THE GRAND NATIONAL MEETING

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21239, 10 August 1934, Page 6

THE GRAND NATIONAL MEETING

I Better Support From Owners

BEST HORSES IN NEW ZEALAND NOMINATED !

I The Canterbury Jockey (Jlulj's New Zealand Grand National j meeting, to be held on the Iticcarton racecourse on Tuesday, j Thursday, and Saturday of next week, gives every promise of j feeing the most successful from every viewpoint held for many j years past. The revival in racing in the last year is reflected in j the large number of horses engaged from all parts of the Dominion. | In recent years there was a marked diminution in the patronage ol" | outside owners; in fact, sonic of the meetings held at Iticcarton j /have been largely confined to Souih Island horses. The card for j ihis year's meeting reveals that practically all the principal racing j ventres are represented in the list of competing horses, and j patrons can look forward to seeing in action the best horses of all j divisions in commission in New Zealand. Grand National Week j 3n Christchurch is annually awaited by racegoers, and it is j generally recognised as the most enjoyable racing holiday of the ,year's calendar. |

I' Tt» Blccarton racecourse lends itsell to jumping events, and it can' tbe fairly claimed that the track provided at this time of the year has tno parallel in either Australia or New Even heavy rain has little on the surface for any space W timet and while other courses in

the .Dominion—Ulis year particularly —have been almost unworkable, wonderfully favourable going is always available at the Canterbury headquarters. Visiting traipcra, who have arrived in the last week have been loud in their praise, not only of the condition of the tracks, but of the facilities provided for training opera-

tions. as compared with these; avail- ■ able in other places. j Thirf vcar's Grant.! National Steeple- : will be decided over the same j treund as in previous years, and the j obstacles to be negotiated have been j constructed and renewed to exactly | the tam.J size- arid dimensions. The ! ' Iticcjrtcn country is recognised as the roost formidable in New Zealand, but j the jumping of it is made- less difti- 5 cult by the nature of the ground, j which ensures; an excellent, take-of.-- j a very important factor. It may not 1 be known to many that the course j proper at Riccarton, at least on that j part occupied by the big fences, is i still in its natural state. It has never ! been turned over, and the sole grass j accounts for the excellent surface. 1 ! The- Fences Probably a. small percentage of tiie large assemblage which is expected at Hiecarton on Tuesday next, has had any opportunities to inspect the j . teeplechnse fences, and to realise, j what horses and horsemen have to j contend with when they set oil' on their journey of three miles and a half, which embraces the jumping of 21 fences. The following detailed description. of the obstacles will, therej fore be of interest at this stage:— j First—A brush fence 4ft 4iu high, i jft. Um through at top, situated oppo- ! Kite carriage paddock and about a j furlong from the start, i j I Second-First of stands' double, a ! light brush fence 4ft 3in high. Third—Second of stands" double and I similar to the second fence. The oisianco between those fences is roughly j 60 yards. Fourth—Cutts' Bros.' lenec. 4ft loin j ' high, 2ft Din through at the top. Near j ! nine furlongs post and has been the ! dov/nfall of many a good jumper. J Considered probably ttoo stillest brush j to jump. I Fifth—Back sod wall, 3ft 8111 high, | 4ft through the top. Ditch 2ft 6in wide In front. Situated just before mile post. Sixth—Post-and-rail. tenee, 3l't Gin high, ditch 3ft in front. This fence

which has the top rail padded, is near the seven furlongs post, and is considered the easiest of the circuit. Seventh—First oil the Kennels f Double, sod wall, post-and-rail 3ft Sin J high, and broom fence 4ft Bin high I combined. In front of fence is ditch 4ft wide. Situated at old six ; furlongs post. Kijchth—Second of Kennels Double, post-and-rail and broom fence 3ft, lOin high combined. These fences are j only 34 yards apart and together prove j | one of the-most severe tests of the Na- < j tional course. j | Ninth —Bi;,' sod wali 3it CJin high, I 4ft througli at top, ditch 2ft 6in wide |in front. Situated near old five fur-' 1 po;t. ! ! Tonth—Bni.sh fence 4l"t 9in high, 2ft, 9in through, at top. Situated just be- j fore turn into straight and because of the ani;le thus formed this fence es- j pccialiy in the concluding circuit j j when there is only about three fur-1 i Ion;;"; to ;,'o, proves very difficult to i i master. | This completes the first circuit and i the eleventli to twentieth jumps are j the same as the first to tenth jumps, | and the last jump, the twenty-llrst, is j the same as the first, that obstacle be- I inj; crossed three times by a horse who completes the course. This has been the lay-out of the Iticcavton. country for more than 22 years. i i The construction of these fence;; every year involves a good deal of time and expense, and the Riccarton caretaker, Mr P. D. Mac Nab, and his ttall' are to be congratulated on the excellent manner in which their work bas been completed. i !