i career. ; He won three hack hurdle . races at the Wellington win- • ter meeting last year, and he i returned to Trentham last . week to run second to Kumai I in the Trentham Hurdles. i Confer is one of a number i of mudlarks by the Canter- ' bury-bred Conclusion.

He is not a free-goer and tailed off early in yesterday’s race, but P. R. Wilson took him forward to trail on the inside half-way through the race, and brought him through a narrowing gap between Grand Coeur and Jumping Joe to take a short lead at the last flight. On landing he quickly put a break on the others to beat Grand Coeur by four lengths. Grand Coeur, which was attempting to preserve an unbeaten record as a hurdler on the course, beat Jumping Joe by two and a half lengths for second. The others were beaten off. Royal Ransom fell at the five furlongs. J. H. Hely will ride Confer in the Winter Hurdles on Saturday. P. R. Wilson will ride Treble.