ECLAIR'S CAREER.

NZ Truth, Issue 133, 17 August 1907, Page 2

ECLAIRS CAREER.

From Maori Races To Grand National Steeplechase. The bay gelding Eclair, which 1 won the Grand National Steeplechase at RiccartoTi cm Tuesday last, is by Mystical from Makaradi, and was .ten years' old on the Ist of this month. He is owned by H. Hickey, of Hastings, and- up to 'date has won £2775 m stakes* His -wins include flat races, hack hurdles; open -hurdles and Steeplechases. The old fellow was bred by W. Broughton, at Omahu, and has had a very chequered career. Originally he was bouight by . a Maori for £7 and was used by his master to carry . him to the. different shearing sheds and he used to take part m the' shearers' races on the beach' on. Sundays, and it was there that it was discovered "that he could gallop, and that shrewd dealer m horseflesh, R. Smythe, swopped a mare m foal for him, and shortly afterwards unloaded bam to Ms present owner for £300, and what a gold, mine he has proved, and to-day is 'better than ever and will be a very hard . horse to beat m the Lincoln Steeples \at" Riccarton. On Wednesday I had a, look at him m the paddock^, and he was as lively, as a 1 two-year-old, and showed no trace whatever of his severe race the day previous, and) there was not a scratch on his legs, proving how cleanly 'he jumped. He won his first race for Hickey at Wairoa, being sucsuccessful m a Ladies' Bracelet of I%' miles, and then ran second on tw.ovoccasions m Hack Hurdles at the Marton meeting, which was held on the. Wanganui racecourse. His victors were Gleneoe and Levant, but he wound up the day 'by winning another race of 1£ miles. Then he was taken down to Hastings and Hack. Hurdles there proved a very soft snap for, him, the If miles being cut out m 3.19. Then at the Napier Park meeting he ran third m the Hack Hurdles and won the bdg Hurdles the same day. At •Fedldi'ttg he 'beat Waiwera m the big Hurdles, and ran the two miles m. 3. 48. At New Plymouth Mystery beat him m a similar race, and the second day he fell and injur-ed-himself so badly that he had tf> be ■ spelled for 12 months. Next we find him taking part m, cross country races, and ho won the Winter Steeples at Auckland, Papatu and Haydn occupying the places. He could only run- third m the Hawse's Bay Steeplechase behind Victory and Papatu, and Rhyl beat him at Napier Park on. the second day. He was successful in' the Lincoln Steeples at .the C.J.C. meeting, when Haydn- ran second to him. Then he was given another lone spell, and last year won the Final Steeplechase at Wanganui, and then an accident m the Great Northern Steeplechase compelled his owner to turn Wm out again. This year he ran third m the Wanganui Steeples and the Grand Stand Steeples at the same meeting: At .Hastings lie was first m the Hawkes Bay Steeples, and finished second to Romany Lad

lat Napier Park on the opening day, and on the second day was third to the same horse. He was not seen out again till he won the Grand National Steeplechase on Tuesday last. Anyone desiring a good horse to take to Australia could not do better than Eclair, a sure fenoer, endowed with plenty of pace (Hickey will bet an evien hundred he can run half a mile m 53sec.) He would be a nut for the best of them to crack on the other side of the pond.