GRAND NATIONAL WEIGHTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2369, 27 July 1899, Page 36

GRAND NATIONAL WEIGHTS.

The C.J.C. handicapper has provided the Taring public with plenty of food for discussion by promptly declaring the weights for the leading events of the Grand National meeting. In the- Steeplechase, of course, Dummy was bound to be top-weight. He does not look like a horse to cany weight, but for §11 his slabsidedness he is a 'ohaser, as was

proved when he won the National last year with 10.13, and again when, at BUerslie hist month, he fought off all the opposition with 11.1 on his back. I think he is very dangerous with all his 12.9. Nor'-west, with 101b ' less, was trying to give Dummy 41b at Aucki land, and had to put up with second place. I Instead of giving 41b he now takes 101b from Dummy, so that there is an allowance of 141b • for the Auckland result. This ought to give Nor'-west a show with the top-weight. Still, Nor'-west could not win at Wellington with 11.10, and I don't like him much at Riccarton with 11.13. The figures are against me, perhaps, but I would sooner have Dummy, as a horse that has won over the country. Morag, with 11.1, comes next. At Wellington this horse received 221b from Nor'-west ; at Christchurch there is only 121b between them, an allowance of 101b for a length's beating. This is quite enough. On the other hand, Morag has lasted to the end of a Grand National and finished clot>e up, in Levanter's year. ' He is a truer fencer, I tnink, than Nor'-west. The latter ran off in the National last year. Muscatel is not attractive goods. With 10.12 she was out of it at Wellington, and seems to me badly treated at 11.0. I would give The Friar a chance if assured of his fitness, but do not care for him without that assurance. Ruby, a little lower down, reads very well at 10.10. as she won the Hawke's Bay Steeplechase, certainly with only 9.7, but she made the pace fast enough to bring down some of the cracks, and. 10.10 is only a nice weight for a winner. Next to her I would as soon stand Dundee as anything, but he has not very good credentials. Those who like a sure hunter for this class of race may hope for a decent run if Stilts starts, but he has only a hunter's chance. I select "Dummy, Morag, aud Ruby as the best three in the National, and' if asked to pick it in one — an ambitious task — would take RUBY to win. The Hurdle Race is a very open affair, and all I care to say at present is that I regard Ilex, Umslopogaas, Whangaroa, Hussar, and Dundee as the best five, with a slight partiality for Whangaroa. How would that be for a double — Ruby and Whangaroa ? Strathnairn, Skirmisher, and Malatua are promiping members for the Winter Cup.