HIS ELLERSLIE TREBLE

NZ Truth, Issue 1176, 14 June 1928, Page 11

HIS ELLERSLIE TREBLE

1 ime Jiecofds Jistablishea Uiitler | • ' (ifrom "N.Z; Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.) v- -M 1 Just how; good isQlendowie? Eveiyhody in the ra<^^ gf^S is anxious to know. ; ■ : ' ''■•.//; ' : /'■'■■/ :^ :; ''- : -:-\v^-'y-, "v." - ; . : ' : : y: '; : '-U

AFTER his treble victory, at Elierslie, there: are plenty of turf, students ready to acclaim him the "greatest ever." ' ■\ ' .'■-. ■/ ..."'•■ "■•' '■: • This, however, may 'prove a premature prediction. It should pay 1;6 wait a, bit before proclaiming the son of Lucullus "the find of the age." Some people consider. that any horse which could reveal the improvement made by Glendowie from his unplaced April performance to hia, treble deeds of the Great Northern fixture must be an "out-arid-outer." ''. . And there would appear to be sound reasoning behind the argument if the whole facts had not been deeply considered. . ■ It Is certain that. Glendowie was above himself when stripped fo^r. action in April, but then-he is not of tlie- really cumbersoxn© order'- where, months, of racing are necessary to fine him c(own. It was known . that he : had .been hacked ■about quite a lot before the autumn fixture and was not making his entry- right away from the -paddock when he was included lii thei Autumn Steeplechase field.' ; . From that race, the surplus'condition spon cahie off with .his> doings in the hunting-field." ■ ■ ' ■- ', On each occasionhe visited.Ellersliepribr ta the big June .fixture, he. could be observed hardening up. His quality had already been made public by his easy victories, both wrer hurdles and across country at Ellerslie and Cambridge last year. The race on opening day at Ellerslie was what he wanted to fit him more for his Great Northern task. In at the minimum, he won, but it was no runaway victory. ' He improved again with that victory and was probably not far from his best when he took the Winter Steeples on the final day with 10.7. For the first time in his career, he had .to. show his real best on that occasion to win from the last, fence home. '. '. ;• : ■■.'■■■: ! ." •' .■ ■"• ■".,/;.; : He was certainly going away jjt3t aojajinff ih« VS?i* bJDS gtiU— sV?xeß /oft?

casts' a, glance *ack at El Gallo, Sir H Rosebery and Coalition— it may prove >i a trifle premature to . class Glendowie ; :;? \ as the "best eve.r," •while thoughts of ;:' ;: CayaUero, Record Reign, and liiberator 1 ;^: must make us ponder. .'.. ' |-^^ All the horses . mentioned were more • .-.' .massive than .^endowie, while their, rt speed, jumping and weight-carrying; ■■•'••■*. ability was such a8 to cause i their; :i S names to live long in the memory of • turf students when the' Bubject concerns / ' great performers over obstacles! . . ' ' ■ It is true that Glendowie established two fresh time records In con- ;- neetiph with the Great Northern and • Winter .Steeplechases at Ellerslle. . : But it has to I tie remembered that the 'track conditions at.: Ellerslle last v; week were much better thaii ever be- , tore at a winter, fixture, while of late '•'::.. years the> steeplechase ■ track has been . irhproved out of all knowledge from a time-making point of view. ■ - - Glendowie i»; certainly one of the 1 most clever ■fencers which have ■ won the Great Northern. His fencing ability must win hint further (honors, but when it la remembered that only four of the eleven starters in the Northern completed the course, perhaps it may be too early yet to proclaim Glendowie really ' great. Just where 'he will perform next has not been made public, but if taken to Riccarton for the 1 Grand National he. should be. able to negotiate the southern country safely. •He has been well schooled in the hunting field and. did his 1 share of lep- .: ping there after. the hounds in his preparation for the Great Northern and Winter Steeplechase. Sam . Henderson/ says h© ia one of the kin.dest hoi»ses he has eyer ridden — that you can talk *o him. during a race arid that he seems to know what you mean. • < 'He evidently knew what, Sain meant when he askpd for that final effort from the . last fence" home in the Winter Steeples, for TiOneT>ut a generouß goer could have answered the demand viadQ upi^ hJto* ag :G|^oiOEl* jttA, .\ C