PAST STEEPLECHASES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21562, 5 August 1933, Page 9

PAST STEEPLECHASES

GRAND NATIONAL HISTORY •NORTH ISLAND'S RECORD LARGE MARGIN OVER SOUTH BY PHAETON Tho New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase holds a special placa in the Racing Calendar because it is the oldest crosscountry event of note in tho Dominion. The initial contest took place at Riccarton in 18/b and was won by Royalty. According to the records published, tho race was run at Timaru in 1877 and 1878 and at Oamaru in 187S). Oamaru was stated by a southern paper to have been the rendezvous in 1880. but in a recent conversation with the oldtime rider John Rao I learned that tho .meeting was held at Riccarton that year. Mr. Rae states that in 1880 he rode Grey Momns in tho Hunt Club Steeplechase, which was run on tho same day as the Grand National Steeplechaso, the latter event being won by Tho Agent, ridden by H. Lunn. Tho fences at Riccarton on tho occasion named were characterised as ridiculously big, and it is Btated that The Agent was the only horso to complete the course without a mistake. , .In the early contests South Island horses had the race entirely to themselves, but since 1888 the North Island has established a strong lead. The following are the respective lists:— - - Norton, .Waterbury, Mutiny (twjee). Levanter, Dummy, Blackberry, The Guard. Gobo, Haydn, Awahuri, Inniskillen. Eclair, Nadador, Te Arai, Paritutu. Captain Jingle. Bcrcola, Ngatoa, Waimai, Master • Strowan. St. Elmn, Coalition (twice), Oakleigh (twice), Sturdee. Tuki. Peter Maxwell, Bean Cavalier, Wiltshire (twice), Aurora Borealis, Billy Boy. South Island.—Royalty, Fakir. Mousetrap, The Agent (three times). Clarence. Kosciusco, Moody, Canard, Faugh-a-Ballngh, Baddy Longlegs. Freeman, Ahua, Slow Tom, Phaetonitis, Eurus, Tim Doolan, Lochella, Snowfall. Auckland Successes Auckland owners have furnished the, winner on 12 occasions, as follows:—1897, Levanter; 1902, Haydn; 1905, Inniskillen; ■1915, Ngatoa; 191G, Waimai; 1922 and 1923, Oakleigh; 1926, Peter Maxwell; 1927. Beau Cavalier; 1928 and 1929, Wiltshire: 1932. Billy Boy. Auckland" gained and second places with Oakleigh and Waikaretu in 1922, Peter Maxwell and Kawini in .1920 and Beau Cavalier and Peter Maxwell in 1927. Wainini contested the race on five occasions. In 191G he led the field home and two years afterwards he ran second to St. Elmn. Ho failed to completo the course in the following year and was counted out of tho placed division in 1920. In 1921 he was in the Ifead at the last obstacle, but as he landed he overbalanced and fell.' Many surprises aro bound up in tho history of the New Zealand Grand Natiohal Steeplechase. Possibly the most noteworthy one was Inniskillen's victory in 1905. An erratic fencer, thero was no competition' for the ride on him. Although the black gelding made several very faulty jumps, his rider, T. Howard, managed to keep him from falling, but it was -said nt tho time that ho was mightily relieved when he got him safely over the concluding obstacle. Paritutu Beats Corazon . In 1911 Corazon, who had previously won the Wanganui Steeplechase and the Great Northern Steeplechase, was a warm favourite, but Paritutu, who had 291b. the better of the weights with his chestnut rival, gained the verdict by a head. Paritutu, who hailed from Taranaki, was included among maiden' performers "across country and his victory was not widely anticipated. Tho race of 1915 had a good dash of the sensational, for threo outsiders, Ngatoa. Tho Brewer and Golden Glow, filled tho places. Ngatoa, who had been bought by Mr. E. W. Alison, jun., only a few days beforo the race, was voted a fair moderate, but the records sho.w that ho won the -Grand National by something like 60 yards. In 1924 tho favourites were routed and two pronounced outsiders, Sturdee and Tigerland. fought out the finish. Nine victories have been registered by, horses carrying over 12.0. as follows:—The Agent, 12.7 and 12.6; Clarence, 12.6; Canard. 12.10; Chemist, 12.7; Norton, 12.8; Mutiny,' 12.4; Levanter. 12.6; Coalition, 12.7. Threo brothers have steered winnerr of the race. In 1903 William O'Connell rode Eurus, in 1912 Joseph O'Connell won on Captain Jingle and in tho following year Jeremiah O'ConnelL scored on Bercola. In 1897 E. J. Rao won on Levanter and in 1916 bis aoii, E< C, Rae. on Waimai. " " /|L. : Sires of Winners *£• In the 44 contests since 1888, when the Canterbury Jockey Club took over tho raco, no fewer than. 38 different sirea have been represented by winners. The list of winners ia mado up as follows: 1888—Mangahone, by Pohukura. 1889—Chemist, by Tho Painter. 1890—Daddy Loaglegs, by Xoung Nobleman. 1891—Freeman, by Guy Fawkes, 1892—Ahua, by The Painter. 1893 —Waterbury. by Natator. JS94 —Norton, by Ascot. 1895—Mutiny, by Aiute. 189(5—Mutiny, by Mute. 1897—Levanter, by Captivator. 1898—Dummy, by Mute. 1899—Blackberry, by Gladiator. 1900—The Guard by Vanguard. 1901—Gobo. by Natator. 1902—Haydn, by Sou'-wester. 1903—Awahuri, by Kaiwliaka. 1901 —Slow Tom, by St I\es. 1905—Inniskillen. by Fraternito. 190©—Phaetonitis. by Phaethon. 1907—Eclair, by Mysti'al. 1908—Eurus. by Eurojiydon. 1909 —Nadador. by El Draque. 1910—To Arai, by Monaco. 1911—Paritutu, by Castor. 1912 —Captain Jingle, by Captain Webb. 1913—Bercola.- by The Officer. 1914 —Tim Doolan, bv Brookby. ■ 1915—Ngatoa, by Ngatitoa. 191G—Waimai by Spalpeen. 1917 —Master Strowan, by Strowan. ( 1918—St. Elmn, by St. Ambrose. 1019—Lochella. by Grafton Loch. 1920—Coalition, by Patronus. 1921—Coalition, by Patronus. 1922 Oakleigh. by St. Amnns. 192.'!—Oakleigh. by St- Amans. 1921—Sturdee. hi' Advance. 1925—Tuki, by Quin Abbey. 1026—Peter Maxwell, by Marble Arch. 1927—Beau Cavalier, by Chesterfield. 1928—-Wiltshire, by Day Comet. 1929—Wiltshire by Day Comet. 1930 —Aurora Borealis. by Day Comet. 1931—Snowfall by Balboa. 1932—8i11y Boy, by Archiestown. Horses tracinr to St. Simon hold the lending position with nine successes, gained by St. Elmn. Oakleigh (twice), Tuki. Beau Cavalier, Wiltshire (twice). Aurora Borealis and Billy Boy Ten horses havr. won the Great Northern Steeplechaso and tho New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase, ns follows Levanter, Dummy, The Guard, Haydn. Bercola, Waimai, Lochella. Coalition, Beau Cavalier and Aurora Borealis. THE TURF IN AMERICA PAUCITY OF GOOU HORSES 1 f The presence of the Australinn-bred gelding Winooka in the United States directs increased attention to racing in that country. Recent American papers express disappointment at the small number of good horses racing there at the present timo, and " Roamer,'' one of the foromost authorities on racing and breeding, writing in tho Thoroughbred Record, says:— So far as I am able to determine. Equipoise is tho only horsa in this country five years old or over that has any pretensions to real class: the high-class four-year-olds begin and end with Gallant Sir: and. as for the three-year-olds, Mr, Khayyam appears to be tho best of a bad lot. When one considers that there are close upon 5000 thoroughbreds registered each year in this country, it is u scathing indictment of both our breeding and our racing to be forced to admit that there are no moro thnn three first-class horses now in training—tho two-year-olds naturally are not taken into consideration. Whether or not the present-day British thoroughbred is inferior to those of 30 years ago must remain a matter of conjecture, but one thing I sin certain of is that this country has been flooded during tho past 15 years with hundreds of inferior British thoroughbreds, both male and female, and tho cumulative effect of this indiscriminate importation of inferior foreign stock may be responsible for the marked degeneration of the presentday American racehorse. Equipoise, who is widely accepted as America's outstanding horse, has proved himself a first-class performer up to a mile and a-quarter, and some of the best judcea rate liim equal to any horse that has raced there over the distance named. At Belmont Park, New York, in June, Equipoise carried 9.6 to victory in the Suburban Handicap and encompassed the 10 furlongs in 2.2. ,