WINTER HURDLES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 147, 9 July 1937, Page 15

WINTER HURDLES

"Eafly Bird. ")

To-morrowY Big Event at Trentham NORTHERN REVIEW

(Special — From

AUCKLAND, Last Night. Prior to the fmal payment for tlie Winter I-Iurdles, thore were iifteen horses remaining in the Winter TTurdles. and no less than nine of tliem had raced ! at the Waikato and Auckland winter meetings, so that the form in the north. taken in conjUttction with that revealed at Trentham eo far as the present rnoeting has progrossod, enables one to obj taln a fair idea of just what to espoct i (other than the unespected, of eourso)

fof Saturday 's ' big contest over tbe sticks. Top of theso nine horses is ClarioU Call, and his defeat in the Trentham Hurdlcs does not Buggcst that he will lurn Ihe tablos on fcither John Charles or Lord Yal to-morrow, but perhaps the rcal cause of his failute on Tuesday was tlie bad ground, for it will bb rememIjeerd that last winter he raced brilliantly at Ellerslie on fast tracks and again at Riccarton, wliere the conditions are always vastly different tb Trentham. Tudor has not raced orer ihe sticks sinco the lhte 9timmer;. In January last ho won at the Takapuna meeting, at Ellerslie, with 11,9, and on the second day Kalpai defeated hioi under 12.5, his conquerer being in receipt of 29lb. A month. later Tudor was second with 12.2 to Pango (10.0) at Te Aroha, after which he reverted to steeplechaSing. Howerer, those late summer efforts as a hurdler Were those of a class horse, and indicates that if set for the Winter Hurdles Tudor Would talce all sorts of bcating With 10.13, a weight that ho has not had for years. Lord Val ran another good race on Tnosday, and in the Winter Hurdles he now meets the winner, John Charles, on 91b. better terms, and that may be suflioient to pnable him to turn the tablos, especially if his rider makes sufficient ub6 of his mount's speed, which he might not have done in the Trentham Hurdles. Having run an escellent race into fourth place in tho Grcat Northern Hurdles, it is reasouablo to anticipate that Lord Val wiR not bo bcaten bv the ,-journey on Saturday. linside, ratbCr luckily, defoatod Lord Vftl at a differencO of 121b. ovOr Iwo milcs on tlie fmal day at. Ellerslie, and now tlie latter is alloWed 31b. for that bcating. Huskie Is Fit. Huskio revealed on the ilat this weck tho fact that he is well forward and in cxcellent shape, so that he may be a problem for tlie opposition in the Winter Hurdles, especially as he will probably handle the Trentham obstacles inoro ■ confidently than those at Ellerslie. It may be against him, howover, that he has so far not raced over the Trentham hurdles. "Valpai dees not appear in the same class as the pair just mentioned, aL thoUgh with a drop in weight he is CUpablh of surprising in heavy ground. Goliieion rather^ disappointcd on Tuesday, when he failed to race as well as he did at Te Hapa and Ellerslie, and perhaps this was tiot sUfprising, in view of the repofts Jirior to the present fixturo opening that he did not appear to bo^ so bright as earlier in tho winter. With pic'nty of pace, Collision still has plenty of time to mahe a liame for himself as a hurdler, and this he Scems destined to do. Black Alarlin has had his last five races over country, and thorefore 'he does not impress as a hurdler, and it is more than likely that the stablc will reply' golely on Lord Val, unless the former's owner decidos otherwise, as he did at Ellersiie, whare he had intended to run his horse in both Great Northerns, an intorruptiod to Black Marlin's preparatlon Causihg & revision of plans. BrigadOfe, succossfut Over country in the interim, shaped well over tho sticks te fittiSh fourth in Ihe Waikato Hurdles,' althoiigh he will bo opposed by a strongor field lf pfoduced to-morrow. Master Musk fegain failed bn Tuesday, evcn if he did make a fair showing. He is good at his best, but it may be that racing him in the Great Northern .uurdles on a li£ht preparation might have taken ita toll. So, when it is all sumrned up, Lord \al, Huckie and John Charles may agam be fdund disputing favouritism.