THE TOP-WEIGHT IN THE NATIONAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2783, 17 July 1907, Page 54

THE TOP-WEIGHT IN THE NATIONAL.

If Kiatere succeeds in the Grand National Steeples under his allotted burden of 13.3 he will achieve a weight-oar ry ing record for the race. Since the "Cross-country Derby" was established, in 1876, the highest weight successfully carried is the 12.10 which Canard won under in 1886. It is a notable fact that prior to the distance being reduced in 1890 to three miles and a-half 12 -,tone or over was carried to victory on six occasions, whilst since then the burden mentioned above has been carried by a winner on three occasions only. No horse has ever carried 13 stone into a place, but Mutiny ran second with 12.13 to Levanter, who carried 12.6, and Norton was second, with 12.12, to -Waterbury. Ahua tvas sent out favourite with 12.10 in 1891, and finished fifth, and a somewhat similar compliment was paid to Moifaa when he went out a good second favourite with 13.6 on his back. Moifaa holds the record 1 of essaying the greateet task ever attempted over the Riccarton country, and this occurred when he shouldered 13.13 in the Lincoln Steeples won by Roller. Both in the National Steeples and Lincoln Moifaa was running a great horse, but unfortunately ran off in both race«. In those days Watt, his rider, \valke<l about 8.0, and the amount of deadweight between him and his mount would not tend to strengthen his grip of the pigskin. In the hig Steeples he lost both irons before Moifaa ran off when jroing really well, and the big son of Natator also appeared to be going as well as anything in tho race when he ran off in the L-'neoln There was not a little merit in The Guard's form when he ran second to his stable companion Gobo with 12.2, and h« was running

like a winner when he came down the following year with 13.2 up. Kiatere has a field underneath him in the handicap which will probably make him feel the full weight of his burden, and time alone will solve the question as to whether he can achieve success where so many others have failed under big weights.