RICCARTON NOTES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 5 August 1929, Page 6

RICCARTON NOTES

GETTING READY FOR THE NATIONAL (By Telccraph—Special to "The Mail") CHRISTCHURCH, 3rd August, The Awapuni trainer, .1. I'. Coy'le, is among the arrivals at Riccnrtoti wilh Mister Gamp and Novai', both of whom are in great heart for their engagements at the Grand National meeting. It is not often a trainer has two hurdlers of the ciass of this pair in his stable at the same lime.

Mister Gamp has been the slur performer of the winter campaign. While .Mister Gamp has done so well this winter, however, it is on the card* that his stable mate, Novar, will have to be seriously reckoned with. He. is not partial to heavy going, but with favourable conditions tlie Riccarton course should be all right lor the Grand National Hurdles, in which Novar should have good prospects. When Royal Saxon was brought to Riccarton a year ago he was ranged jus!, above useful hack form. Sit.ce then he has made steady improvement, while he has a number of wins to his credit. He is in capital condition, and though he will have much heavier weights to carry fian was the case last year, he is likely to play a prominent part in some of the flat events at the Grand National meeting.

Dralla has arrived at Riccarton, and as the winner of the Great Northern Steeplechase, she has attracted considerable attention. Though not impressive in appearance, she has her performances at Ellerslie to recommend her as a likely candidate for Grand National honours. This is her first visit to Riccarton where the country takes more jumping than Ellerslie. A good deal of interest will centre round her schooling. Glendowie was far from being at his best when he raced at Trentham where it was apparent that he would require to improve a lot. to have a chance in the Grand National. II seems extremely unlikely that he has made the necessary improvement, and at present he looks a very doubtful proposition. ,He was a good horse when he won the Great Northern hist year, but he has net struck that form this winter. It need occasion no surprise if he. is missing from the Grand National field.