LONG TRIP TRIES THEM

NZ Truth, Issue 1174, 31 May 1928, Page 11

LONG TRIP TRIES THEM

Three Times Over Hill In The Rich Steeplechase (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland' Representative.) - •■ Great Northern Steeplechase day at Ellerslie means niuch m racing circles, mainly because the result of the race causes thousands of pounds to change hands. , i . ■

AT time of writing, the winner of next Monday's cross-country event seems well concealed, for of the fifteen acceptors, only about five are not seriously mentioned. Fully eight are having their prospects equally discussed, the eight being:. Beau Cavalier, Wedding March, Comical, Brigadier Bill, Maunga, Wiltshire, Tuki and Glendowie. There are plenty of firm admirers of Beau Cavalier but surely 12.2 will stop him. He is m a field capable of clapping the pace on fast enough to make him carry his big load all the way. He will strip m creditable condition, nevertheless, and that is something, for he is still the' same Beau Cavalier which placed the "big three" to his credit last winter. . , , But that 12.2 must' be burdensome at the close of suchV a big journey— thirty-seven pounds more 'than he survived with last June. Weeding March is not overburdened at 11.7, for he has won over the hill before to-day, and he should have sonic sting left at the right end. Comical is down eleven pounds from that which he carried m last year's Northern, when' he had to be pulled up. • His trouble is to : finish m a steeplechase, though 'he did so at. Wangahui with- R. Russell aboard and will probatoly have the same rider, holding the reins next Monday.' ■ , Comical schooled safely at Ellerslie last Saturday, but cannot be referred to as fully reliable over country. . ■ {" Of Brigadier Bill, it would s'eehi that 'if . is only a. matter of him staying onto be dangerous.' .■ i ; He is probably better able to do so than formerly, and this is instanced by his easy victories at Egmont and Wanganui. , He has had to pay the penalty of those wins by increased poundage. Archibald will have to be taken on trust over country, even if he starts. .- ' "'•.' ':\_ '■■ ■ Tuki is m rare buckle, but lacks the pace of many of his opponents. He is of the plodder type with a show, but failed last .year. with, four pounds less,, being only sixth at .the close. ■■.■■'■;.■ . «. • '■''■■■ .' • '■'■. ■. He >yori the Winter Steeples on the . final day— a distance he seems Jnost partial- to; ' - ; Maunga takes 'the eye as being m better trim for a long steeplechase than formerly. . >, : It is a trying journey' which Maunga does. best at, and as. prpof of this, it may be mentioned he was up second to , Beau Cavalier last : year when giving . the latter six pounds. Now the "Beau" has to give Maunga

twenty-eight , pounds. Surely that thirty-four pounds difference can turn the, tide m Maunga' s favor. ■ Maunga impressed m his last public outing by finishing fast m fourth place m the two miles and a-half Grandstand Steeplechase at Wanganui. .'Wiltshire is 'a winner over the right Ciountry, which says much for his prospects seeing he is m with under 10st. He has the necessary pace and condition to stay on, but how he will fare with the stronger opposition has yet to be. proved. , He ,' certainly • threatens to be a nuisance most of the trip. ;Passin' Through has 'a decent drop m poundage from last year, > but then he finished no nearer than ninth m a field of a dozen. . As for v Perle de. Leon/ he has been schooled over the country up north and fenced satisfactorily for a Great Northern prospect. -■■■'■ . But since then ;he has gone lame and now he is passed by.- . Royal Form can clear country safely, but does not appeal as a real stayer.' He has an easy poundage and would worry the rest for a time if set to try and steal it. ', Pouri may go a, good race .with only 9.7. Still, the journey is a lengthy one. As for Mangani and Wee Marble .they hardly appeal m such a field. • ' . . No hprse lias been more discussed than the . hunter Glendowie: When he ' won among hunters last. spring he. certainly impressed as likely to win m a better class. . ' ,''■'■' From the hunters to a Gr,eat Northern is certainly, a high step, and it remains to be seen' whether Gl/sndowie is quite so good as he is thought to be. ,:•■' Jt- seems .within the' bounds of possibility that he will take the /field m the Northern m preference to the Hunt Club Cup on the same ' ' day.- ■ ; '. ; ; ; -' . ■' " ''. ' ■ ' ■ Such is a 'feasible conclusion . to arrive at when his handy poundage and the .big prize are taken into account. Glenddwie is certainly a much improved horse than when he failed m the Autumn Steeples two months back, j and, he has schooled- well over the^right country of latei. ,:;,-;■;•; ' , . * 1 ' He is j.^uch' : i grea^ •fencer that, if started, he' wiir^lia^ejcto be taken into • consideration!.';" \'f:/A ;T s'v-■•-:''5 'v- ■•-:'' '• '■:-,'. • ;' His Hunters^ display of ' opening day sh^uiaßthro?^ ;some direct guide on his.. pros^eQtS;;,^.-, 1 '; . [• The race . looks ":l|ke; providing one of the ■ most ..stirring ' 'of qbntests, and the judge may have to decide between: ■■' '. •• ■.■•':•• .( ■ •■ . •. ■ ■ •■• . . . . MAUNGA. WILTSHIRE and j ' GLENDOWIE,