NORTH N.Z. GRAND NATIONAL MEETING.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9125, 8 June 1895, Page 10

NORTH N.Z. GRAND NATIONAL MEETING.

Auckland, June 4. The North N.Z. Grand National Meeting, which takes place at Elleralle on Saturday and Monday next, promises to be a very great success, provided of courae that the weather U favourable. The general entries number 164 against 113 last year, which is an increase of fifty-one. Among those engaged are horse* from all parts of the colony. From Dunedin comes Esparto, Christchurch is represented by Liberator, Bawke's Bay by Norton and Ebor, while the West Coast of the North Inland sends Belle, Union Jack, Clayton, King John, Variety, Kathleen, Pembroke, Straysbot. ana Thunderbolt; the Gisbarne district sends Samoa, Pororua, Waiongona. Donald M'Kinnon, and Royal, by Prince CharlieLacteal. All of the-ie horses have arrived and appeared at Ellerslie. About sixteen sportsmen are present from Gisborne to assist at the meeting, among whom may be mentioned Mr W. Hammond, owner ot horses, Mr Nasmith, and Mr R, Harper. Mr S. H. Gollan ie also here.

The Grand National Hurdle Race is run on Saturday. The field is not a strong one In point of numbers, but there is no doubt about tbe quality of those engaged. Liberator showed winning form at the Dunedin Meeting on Queen's Birthday, when he won the Hurdle Race with 12vt 13lb. Mr Butler's horse must be hard to beat now, and I will be very much surprised if he does not win or be near the winner on Saturday next. Ebor is another candidate that is sure to come in for plenty of support. This horse on his very beet form I do not consider a match for Liberator at a difference of lib, still his

chance is a better one than some of the others engaged. Coala, who is my straiehtout fancy, arrived by the s.s. Manapouri yesterday. I would have liked to have seen him landed in Auckland a few days sooner, but the horse had a good passage over, and no doubt Wright will have bia cnarge rally ready tor the fray when the bell rings. I will pat Fright down as an unlikely starter. Bonovoree showed fair form at the Takapuna Meeting, and I think that he h sure to get a place. Warrior and Union Jack are a pair I think that may be passed over, but Ida will require to be reckoned with. All sorts of reports are abroad as to this mare'a ability at jumping, but my information is that she gets over the obstacles fairly well. If such is the case a mare with Ida's pane must have a chance. Ladybird made a successful debut in the Miiden Hurdle Race at the Takapuna Meeting, but the opposition was very weak, and I think she tired very much at the finish. She will require to improve on form to win now. [She has since been acatched.— Ed.] I predict the result as follows :— CO ALA ... 1 Liberator ... ... 2 Bonovokes ... ... 3 Mr Evett declared the weights for the other events of Saturday's card last night, and acceptances fall due to-morrow night (too late for purposes of tipping). Kildare reads as a likely winner of the Maiden S eeplechaae. Grenadier or St. Patrick may get homo in the Winter Welter, and Kathleen has got off so lightly in the Pony Hardies tbac she should win. For the Maiden Hurdle Race I hare a fancy for Strayshot.

The Great Northern Steeplechase is run next Monday, aad a good field is sure to face tho starter. Norton, who occupies the post of honour, is very well, but good horse though he is I shall expect to see him beaten by one of the lighter weights. Busaco will be an absentee. Up to the present Liberator is an unknown quantity over country. The same remark applies to Coala, who is weighted at 71b less than the Canterbury representative. If either of thu pair win the Grand National Hurdler, of courao they must be very dangerous in the Steeplechase. Bombardier demonstrated on the second day of the Takapuna Juckey Club meeting that he has come b*ck to hi* very best form. His run at the finish of the Second Hurdle Hace shows that he is gifted with a cood dash of pace, while I well remember the great run he made in last year's Great Northern S eeplechase, whish he won, making such hacks of the field that that feat, togetlio? with his form at Takapuna, proves hs is a stayer of the first order. If Bombardier remains in his best form from now till the lCbh of June, he is my selection for the event. Belle has done lots of racing of late, and it suffering from an enlarged knee. If such is the case the New Plymouth-ovrned mare is not likely to be dangerous. Aorere ha 3 done a splendid preparation for this race, and his party are confident of their horse running prominently. I have no fancy for Fright, while Union Jack's form has been so bad of late that he may be counted out. Fishmonger has run very consistently this back end, and it is just on tho cards that he may repay bis 3traight-going owner with a win on this occasion instead of being in the unenviable position of second. Fishmonger meet 3 Bombardier on Ulb better terms than when i,hey opposed each other in the Takapuna Steeplechase on Queen's Birthday, therefore I shall expect to witness a great race between the pair again. Scahheen is In tip-top form, so that he must havo a respectable chance of winning with such a light impost as be has opposite his name. O.i hie running at the Takapuna meeting. Deceiver is heli cafe by both Bombardier and Fi >'imonger. Nero has arrived from the Waikato to fulfil his engagements, but his chance reads only an outside one. Beauly has been taken to Gisborne. To sum up I predict a great race for the rich stake of 400lovs between Fishmonger and Bombardier, after whom I Hue Norton and Scalthcen. For choice of the quartette commend mc to Bombardier. However, as I said above, if the untried pair over country, Coala and Liberator, ahow brilliant form in the Grand National Hurdles, one or other may defeat all engaged in the Great Northern Steeplechase.

Liberator is now a slightly better favourite than Coala for the Grand National Hurdle Rice. The favourite combination for the "small stick" event and Grand National Steeplechase is Liberator and Bombardier, the best price obtainable being 100 to 7. Other prices quoted are :— 100 to 6 Ebor and Bombardier, Ebor and Norton, Coala and Bombardier ; 100 to 5 Coala and Norton, Liberator and Fishmonger, Liberator and Liberator, Liberator and Norton, Ebor and Bombardier 100 to 4 Coala and Aorere; 100 to 3 Ebor and Coala.

A lot of schooling work is being done on the course. Ebor and Norton were jumped this afternoon with Mr Gollan on Norton. It is stated that Mr Gollan will ride him in the Great Northern Steeplechase. Liberator and Coala each did useful work before breakfast. King John and E. par to did medium pace work on the tan. The Dancer gave one of his legs a knock while schooling a morning or two ago, but he is little the worse now. Donald H'Klnnon shaped badly this morning at schooling work, [By Hotspur.J More than usual outside interest is being centred in the North New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase gathering, and from the large number of horses engaged thereat and the open complexion of most of the event?, the reunion which closes the Auckland Racing Club's season promisee to be a mo3t unqualified success. The Grand National Hurdle Race is decided on the first day, Saturday, and with the exception of Fright all that made the second payment are expected to go to the post. Liberator reached the convincing ground safe and well, and I hear has fared all right since his arrival. Though I hardly think he can be at hi 3 best, he demonstrated at Dunedin that there was nothing much amiss with him, and the old fellow will, I take it, prove more than a match for most, all probably, of his opponents in the forthcoming tussle. The high imposts favour Ebor's chance, for the Australian is undoubtedly a weight carrier; a shorter course, however, would be more to his liking. Again, the frequent falls he has bad must be making him less confident than he was. I cannot imagine how the Auckland folk have come to magnify Coala to the extent they have. A good horse he aa&j be: indeed, it can be conceded he has earned that title. He is, however, in a different class to the top weight; and I should only want Liberator to bo quite himself to bo sure that he could give Coata 121b and a bad beating. As it is I look with some confidence to the top weight prevailing over the Auckland fancy on Saturday. Bonovoree. it is thought by his friends, will run a good race, but at best he has only an outside chance, both the mares with the minimum should be in front of him at the en.; of two miles. Of these Ida, by her gpod record on the fiat, commends herself to farourable notice. With the fences away nothing to my mind would have a chance with the runner-up for the Auckland Cap, and her being entered for and kept in the race is surely presumptive evidence that she can jump. Bat those on the spot are content to discard her from serious consideration, and, giving heed to auch, I would name Liberator as the winner, and would take Ebor to finish in front of Coala. [Ladybird has since been withdrawn,]

For tffe minor events on Saturday my selections are :— Maiden Steeplechase, Donald M'Kinnon. Winter Welter, The Sharper or Anita. Maiden Hurdle Race, King John. Pony Hurdle Race, Kathleen 1, Storttelleb 2.

The support that according to report has been given to Liberator and Coala for the Great Northern Steeplechase seems to mc to be altogether unjustified. Neither has yet taken part in a cross-country event, and though both may be found to negotiate big fences without flinching it is absurd to suppose they would do so in accomplished style at the first time of asking. There are very few horses that come to hand as a 'chaser like Norton, but before he appeared as a competitor for steeplechase honours he was thoroughly schooled. Liberator, whom I have every reason to suppose will in time fly a country with the best, has, I know, had next to no schooling, and as far as I am aware, Coala is in the same box. Such being the case it would appear to mc the greatest folly to suppose that the hurdlers stand a reas jaable chance of succeeding in the Steeplechase. Even should they get to the end of the journey without mishap, the jumping would almo3t of a certaiaty beat them. Thus, then, I put both Liberator and Coala out of consideration for the big event on the Monday. Bombardier acquitted himself so well at Takapuna the other day that many look to him to repeats hie victory of last season. He should Know his way for one thing, and having only 61b more to put up than a twelvemonth ago tho weight should cot stop him. I am inclined to think, however, if he has anything to remorselessly hunt him along he will take such liberties with his fences as to knock himself out, if be does not come to grief. A bandy little mare like Belle must be accounted to have a show.and Fishmonger, though by no mean 3 a good one, has such a light burden to bear that he should be able to keop g)ing and may be troublesome to shake oil". But to my mind the top weight is well able to hold in chock all opposition; be has a weight that will not trouble him and I look to Norton being landed the winner.