ALWAYS CONFIDENT

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 134, 8 June 1935, Page 23

ALWAYS CONFIDENT

O'CONNOR AND HIS HORSE

"Although my horse was well back early in the Great Northern Steeplechase," remarked D. O'Connor, rider and trainer of the winner, Royal Limond, to a Press representative after the race, "I never had the least doubt as to the result. I had to ride him very hard all the way, but that is not unusual, as he is a very lazy horse. He never put a foot wrong during the contest and when I sent him along on reaching the hill the last time he quickly gathered in the leaders. London was with me at the last fence on the hill and came down with me to the stone wall at the bottom of the hill. That pleased me very much, for it made my horse go all the better. Once over this obstacle, I knew I had London beaten, and with the final fence crossed Royal Limond stayed on to win well.

"I have ridden this horse seven times this year in steeplechase events," he added, "and although offered a number of other mounts at the Auckland Meeting I would not accept them in case of accident, as Royal Limond is a particularly hard horse to ride." When first tried as a steeplechaser, Royal Limond gave very discouraging displays, and on every occasion when he went out to school at Riccarton he refused to jump the fences, and was strongly criticised on this account by southern sporting writers. However, O'Connor said he had faith that Royal Limond would eventually turn out all right as a 'chaser, and he steadily improved. _ He was so confident that he took him to Riverton at Easter. He ran second in the Great Western Steeplechase and won the Riverton Steeplechase the next day by eight lengths. The fences on that course O'Connor considered to be the stiffest obstacles in the Dominion. From that time onward the horse had gone on well, and after racing at Dunedin, Wanganui, and Te Rapa he was ready for his northern attack.