“BETWEEN THE FLAGS”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26471, 27 May 1947, Page 8

“BETWEEN THE FLAGS”

l POPULARITY OF STEEPLECHASING By Sentinel Races over country have always proved a star attraction on a race card. The interest in cross-country racing originated in the hunting field and rose from “ point to point ” racing to a set course " between the flags.” Now the Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase is firmly established as the “ cross-country blue ribbon of the turf.” The first steeplechase was run in Dunedin in 1864 and took place at Anderson’s Bay on the top of Vauxhall in the days when Dunedin was the “ jumping-off place ” for the goldfields. Cross-country races were also run at Forbury Park in the days when the entrance to the course was at the St, Clair end, opposite the Metropole Hotel. The field left the course by crossing a hedge and climbing to the top of tile sandhills, where two post-and-rail fences had to be crossed and then the field went back to the course over the hedge that then marked the boundary of the course. The interest in the steeplechase at Forbury Park extended to Australia and was responsible for the presence in one of the fields of the Australian horse, Lone Hand. He failed at Forbury Park, but afterwards won at northern meetings. Cross-country racing met with opposition when first mooted in connection with a Wingatui meeting, but eventually one race was included on the second day at the winter meeting of 1909. It attracted a field of four, and only two finished. The race aroused great interest, and a large crowd assembled on the northern side of the water jump. On the second day of the 1910 winter meeting two races were included in the winter programme. The Otago Steeplechase, of £l5O, drew 11 starters, and the Wingatui Steeples, of £125, run on the second day, attracted 12 starters. From that time on the races over country became the star attraction of the Wingatui winter meeting and still hold a particularly popular place on the programme.