THE GRAND NATIONAL MEETING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 196, 19 August 1899, Page 3

THE GRAND NATIONAL MEETING.

Although Blackberry was not without friends for the New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase, still his victory came as a bit of a surprise. He !had the reputation of being a none too reliable jumper, and some few days before the race was decided his trainer ihad considerable trouble with his legs. However he won all right, in the rather slow time for the Riccarton course of 7min 40 4-sth sec. BlackTberry hails from Napier where his owner, Mr R. McCulloch resides, and j his breeding reveals that he is a half brother to Douglas, both' being out of Good Fruit. The performances of Blackberry show that last season he won the Second Hurdles at the Hawke's Bay Summer Meeting, and that he annexed the Hurdles and Gisiborne Park Steeplechase in July, following this up by pulling off the July Steeplechase at the Wellington Winter "Meeting from a weak field of three others. In the Wellington Steeplechase he came to grief, so that taken altogether it is no wonder he paid a dividend of £11 9/ on Tuesday. The (headings of his pedigree read: — ; BLACKBERRY (1889) j Good Frujt Gladiator | Marie Louise Cremoine Nuncia Gladiate n j TF| $ ? ? I gf .f;>-l ||| | 111" £ 8 ] 5 g 3 3 Blackberry is ten' years old. He was bred at Mr R. D. McLean's station at Marae kakoho (Hawke's Bay), anl he was purchased by his present owner some six years ago. Gladiator, his sire, was bred in England or France, and he was imported to Victoria in 1871, and was re-shipped to iWanganui, N.Z. Good Fruit, his dam, was imported from 'England in 1882. She died at Mr McLean's station. The , only other horse of note she threw is the N.Z. Cup candidate Douglas. Morag1, the runner up to Blackberry, made a "tough fight for the prize last year, when he gained third place. This year the gelding went one better with more weight in the saddle. In 1897 Morag was likewise third behind Levanter and Mutiny, so he is a consistent old fellow. Jupiter, who put up a fair perform- ! ance in the Winter Cup, is engaged in the N.Z. Cup. and his win it is quite evident was unexpected, for he paid a dividend of £14 12/. He is a five-year- \ old gelding got by St. Clair, and hails from Dunedin. Last season at Otago meetings he won eight of his races outof sixteen starts. His win does notmulct him in a penalty for the N.Z. Cup. Malatua was sent to the post a decided favourite for the race, but he could not carry Mr D. O'Brien's colours in a better place than third, so itdoes not speak well for his prospects for big Riccarton honours in the I spring. Irish Twist came out at the meetin? like a giant renewed, and after he had won the Hunters' Hurdle Race on j -the opening day with 12.9, he came out on the second day and capped this performance by winning the Second Hunters' Hurdle Race with a load i of 13.8. The aged son of Ingomar and j Torori has had a nice spell, for he only j raced once on the flat last season. I "When he was taken to Christ-church the other clay deof the racing writers there stated'that he was a rare cut for the hunting field, and that it was a j pit* he was not put to cross country j work years ago. Irish Twist- was j trained at Biccartcn by Free Holmes. The win of Defiance in the Grand National Hurdle Race goes to show thnt his merits as a lepper over small sticks were not overdrawn after his initial victory in the Trial Hurdles at Hastings in June last, and immediately the weights were posted for | Thursday's rare, his name was in the i mouth of mo.«t racing people. Sum- j min°- Mr Ormond's horse up on his | last"performance there are some big. ■jmnpinsj races yet concealed about Tiim; for he is very fast on the flat.. For a . young and practically green horse over hurdles he did well in winnine with .11.0 in the time of 3^6^. Tt will be remembered that in tne New Z-nland Cup of 189R he made a big fcifl for the two mile race, gaining third place. The headings of Defiance's pedigree come out thus: — " " "DEFIANCE (1893) """—-ITso-acy Dreadnought "YHttacy —St Lcs?er Trafalgar Chester I"I i M v ' " rt is worthy of mention that Dundonald, who won the Enfield Steeplechase on Tuesday/also gamed first olace in the same event at last year's 'vationa! Meeting. •;; --•; .-\

The Auckland gelding Natation gained second place in the Tally Ho Steeplechase on the opening day, but he made amends for this on Thursday by pulling off the Hunt Club Cup. Natation's dam, Bessemer, I may mention, is by Musket out of All Steel. The latter is a full sister to Steel All, dam of Levanter.