TWO COMING HURDLERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 104, 23 July 1927, Page 6

TWO COMING HURDLERS

PERLE DE LEON AND WHARNCLIFFE ARE WELL THOUGHT OF Everyone who saw Perle de Leon run in the hack hurdles on the first day of the Wellington Racing Club’s meeting wondered why it was that % he made such a poor showing after the good things they had heard of him following upon his successes at Hastings last month, writes THE SUN’S Wellington representative. Some were disposed to write him out as an overrated horse and they expressed the opinion that the Wellington Club’s handicapper had made a mistake in assessing him as highly as he had done. Perle de Leon dispelled any of these delusions on the last day at Trentham by his running in the Winter Hurdles, a very much harder race than that in which he had competed in the first day and much more difficult still than those he had contested at the Hawke’s Bay gatherings. He finished third in the Winter Hurdles after lying last five or six furlongs from home. FINISHED FAST The rate at which he finished the last five furlongs was phenomenal and he proved beyond doubt that he is one the best stayers we have among t.:ic newer hurdlers who have been coming to light this season. Perle de Leon’s owner, Mr. W. J. Craig, so it is understood, and also his rider, E. Warner, were not of those who thought that the Polydamon gelding was overrated; in fact, it is said that they thought he would win the Winter Hurdles, reckoning that he would be running on when everything else had had more than enough. In a sense they were right and they were somevy«hat unlucky in not being in the position of going to the pay-out window after the race. Perle de Leon was at a very long figure on the machine. Next time he will be much better backed and if he does win his supporters will not get nearly the price they missed through bad luck at Trentham. A SLUGGARD I It appears that Perle de Leon is a sluggard in a race and that if his rider gives him a moment’s peace he slows down and loses his position in the field. In fact, he would stop altogether if the choice were left to him. It happened in the Winter Hurdles that he lost an excellent position through slowing down. He jumped out well and was nicely placed all the way of the first mile and then he drifted to a hopeless position. As he was on the rails his rider had to allow him to go back to last before he could get clear and then he started to drive him round the field. The whip was out on Perle de Leon a long wa> from the winning post and it was kep! on him without sparing till over the last fence when Warner could see that a further effort was hopeless. The distance of the Grand National H urdles will suit Perle de Leon better than most of the other horses in the field, and if he goes down arid manages to jump the stiff Riccarton hurdles at all well he ought to be one of those who are in the lighting line over the final furlong. PROMISING SOUTHERNER Another hurdler who is worth special reference after what was seen of him at the Wellington Winter Meeting, and in view of the engagements he has ahead of him. is the Ashburton gelding, Wharncliffe. Wharncliffe is a candidate for Grand National Hurdle honours, and it is possible that after his running in the Winter Hurdle race at Trentham he will go out favourite. He was stripped for racing twice during the Wellington meeting, and he covered himself with credit. His first appearance was on the opening day When he was saddled up for the Trentham Hurdle race. Notwithstanding good reports of him from the South he was allowed to go out only moderately backed and when he rolled home the dividend was a fine one for what turned out to be almost a certainty. Next he conte£?ted the Winter Hurdle race, and in that he was somewhat unlucky to be beaten. Like Perle de Lqon he was asked to do too much over the last part of the race. He stGod Nukumai up a great start over the last half mile or so and then ran him to less than a couple of lengths. That performance stamps Wharncliffe as a hurdler of some class and if he does not win of the bigger events before he finishes his racing career there will be many careful observers gravely disappointed.