THE GREAT NORTHERN STEEPLECHASE WINNER.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 147, 22 June 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE GREAT NORTHERN STEEPLECHASE WINNER.

That was a fortunate afternoon last January for Jimmy Kean when he bought Don out of a sel_n.j steeplechase at the Onehunga Summer Meeting. The brusque bub popular local trainer had jusb a few hours previously landed from Taranaki- with Escubcheon's success in the big event fresh on him, and when the auctioneer was vainly using his persuasive eloquence to get rid of Don, Kean in his characteristic Btyle offered to take the horse for £27, and he was quickly knocked down to him. Only a few days elapsed before Don sported his new colours, and this was ab the Takapuna Summer. On the first day of bhe meeting he ran third i» the Hurdles, bub on bhe 'second day he annexed bobh the Hurdle Race of 75sovs. and Sbeeplechase of lOOsovs. Don met with a mishap afterwards, and his next appearance was on Queen's Birthday at Takapuna, when he got third in the Hurdles and Steeplechase, bub he was a long way from being wound up, which he showed by bhe splendid way he fought out the Great Northern on Saturday, and this, too, after a severe race oub of him in bhe Hurdles. When Don was in Harry Harrison's hands he won several races for him, and in the Waikato, where he was bred, he also placed one or two jumping events to his credit, so that he has always run consisbenbly. Since being in Kean's hands he has never failed bo gain a place. Don is a son of Ariel, who won tho Auckland Cup on three different occasions.