G.N. HURDLES WINNER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 207, 2 September 1938, Page 12

G.N. HURDLES WINNER.

NOT FIRST MAIDEN. The win of Padishah in the Grand National Hurdles while still a maiden over obstacles received wide publicity, but the claim that he was the first maiden to win the race was not justified. Royal Arms, the winner in had started only once in a hurdle r ice before he contested the Grand National, that heinjr at the Wellington meeting, wliere he ran second to Immensity in the Winter Hurdles. After having a spell. Inreappeared over hurdles in June. l>ein>; unplaced in the Great Northern, and then winning the Remuern Hurdles. The following season he contested three races, all over the jumps. He won the Okehu Hurdles at Wanganui and ran unplaced in the Brunswick Hurdles on the second day. His third outing that season was an unplaced performance in the Brighton Hurdles at Auckland, which brought his racing career to a close. In all. he started in seven hurdle races, for three wins and a second.

Maiden Winner

General Advance, successful in the Grand National Knives In 192.3, was another maiden to win the race. He started' his career as a jumper at five years, when he was unplaced in the Yittoria Hurdles at Trentham. At six years all his racing was done on the flat. The following season he started in the Trial Hurdles at the Grand National meeting, in which he ran third.

He was not seen again for nearly ten months, when he contested the Great Northern and Campbell Hurdles at Kllerslie, in both of which he was unplaced. Commencing his eight-year-old season, he competed in the hurdle race at the Chrktchurch Hunt meeting. He was unplaced in the Jumpers' Flat Handicap, on the first day of the Canterbury Jockey Club's meeting, and this was followed by his Grand National success, which was his final appearance over hurdles that season.

Another interesting performance was that of Defianee. a liorse that was raced by the late Hon. J. D. Ormond. He had his first race as a jumper when lie won the Trial Hurdles at the Hawke's Bay meeting in June. Two months later he was sent to Riccarton, to win the Grand National Hurdles with 11.0. Third place was filled by Evening, later to become the dain of Morning, another winner of the race.