Interesting Card at Hunt Fixture

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1033, 25 July 1930, Page 14

Interesting Card at Hunt Fixture

South Canterbury Prospects

By “EARLY BIRD." A meeting that can be classed a bit above the usual type of hunt fixtures is that of the South Canterbury Hunt Club, which is to be held on the Washdyke (Timaru) racecourse tomorrow. There are no less than three steeplechases on the programme. The acceptances are excellent, and the meeting should be one of the best staged on a Southern country course for some time. The Grand National candidate, Radiate, figures at the top of the list in the South Canterbury Steeplechase, and he may add to his record. He failed twice at Trentham, but was going extremely well jvhen he lost his rider on the final day. The journey tomorrow will be a lot in his favour. Valves might have beaten Radiate in his last start in the South before the latter was sent on to Trentham, had his rider not been caught napping, so that their meeting again will be of more than average interest. Town Major and Taboo In the Winter Oats, one mile, on the last day at Trentham this month,Taboo defeated Town Major by half a head, the pair meeting on level terms. For that narrow defeat Taboo now has to concede the promoted hack 41b., and this ought to bring them together. Town Major is a wonderfully improved horse, and in his last four outings he has won three times and second once. He scored at Waimate last week, beating a moderate field, but as he met with considerable trouble during the running this event has been referred to as his best effort to date. It certainly looks like Town Major and Taboo fighting it out in tomorrow’s Claremont Handicap. First Raid is now sticking on well, while another interesting acceptor is Carinthia, winner of the Trentham Winter Hurdles a fortnight ago, and now a favoured Grand National Hurdles candidate. Heisler would have been favourite for the Hadlow Hurdles had he not crashed badly while schooling at Riccarton on W’ednesday last. He was subsequently destroyed. Now it looks as if that honour will fall upon Membo, who beat all but Troilus last week. Exide is a likely improver. The Hunt Cup Last Saturday Barrington defeated 1 Xgahue by a length in the Waimate i

Hunt Cup, and they are to meet in the Teschemaker Hunt Cup tomorrow, with Ngahue allowed 71b. for that beating. This may bring them close together, and with both horses likely to improve it is again going to be an interesting contest. Wairio’s presence will add stimulus to the race. Taking recent form into consideration, it looks as if the best propositions tomorrow will be Membo in the Hurdles, Radiate in the big Steeplechase, Barrington in the Hunt Cup, and Town Major in the Claremont Handicap. Barrington figures in the Hunters’ Steeplechase, but as was the case last Saturday, his owner will no doubt reserve him for the I-lunt Cup. Under the present system of handicapping, Derry Pointer has all the best of it in the Washdyke Trot, the mile and a-half saddle event, for he has several seconds uj* his sleeve. The following horses will probably be heavily backed tomorrow: Hadlow Hack Hurdles— MEMBO EXIDE Pareora Hunters’ Steeplechase— BARRINGTON or DEPORTMENT MARCO POLO South Canterbury Steeplechase— RADIATE VALVES Levels Hack Handicap— FAIR MONEY RAPINA Washdyke Trot Handicap— DERRY POINTER NQRWESTER Teschemaker Hunt Cup— BARRINGTON NGAHUE Hunters’ Handicap (Flat) WEST DOME COMM ENTER I Claremont Handicap— TOWN MAJOR I TABOO