SPORTING NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 157, 10 June 1895, Page 3

SPORTING NEWS.

NORTH NE,W ZEALAND GRAND

NATIONAL MEETING.g

The first day's racing in connecbion with tho North, Now Zealand Grand National Steeplechase Meebing abtracted a record abtendance for the season of year to Ellerslie on Saburday. It is esbimabed bhab fully 4,000 people were on the course. The racing throughoub bhe afternoon proved to be of an inberesbing characber, and the programme was run off well to adverbised bime, thanks to the management of Mr Percival. Mr Hill, the caretaker, had the course and surroundings in capital order, bub tbe dampr. hess, under foot prevented the lawn being need to any extenb by tho ladies. Tho starting was well up to Mr George" Cubbs' usual sbandard, bub the only race in which, he used bhe barrier was bhe Winter Welter Handicap. Mr Blomfield and etaff passed the good sum of £8,304 bhrough bhe totalisabors during the afternoon, and no fault could be found wibh bhe managenaenb in bbis deparbmenb. The eight horses which figured on the card faced the starter for the Grand National Hurdle Race, and those in the enclosure watched the saddling up of each horse and preliminaries with greab inberesb. Coala wore a bandage on his off fore leg, and as he "was hob backed with any epirib on bbc bobalisabors, ib was soon discovered bhab something was amiss. The resulb of the race proved this, for after Coala had boiled ip bhe rear throughout bhe two miles of bhe journey, he pulled up quite lame. Liberabor stood oub as bho king of. the eigbb starters, and ib waa little wonder thab he was mado such a pronounced favourite. Ib was the general opinion bhat the contest would be a close and exciting one, bub bhe contrary proved to bo the case, for when the lasb half-mile of the journey came to be entered upon everything was beaten bar Warrior and Liberator. Ebor and Ida had come to grief at the second hurdle soon after the starb. Warrior led Liberator into the turn for home, and he had the best of the Southern crack righb up bo bho lasb hurdle, bub once bhe pair were both landed over the obsbacle, Liberabor pub in a couplo of long and telling strides, and beating the Aucklander easily for pace in tha run home, won by a length from Warrior, while ab an interval of aome three or four lengths came Union Jack. Tho position occupied by Warrior came as a greab surprieo bo bhe public, for h.B*form bud been bad for a long bime pasb. Bonovoree was well supported by the stable, bub failed to acb in bhe mud. Liberator's win waß a very popular one, and, on returning to scale, Holmes, his rider, was accorded a mosb enthusiastic recopbion. The Waikato horse Nero pulled off tho Selling Steeplechase, bub the feature of the race was bbc prominenb position occupied by old Chester, and whose racing days many thoughb were over. Twelve starbed for bhe Maiden Hurdle Race, of which four horseß came to grief. Levanter had the race won, bub hisrider lefb off riding ab the distaneo, with tho resulb bhab Sbrayshob came wibh a rush, and snatched the race oub of the fire on the pneb. King John was made a pronounced favourite for bbis event. The Maiden Steeplechase, won by Donald McKinnon, proved one of the greatesb conbeßbs ever witnessed on Ellerslie course, for Donald McKinnon, Marechal Neil, Kildare and Amalgam raced up the straight almosb in line. The concluding race of tho programme fell to the leniently-handicapped Kathleen, who was made an even money favourite on the totalisator.

After the Grand National Hurdle Race i had been decided, bhe stewards inquired into a protest lodged by R. Hon wood, '. owner and rider of Warrior, who alleged thab his horse was cro.sed by Liberator, i Holmes admitted to the stewards bhab his horse bumped againsb Warrior after the lasb hurdle was crossed, bub ho quickly pulled out. Details of the concluding races aro appended :— GranP National Hdedle Race of 250sovs; second horse to receivo 25aov**, and third horse lObovb oub of bbc stake. Over eight flights of hurdles. Two miles. 410—Mr P. Butler's br g Liborator, aged, by Betrayer—Diaua, Pisb 9lb (Holmes) ... 1 65—Mr R. Henwood's blk h Warrior, aged, by Ingomar — Fanny Fisher, 9.b 101b(Henwood) ... 2 81—Mr J. J. Russell's eh g Uuion Jack, aged, by Liberal, 9ab 101b (Lind) 3 Obher starters: 161, Ebor, aged, 12at 81b (Hickey); 142, Coala; aged, list lllb (Rae) ; 162, Fright, aged, lOsb 41b (J. Laing); 111, Bonovoree, syrs, lOab (Fergus) ; 188, Ida, 6yrs, 9ab (Morrigan). YVhen the signal was given Liberabor moved away firsb, followed by Frighb, but Ebor was quickest over the firsb obstacle. The second obstacle proved fatal to Ebor, who wenb clumsily through ib, and Ida shared a similar fate, bhus leaving only six oub of the eighb starters in the race ab this early stage of affairs. This lefb Frighb wibh command of affairs, and he made bho running in fronb of Union Jack into bhe sbraighb; bhen came Warrior, and bhree or four lengbhs away followed Liberabor, and, afber another interval Bonovoree ahd Coala. In this order the field raced pasb tbe grandstand, bub going oub of the turn Liberator made a move forward. By bhe time the cutting was reached Fright, and Union Jack had run themaelves to nearly a sbandsbill, and Warrior making a bold dash to bhe fronb. led Liberabor round bhe top stretch and into bhe home turn. Warrior appeared bo be having the beab of Liberator ab tha lasb hurdle, bjib once on the flab the greab pace which Mr Bubler's horse can musber up, told ibs bale, and Liberabor had no difficulby in beabing hia opponenbafc the finish by a lengbh and ahalf, Warrior being in fronb of Union Jack. Frighb finished fourth, and then ab an interval came Bonovoree and Coala. Time, 4min 7eec. Dividends: Inaide, £2 15s; outside, £2 17s.Selling Steeplechase of OOeovs. Aboub ,'-, three miles. 233—Mr A.' Bach's b g Nero, by Ingomar, aged, 9sb 71b (Wright) -. 1 106—Mr G. W.-8. Patterson's eh g Chester, aged, 9eb 71b (Collins) 2 92—Mr, J„ Sub-on's eh g Mareachal Neil, aged, I2sb 31b (Katberns)... 3 .Obher sbarterß : 45, Duncan Grey, aged, 9sb 71b (Weston); 27, Mobher Shipbon, aged, 9sb 71b (Johnsbone); 79, Yum Yum* aged, 9at 71b (Windsor); 30, Adventurer, aged, 9sb 7lb (Burns). Nero and Adventurer alternately led until coming down the hill for home, when Chester" took command, and he led over bhe stone wall on bo bho course proper. Once in bhe straight., Nero came again and passing Chesber won by,bhree lengths. Yum Yum waa pulled; up. Time, 7mins. Dividends -.Inside, &2 Ss ; outside, £2 ss. Maiden Hordle Race of 60aova. One mile and three-quarters. 151—Mr McKibbon's b m Strayshot, syt'B, by Foul Shot—Kaikatea, lbafe 2ib (G. Laing) ... J ... 1 84—Mr ('. Archibald's b g Lsvanter syrfl, 9ab (Fletcher; ... ..-. 2 15—Mr J. Mehafy's b g Pembroke, 6yrs, 9st 121b (Noilly) 3 Other starters: 164. Variety, syrs, 103b 41b (Galbraith); 204, King John, syre, 10..b 31b (Carrubbers); 43, Sbamford, aged, 9eb 121b (Carey); 13, Tip, 4yrs, 9sb 61b (Tozor)! 14i Ulster,: syrs, 9sb 51b 'Kabberns); 45. Maroro, aged, 9sb 41b (Johnatono); 84. Bonanza, 6yrs, 9sb 21b (Morrigan) ; 29, Tim (late Tim Whiffler), aged, 9sb (Collins); 6, RavenSwood, Syra, 9sb (Wells). . Maroro led until the Grandstand was reached, when Pembroke took command, bub he soon gave way to Levanter. The

aathamed led across bhe bop stretch and into the straight. Ab the DCrby stand Levanter looked to have the'race won, bub his jockey lefb off riding enabling Strayahob to snatch a verdict on the post.. Time, 3min 57sec7 Dividends -Inside, £5 ss; outside, £4 16s. * .... ,7' '. PottY Hurdle Race of 40e0v9. One mile and a-half. 329—Mr J. Sutton's h m Kathleen,. aged, by The Dauphin—Silver Link, 108b 21b (Kabternß)' ... 1 102-Mr A. Liddel - b f Valentine. 3yrs, by Derringer—Virginia, 9ab 61b (Woodfield) ... ... ... 2 124—Mr F. Macmanemin's b m The Dove, aged, lisb (McKinnon) ... 3 Other starters -.—(48) Butterfly, aged, lOsb lOlb (Greenwood); (64) Bib o'Fashion, 3yr9, lOsb 31b (Wells); (91) Penguin, aged, 9sb lllb (Macmanemin); (17) Tibirangi, syr**, 9at 41b (Neilly). . Won by bwo lengths. Time, 3min lOsecf. Dividends : Inside, £2 3s ;. oubside, £2.