A GREAT RACE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 245, 7 June 1932, Page 2

A GREAT RACE

THE BIG STEEPLECHASE. The resujt of the Great Northern Steeplechase can be summed up in few words: The success of a great little stayer, lightly weighted, and the fact that both Make Up and Landmark, the logical favourite bracket, had had enough after their gruelling Great Northern Hurdles duel on the 'previous day. It was unfortunate for the South Island pair that there was not tiipe between the hig jumping events for them to have a breather as it vyere, It was good to see Copey infusing so much dash into his taslc. He was going into his fences with great gusto, just as he did at Wanganui three weeks earlier, and what is more surprising, he kept within striking distance of the leaders all the way, which he also showed he could do at Wanganui. It was for these reasons that the writer placed his faith in Copey to do the necessary at the expense of those weighted above him and was not let down. He was a better Copey than we knew this time twelve months ago, possessing more brilliance. There have been splendid contests in the Great Northern Steeplechase, but there have been none better, and very few as thrilling as last Saturday's glorious event. Most of the field kept together throughout and it was impossible to name the potential winner three fences from home. A little farther on, coming down the hill for the last time, Copey seemed to have the race in safe keeping, but he had to fight hard to shalce oif Callamart. _ On top of the hill for the third and last time, Make Up was going strongly in the leading bunch when he fell, and at the next fence on the hill Nukumai (leading with Copey) came down and Nassock, a bit farther bacik, toppled over him. This left Copey well clear, but approaching the seeond to last obstacle, the stonewall, Callamart put in a phenomenal run and was almost up with the Taranaki gelding landing. Copey had a slight lead ,at the final fence, but Callamart 'challenged again. There was every promise of a close finish, but a furlong from home Callamart began to feel the pressure, and running away from the whip, he jaazed across the course to near the outside fence, which of course did not enhance his prospects. In the meantime Copey was also under punishment, but gallant little fellow that he is, he rau true as a gun barrel and when the judge was passed he had won by a length. That Callamart managed to get so close indicated that he would have made Copey's task even harder had he come home straight. But condition tells as much as anything else in the Great Northern Steeplechase, and Copey was more muscled up than Callamart, who had only resumed racing after a lengthy spell at the Manawatu meeting six weeks earlier, whereas Cojp^y started his serious preparation for the jumping season when he was raced over the sticlcs at Hawera four months ago, The Taranaki gelding never put a x'oou wrong, although he made one poor jump that he soon recovered from. Callamart was tailed off early, as usual, but he made up a lot of ground over the last mile, especially coming down the hill the last time — an ideal place for a sprint. It is possihle that Copey and Callamart will meet again this winter over a long trip, possibly in the Wellington and Grand National Steeplechases, although Copey may now go across the Tasman Sea to contest the V.R.C. Grand National at Flemington. However, it is on the cards that if both progress in the interim, Callamart may turn the tables on Copey at their next meeting, for the former can he expected to improve more than his Ellerslie conqueror. But it must not be forgotten that at the moment Copey is the more accomplished fencer. Those who forecasted Claremore's collapse in the Great Northern Steeplechase after seeing him fall so eonvincingly at Te Rapa a fortnight earlier were confounded. Indeed, so well was he going half a mile from home in last Saturday's race that he was a strong possibility. However, over the last fence he was conceding the first and second horses several lengths start, but his third placing, five lengths hehind the winner, was a splendid performance. Claremore can improve and he should not be long doing better he is without doubt a fine jumper. There was a lot of money in support of Billy Boy for the Great Northern Steeplechase and he was next best backed to the hot favourites, the Make Up-Landmarlc bracket. It was surprising to see him in front for a long part of the journey, nearly three miles, when he gave way to Make Up. From this out Billy Boy was shaded by several others and he drifted badly, and although he finished fourth he was well back and no less than three of those who were in front of him on the hill the last time crashed there. Billy Boy is a beautiful jumper, but he is not as yet capable of conceding weight all round to those horses he met at Ellerslie last week.

Master Lu and Paris were among those that completed the course in the big Steeplechase last Saturday, but they were a long way back at the end. Paris shaped well for most of the way and then they both tired. Perhaps Master Lu felt the need of racing to prepare him for such a stern task Mangani did not last long, the first fence seeing him fall and threw his amateur rider heavily. This was the only casualty until on the hill the last time, but Landmark tipped the first fence on the second circuit and threw his rider. He was fairly well back at the time, but he was in front of Paris and Callamart then. Nukumai might have played a part in the finish had he stood up, for he had just run to the front with Copey and Claremore when he crashed a little over half a mile from home. Up to this point he had been travelling smoothly. Nassock toppled over him too, but he was some lengths away, although he is such a good stayer that he might not have been heaten at that point. Nassock is not a brilliant fellow over obstacles and a raee like the "Wellington and Grand National Steeplechase might suit him better than the Great Northern. It was surprising to find Make Up again made such a lot of use of. He was disputing the lead for most of the way with Blly Boy, and prohably it \

was because he was tiring that he fell four fences from home, for at that time Nukumai, Copey and Claremore had headed him. Up to this Make Up was going nieely and jumping splendidly; had he been more patiently handled there might have been a different result. In both the hig Hurdles and the hig Steeplechase at Ellerslie last week Make Up's jockey appeared to be too impetuous when one bears | in mind what tiring and strenuous j races these are. Of those seen out in the Great' Northern Steeplechase, most of them can be ticlced off as lilcely to play their parts later on in other crosscountry events, particulaly Copey and Callamart. Of course, Make Up and Landmark will have to be taken into eonsideration, but they, like Copey, may take a jaunt to Flemington. Nukumai seems tobe a better 'chaser than he was last winter; Billy Boy with a let down in the weights can be placed to advantage; Master Lu will improve; Claremore looks like winning a good cross-country event this winter if he can be lcept right for he is a gelding that rerequires delicate handling; Paris will have to improve to win soon, and Nassock is a rare stayer. So long as these 'chasers keep going, the big steeplechase events to" follow will not lose interest. It is possihle that most of those named above will be seen out in the Wellington Steeplechase next month, and if they meet again another fine contest is assured for Trentham.