FROM STUD AND STABLE Both Upsets And Easy Wins In Great Northern

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30452, 28 May 1964, Page 4

FROM STUD AND STABLE Both Upsets And Easy Wins In Great Northern

The ever-fresh fascination of the 80-year-old Great Northern Steeplechase, which will be run next Monday, has a lot to do with the fact that it has produced races of every possible variety, from easy victories by short-priced favourites to upsets bv unheralded long shots.

The 1955 Great Northern was one of the most sensational in history. Hit Parade went to the last fence, a brush hurdle, and the smallest on the course, with a big lead, but he failed to rise at the fence and crashed, leaving Every Time clear to win New Zealand’s richest jumping race.

Bui for straight-out sensation it would be hard to beat tbe feat of the one-eyed gelding Despised in 1893. He was the outsider and was well i in the race until the first post and rails on the top of i the hill on the final round, where he fell. K. Heaton remounted, and Despised gave | chase gallantly to range up | to the leaders at the last; fence and draw away to win easily. Thrilling Race The Ricearton veteran. Free Holmes, was one of the. principals in a thrilling Great Northern in 1896. He was riding Liberator, j and this had been a successful combination the year before, but a grand double eluded them by a nose. The winner, by a nose after a magnificent struggle was Levanter, owned, trained, and ridden by J. Rae. Levanter had won a few i hurdle races, but he was a maiden steeplechaser at the. ■time of his Great Northern victory and a start for him was in doubt until the eve of the race. When a decision was made ■to start him late on the Sunday Rae was faced with the task of taking off 71b in quick time, but he accomplished it and with happy results. Levanter won again under 12-11 in 1897. Rae rode him again, but this time the horse was carrying the colours of, Mr C. Archibald. Eight Others Few horses have won the j race twice. The others were Kjatere (1905-7), El Gallo (1915-16), Sir Roseberry (1924-25), Valpeen (1934-38),! Dozie Boy (1942-44), Brookby Song (1947-48), Dunwold (1953-54). and Patrick Molloy 1 (1960-61). Liberator was also a maiden steeplechaser when he won in 1895 under 11-12. He was owned and trained by Patsy Butler at Rieearton and was taken north by Free Holmes, who has been living in retirement for several > years and is now approaching his 93rd birthday. Survoy gave Canterbury another memorable victory in the race in 1939. Trained at 'Washdyke by E J. Ellis for Mr S. Findlay. Survoy was comparatively inexperienced as a steeple chaser when he was sent north, but his dogged qualities, helped by the skilful horsemanship of A. E. Ellis, gave him victory by a nose ■ over Power Chief. Survoy carried on to win the Wellington Steeplechase, but he did not survive a pre paration for the Grand National that year. ‘

Macaroni, a cream in colour, won the first Great Northern in 1885, defeating Whalebone by 20 lengths. It looked as if it would be an interesting finish when Macaroni came to the last fence with New Year and Ngata at close quarters, but Ngata ran off and New Y'ear crashed. In those days part of the course was run through what was known as Crowther’s paddock, and the horses had to run through a gate. Single file was the general rule but there was room for two at a pinch. Riders often took the wrong course, failing to observe the correct way of going, as marked out by poles. Bought For £25 Several horses became notable bargains when they won the Great Northern. Don. the 1889 winner, was bought out of a selling steeplechase by Mr J. Keen for £25 end trained on a beach. He carried the minimum weight and his few supporters received one of the biggest dividends in connexion with the race. Hautere, the 1912 winner, was bought some time earlier by a man who thought he could use him for a buggy horse. Hautere explosively changed that line of thinking by kicking the buggy to pieces. Mr J. B. Wiliamson then bought the horse for £3O. and on his death his son, Mr Jack Williamson, offered the horse in settlement of a grazing account amounting to £2l, but no business resulted. Put To Flight Later Hautere changed hands at £25. but the borse chased the new owner out of a loose-box at feeding time, and found his way back to Mr Williamson’s farm where be was found grazing. Mr Williamson thought he could harness such spirit and individuality to better effect and decided to put Hautere back into training. Hautere made tbe trouble worth while by winning as a five-year-old with 10-3. Won At Aintree Moifaa is one of the most famous names on the records of the Great Northern Steeplechase. Racing in the interests of Mrs A Ellingham, he won the 1901 race with 10-13. Three years later Mr Spencer Gollan took Moifaa to England and won the Grand National at Aintree with this ugly giant of a horse. Everything about Moifaa was excessive. This is how an English writer described him: “His feet were like pilasters.

his tail would stuff a bolster, his muscles were like I that of a Liverpool trolley- ■ horse, and he had tbe head and shoulders of a camel.” Lord Marcus Beresford j called him a starved elephant and the ugliest devil you ever saw. But the machine worked in harmony and those massive quarters made the fence look like hurdles. Champion Brookby Song has been the | greatest of the latter-day champions to win the Great Northern. He won the Ellerslie mara■thon in 1947 and again in 1 1948. And his 1948 victory as a seven-year-old under 12-0 ; started his spectacular “grand ■ slam” —that of winning the three big cross-country races 'of tbe year. He joined the list of the “greats” that memorable winter by adding the Wellington Steeplechase under 12-0 and the Grand National under the maximum weight of 12-7. Coalition (1921) and Beau Cavalier (1927) were earlier winners of the great treble in : one year, and certainly earned ; ranking as two of the greatest i ’chasers of all time in New Zealand. The South Island will not Shave a runner in the Great Northern this year, but this rich, spectacular race will !lose none of its interest as :a result. North Island horses make up 90 per cent of the Grand National fields these days, and in this year’s Great Nor- | there field may be the winner of this year’s National.