SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

Evening Star, Issue 10394, 16 August 1897, Page 1

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

I V.A.T.C. GRAND NATIONAL I MEETING. The V.A.T.C. Grand National meatiag was continued on Saturday. The following was the result of the principal event : CAULFIELD GRAND'NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE, of 1,300 soys. About four mite. Britomart, 9.5 ... (Law) 1 Zouroff, 11.7 (Lavertr) 2 Montrose, 10.7 (Morris) 3 Ten started. Betting: sto 1 against Vigil, 10 to 1 Zouroff, 14 to 1 Britomart, 16 to 1 to 25 te I the others. Gedrio led over the first fence, followed by Cerebus and Britomart. For the first two rounds Cedric and Cerebus made alternate running. Vigil fell entering the tura for the final round, and Confidence and Cedric were in trouble opposite the stand, where Scout took command, but fell at the back. Tomoni and Dondi came down at the next fence, and this left Britomart and Montrose in front. Hayseed and Montrose fell at the last fence, and Britomart woa by four lengths. Montrose was remounted and beat Cerebus, the latter baulking at the last fence. Time, Smin 255 sec. Gunhon (rider of Scout) and Allan (rider of Hayseed) had collarbones broken, and Kendrick (rider of Virgil) had his pelvis broken. CANTERBURY NATIONAL MEETING. [From Our Own Repobtie.] The National Hurdle Race was absolutely a one-horse race, even more so than last year,, but backers of Levanter, Fireworks, and Voltigeur may perhaps derive consolation from the fact that these three horses suffered most by the general interference which accidentally took place in racing for the lead at the hurdle opposite the stand when a mile and a-half from home. The Friar was very strongly backed for the Beaufort Steeplechase by those who said that with a stand-up he would have won the Grand National Steeples, and the Mutiny party seemed rather less confident than one would have expected, seeing that the little horse waa raised only 31b for the shorter race. As the result proved, The Friar was the good thing that the artful ones declared him to be, but whether he could have got home had Mutiny kept on his legs is a problem no one can safely answer. All we can say is that o» the strength of the fine finish The Friar made in the Beaufort he must have been, close up in the National had he kept going. The results of the concluding races on Saturday were as follow : FINAL HURDLE HANDICAP, of 75 sevs. Second horse 10 sovs from the stake. Once round and a. distance. * • 326—Mr W. Sutton's br g Fireworks, by Sou'm ,r wester—Coylar. aged, 9.8 (W. Higgins) 1 63—Mr A Deane s Flirt, 9.0 ... (Graham) 2' 95—Mr Sefton's Arquebus, 9.6 ... (F. Holmes) S Also started: ISO Clarence (10.12, Stewart), 117 Qmltiri (W. 4, Hards), 133 Jib (9.0, Stratford). Arquebus showed the way at first, but at the Btand jump Jib was first and Clarence second. Flirt went up a bit on entering the back stretch, where Jib toppled over. Flirt then took the lead, but waß soon passed by Fireworks, who showed the way to the straight. Here Quiltiri fell, and Fireworks raced home a winner by eight lengths from Flirt, with Arquebus a long way off third. Time, 3min 7 l-sseo. Dividend, £2 13s 6d. Hards was able to remount and ride in, and Stratford esoaped any serious injuries.

ISLINGTON HANDICAP, of 75 sovs. Secori horse 10 sovs. One mile. 16I— Mr M'G'mness's Maremma, byßubezabl —Lady Kroma, 11.0... ... (White) 1 203-MrCorlettfs Sir Agues, 10.0 ... (Dailey) 2 171-Mr Davie's Swordiish, 9.1... (L. Mathews) 3 m A l lso c }' an • "5 p r ov ! sh ° t (W-0. Barry), 109 Chaos (9.11, Shaw), 57 Monte Carlo (9.11, Baumber) Si Bimetallist (9.0, Telford), 55 Colebeck (9 0, G Matthews). '

Loveshot got off first, followed by Colebeck. The latter failed at half the journey, and Swordfish became prominent, especially at the home turn, where for a moment he held the lead, but the challenge of Maremma on the inside and Sir Agnes on the outside proved too much for Svvordfiah, and whereas Maremma won with nothing to epare by three-quarters of a length, Sir Agnes finished a length ahead of Swordfish. Bimetallfgfc was fourth. Time, lnrin 47 l-ssec. Dividend, £1 16s 6d.

HUNTERS' HANDICAP, for a trophy .f the value of 2o sovs. One mile and a-half on the ilat. 111-Mr Gould's br g Piccolo, by Flageolet "■' ••• ••- ••• (MrM'Rae) 1 2 «u~M l 'S o^' lis . ha y, s^ alrU5 > 12 - 9 - (Owner) 2 b9-Mr Bailey's Balcairn, 11.12 ... (Mr Harley) a nW? on « 1 !S (IL3 ' jJr Brovna >-18MasterBilf

' Walrus led for half the journey, when Piccolo went to the front, and won by three lengths in a canter. Time, 2min 57 2-ssec Dividend, £4 Ss 6d.