WEDNESDAY'S ENDURANCE TEST

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 132, 5 June 1937, Page 22

WEDNESDAY'S ENDURANCE TEST

TWENTY-FIVE OBSTACLES AND THE "HILL"

(By "Rangatira.")

The Great Northern Steeplechase course, over which the fifty-third contest for the premier northern cross-country event will be run on Wednesday, may not be the most difficult in the Dominion, so far as the obstacles are concerned; but the "hill," which has to be crossed three times, and the extra distance of a quarter of a mile compared with the Grand National, have in the past proved the course to be a generally more testing trial than any other country in the Dominion. Nearly every Great Northern witnesses many mishaps, and often they include the usually-smartest jumpers, especially in that tiring last round. Many a Great Northern has been lost at one of the last four fences.

A big field of nineteen is at present scheduled to attempt the Great Northern course on Wednesday, but after, today's racing there are certain to be many declining to fio on with the steeplechase. Every year the final payment at the post sees the original acceptance much reduced. Last year, for instance, the 25 acceptors dropped to ten starters. A dozen starters seems about the likely number for this year. PLAN OF COURSE. The course over which the Great Northern will be run is indicated in the plan on"this page. The main course, of nine furlongs, is shown in heavy line, and the steeplechase course in stippled line. The complete country circuit is roughly eleven furlongs. The way of going is right-handed, the revarse to Trentham and" Riccarton.

The Ellerslie steeplechase course also differs from the Wellington and Grand National in that it is distinct from the main course, whereas at Trentham the steeplechase country is constructed round the outside of the course proper. At EUerslie' the only portions on the course : proper are about a couple of furlongs along the back each time and the final run down the straight to the winning post. The Great Northern Hurdles todayi was run over 2£ miles and ten flights of hurdles round the course proper. The hurdle obstacles at Ellerslie are

Because of the nature of the Ellerslie country, the record of the favourites in the Great Northern is a melancholy one. Ante-post favourites are always to be eschewed by the wise ones. The only first fancy on the day to have come home since El Gallo won his second successive contest in 1916 is Sir Rosebery, also enjoying his second successive win in 1925, after having been one of the outsiders in his initial victory the previous year. Second favourites in Lochella. Glendowie. and Royal Limond have succeeded in the last twenty years; and horses third in selection that have won are Master Lupin, Sea De'il,

particularly solid and they are nearly as difficult to jump as the country— indeed, it is the opinion of many riders that.the. hurdles are decidedly harder to manage than the country. The pace is on all the way in hurdle events at Ellerslie, and the fences, with heavy padded top rails and spiked into the ground, yield very little when struck. One real bang, even if it does not spell catastrophe, will-take the heart out of the toughest jumper. The Great Northern Hurdles today started near the top of the straight, and the two-furlong run to the post and two complete circuits afterwards made up the full journey. There is still an impression among some who have not seen racing at Ellerslie in the winter that the Great Northern Hurdles course also takes in the "hill." As has already been indicated, only the steeplechasers go over the hill. ; NEARLY FOUR MILES. . The Great Northern Steeplechase, scheduled at about 31 miles but actually nearer four miles in exact distance, comprises just under three complete circuits of the country. As in the Wellington Steeplechase, the horses start along the back, run round past the stands, and then do two complete circuits afterwards. In the Grand National at Riccarton the start is at the head of the straight, and then two full circuits. The starting point for the Great Northern is at the entrance to the back stretch, near the seven furlongs (or two-mile) post on the course proper, the same.barrier from which the Auckland Cup field is dispatched on Boxing Day. The initial obstacle (a brush hurdle) is a furlong away, and the second (a brush) less than a furlong further on. A short run then leads off the course proper to the ascent of the hill. On top of the hill there is an undulating stretch of about a furlong, with two post-and-rail fences to be crossed, separated by half a furlong. Another run of about a furlong and a half takes the horses down the hill to i stone wall, and then follow a sod wall, the water jump (first time) or brush double (second time), another stone wall, and a brush wattle fence. This series of jumps is across the inside of the course, and the brush wattle completes the circuit. Two complete ' circuits (roughly about eleven !urlongs each), a third time over the riill, and the home run down the straight make the full course. NATURE OF OBSTACLES. In all there are twenty-five obstacles to be crossed, and a description of their nature, as follows, may be of interest:— First Jump.—Brush hurdle, 3ft lOin. Second Jump.—Brush fence, 3ft lOin. ■ Third Jump.—Post-nnd-rail fence, 3ft 81n, Mth hedge 4ft Gin at back (top of hill). Fourth Jump.—Post-aud-rall fence, 3ft Sin. «ith livo hedge 4ft 41n at back (also at top of hill). Fifth Jump.—Stone wall, wltta turf dn top, 3ft lOin (bottom of hill). Sixth Jump.—Sod fank, 3ft 71n, with live hedge on take-off sld*. : Seventh Jump.—Water Jump, 10ft wide, with live hedge 4ft high in front. Eighth Jump.—Stone wall, 3ft Bin, with, turf jn top. Ninth Jump.—Brush wattle fenc», 3ft 101 a, with live hedge 4ft 6in at back. Tenth to Fifteenth Jumps,—Same as first to sixth. Sixteenth Jump.—First of double, brush fence, 3ft lOtn. Seventeenth Jump.—Sncond of double, post-and-rail, 3ft "In with hedge on take-off side. Eighteenth to Twenty-fourth Jumps.—Same as eighth to fourteenth. Twentv-flfth Jump.—Brush hurdle, 3ft am. In straight, about one furlong and a half from winning post.

The description of these fences does not point to their being as severe as those at Riccarton, or even at Trentham, but onfe has to remember the hill, three times over which is an exacting toll on a horse's condition and stamina, especially with those two foreboding post-and-rails at the top. It is because

Copey. Callamart, and Billy Boy (last year). Any super-optimists who expect the favourite way. of the "treble" to come off are therefore faced with the rather discouraging fact that such a result would be unique.

of this bit of mountaineering that has to be accomplished that a horse not over-large, such as Dick was, and more recently Aurora Borealis, Master Lu. Copey, Callamart, and Royal Limonr^ has an enhanced chance. Still mot* of these horses who had the chance were able to show that they could negotiate the Ric'carton country as well. Aurora Borealis and Royal Limond being subsequent Grand National winners. Dick was an excep-. tion, for, as far as can be recalled, he never once in many attempts got round at Riccarton, either in hack steeples or later in the bigger races. Twice he was saddled up for the Grand National, and each time he retired through balking. In many resoects there has been a marked transformation in the course since the first Great Northern Steeplechase was run in 1885. The stone wall that stood opposite the mile post has long since disappeared, and, the two dips on the hill having been filled up, the passage of that portion of the course is less trying than it used to be.