IMPROVERS ALL

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 983, 28 May 1930, Page 14

IMPROVERS ALL

TRIO OF YOUNG JUMPERS FOR FUTURE ELLERSLIE WINNERS? Every winter sees new jumpers in the limelight, and the depleted ranks are swelled from usually disappointing flat performers, or from the hunting field. i Without exception the “find” so far as the novices are concerned is Mountain Guide, while in close attendance comes Dark Prince and Sir Archie. They are all maiden jumpers, but exasperating luck has met Mountain 1 Guide’s efforts, no less than five con- ! secutive seconds over the battens ’ standing to his credit. He gained many admirers by the good fight he put up in | the open hurdles at Avondale recently, and only lack of experience beat him. Now he is showing the benefit derived from those efforts, and his jumping a'.ility is not questioned. Mountain Guide has only an engagement in the Northern Hurdles on the first day, but two and a-half miles will be a gruelling race for a comparative beginner. However, he is given a chance. After failures on the flat, Ellerslie ; Owner-Trainer J. D. Kemp thought it ; advisable to turn Dark Prince’s atten- j tion to the timber, a game at which I the black has shown great promise. He | is a speedy type and likes to be out in j front, a course pursued at Avondale I with satisfactory results. Third was I Dark Prince’s portion, but it was more j the fact that he did it so well than | ! the placing which pleased He has continued to progress along I the right lines since, and his initial > appearance over the obstacles on the j c ourse proper at Ellerslie yesterday j was an unqualified success. Dark i Prince has engagements next week, but : ho will not be allowed to go out at the ! long odds prevailing at Avondale. The dash Sir Archie has been infusing into his work in his preparation for hack hurdle events at the impend-

ing meeting 1 cites the Archiestown gelding as a really good prospect. He is bearing a very bright and robust appearance, and his jumping lately demonstrates that he has improved out of all knowledge. While racing on the flat Sir Archie gave out a lot of promise, but an accident unfortunately set him back, and since he has been a hard horse to prepare, although he scored in the Whangarei Cup last spring.