Coming Events.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 156, 20 July 1893, Page 3

Coming Events.

FBy

Sir Launcelot.]

C.J.C. GRAND NATIONAL MEETING.

Mr Henry issued his weights for this fixture which comes off on August 10th and 12th, immediately after the conclusion of the United Hunt Club’s Steeplechases.

The New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase of 500S0VS. about three miles and a half, is headed by Norton, 12.12. Mr Henry was of course bound to commence his adjustment with this horse, but I did not expect him to start quite so high. With all his weight, though, Mr Rutherford’s gelding will run respectably if started, for he knows the course well and is a bit better class than a good many of the nags opposed to him. Last year, when he ran second, he had 221bs less than he is now asked to carry. Freeman, 12.5, has more than he has earned, and I do not look upon him as a likely starter. Couranto, 11.8, is kept well up, and I cannot see him in it

at the weight. I think Shillelagh, 11.7, might have had a few pounds less. I like Empire’s show at 11.5. Gondolier the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase winner, has 21b less than Empire. When he won at Hawke’s Bay and Norton ran up to him, Norton was giving him 291 b. There is now 231 b between them, which seems a fair estimate, but if anything it is a bit in favour of Gondolier, whom I shall expect to see run a good horse. Clarence, 11.0, is a Christchurch-owned horse who has performed very creditably down South this season. At the Dunedin Autumn Meeting he won the first day’s Hurdle Race under 9.4, with Rebel, 10.3, second, and Justice, 9.0, third, and at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s Autumn Meeting he took the Kildare Steeplechase Handicap, three miles, with 10.9 up, beating Magpie 11.3, Norton 13.2, Freeman 12.8, and Justice 9.10 ; and in the Peerswick Hurdles, about a mile and a half and a distance, with 10.3, he beat Magpie 10.2, Norton 12.3, and Eringobragh 9.13. He has been putting in some good work at Riccarton lately, and was looked on as a ‘ rod in pickle ’ for this event. Now that the weights have appeared, I don’t think his party can grumble, and I look on him as likely to be a very formidable candidate on the day. Tiritea’s last performance was winning the Maiden Steeplechase at the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club’s Winter Meeting, and there was nothing very brilliant in that. I think he might have had a pound or two less, but at anyrate I should take Clarence to be his master at level weights. Magpie, 10.12, ran third in this same race last year with 10.0. He is about in his right place, but I much prefer his chance in the Grand National Hurdle Race. Victrix, 10.10, has exactly a stone more than she won under at Wellington, where the distance was half-a-mile less than it is in this race. Taking a line through the horses she met then we find that she now meets Empire on 231 b worse terms, Waterbury on lolb worse, Gondolier on 191 b worse, Otakeho on 171 b worse, Bideawee on 141 b worse, and Flywheel on 151 b worse terms. It will thus be seen that Mr Henry has made due allowance for her Wellington victory, and has handicapped her carefully as compared with those that she then met and is asked to meet now. I fancy that if anything Waterbury might nave a bit the best of it with her, for he undoubtedly had a bit of bad luck in the Wellington Steeplechase through his jockey breaking a stirrup leather at a comparatively early stage of the race. He is not always in the humour to try, but he happened to be in a generous mood on that day, and if he will only be as well behaved on the Grand National Steeplechase day, I think he will run well forward. However, Victrix seems to be an improving mare, and I shall keep her on my side. Mutiny, 10.7, has yet to show form over big country, and therefore I pass him by, though Mr Henry could not have given him less. The Auckland-owned Marechai Neil is allotted 10.6, which is 61b more than he carried in the Great Northern Steeplechase at Ellerslie last month. He did not have a fair opportunity of showing what he was capable of, for he ran off at an early stage of the contest. The places were filled by Despised, Scaltheen and Nero, each of whom carried 9.7. Now Marechai Neil is raised 61b, while Despised is raised i2lb, and Scaltheen is kept at the same weight. Taking the other horses now engaged that were unplaced in the same race I note that Norton is raised 41b and Shillelagh 31b, so that the Marechai has the worst of it on paper. Mr Henry, I suppose, though, regarded the race as a false-run one, and I’ve little doubt it was, but still Marechai Neil is not well treated. If the race be run on a wet day, I am not so sure that the extra i2lb will stop Despised, but it is only in the event of wet weather that I could be brought to fancy him. I fancy his connections inclined to the opinion that he would not receive more than 10.0. Cajolery, 10.4, won the Maiden Hurdles at the last C.J.C. Grand National Meeting, and since then has won a race or two on the flat, but so far he is quite an unknown quantity over country. He is rightly handicapped, but he is too erratic to trust. However, it must not be forgotten that he is in the same stable as Norton and Kulnine — not two bad schoolmasters —and so he may develop some good form before the eventful day. Rebel, 10.2, hails from Dunedin, and hurdle racing seems to be more his forte than ’chasing. Morok, 9.12, has shown decent form over fences before to-day, but he is as slow as a top, and as he has done nothing of late worthy of note I shall pass him by. Patchwork, 9.8, is

another Dunedinite, and from what I know of his form I don’t see much cause to apprehend danger from him. Regalia, 9.8, is another that will be outclassed. We have heard a lot of Otakeho, 9.7, lately, but he failed badly both at Napier and Wellington. So, too, did Bide-a-wee, 9.7, though he ran well for a couple of miles in the Wellington Steeplechase. I would sooner stand him than Otakeho. I don’t think much heed may be taken of the chances of any of the others that are given the minimum weight, unless it be Scaltheen. Acceptances are due to-morrow, so I will now briefly indicate that I have most liking at the weights for Norton, Empire, Gondolier, Clarence, Victrix, and Waterbury, and I regard Bide-a-wee as a good outsider.

The Grand National Hurdle Race of 3oosovs, about two miles, has been commenced with Norton and Satyr on level terms, 12.3, and in this case Mr Henry has made a flattering handicap as compared with his Steeplechase adjustment. Whichever Mr Rutherford elects to send on the day, Norton or Kulnine (who is given 12.0) must take a power of beating. I think Satyr might have been taken down 31b, and thus put on level terms with Kulnine. Couranto, 11.9, as a winner of the race two years back would have my suffrages if fit and well on the day, but it is hard to divine what his condition is, and until we find that out he may be left alone. Freeman. 11.5, has received a well-deserved drop from the weight given him in the Steeplechase. Nevertheless I cannot say that he is any fancy of mine. Empire is undeniably well handicapped, and it puzzles me to know on what form Mr Henry makes him a stone worse horse than Freeman in the Steeplechase, and a 31b worse horse in the Hurdles. Clarence’s chance for the Steeples I have already favourably commented on, and I have a bit of regard for his prospects in this hurdle race with 10.12 if too much be not taken out of him in the G.N. Steeples, but I think he will find more than his match in Gondolier, 10.9, who has been very favourably handled by Mr Henry. Magpie, j 0.9, is another that commends himself to me particularly. When Mutiny wou the Auckland Grand National Hurdles with 9.4 up he had as his most immediate attendants Belmont, 10.0, and Kapua, 9.8. Belmont is not now engaged, but Kapua is, and he and Mutiny meet on the same mark. This is, I think, a just estimate to take considering Kapua’s subsequent victories in the Maiden Hurdle Race at Ellerslie and the Handicap Hurdles at Hastings. Of the pair, though it is a really good handicap between them, I must declare for Kapua. But what about Cajolery, who is in at the same weight ? This horse, as winner of the Maiden Hurdles at the N.Z. Grand National Meeting on the first occasion on which he was asked to jump seems to be well in, but the same remark as to his wayward disposition as I have made above will apply equally on this occasion. If, however, he prove better than Norton and Kulnine in his trials, and the stable slip him, I think he will go very close to winning. Marechai Neil, 10.6, is better dealt with than in the Steeples, but even then he has nothing the best of it. Quilt, 10.6, was a difficult horse for Mr Henry to handicap, because he is untried over sticks, and has been laid by since he won some good flat races as a two-year-old. Liberator, j 0.5, and Melinite, 10.4, are other untried ones at the game—both N.Z. Cup candidates by the way. I cannot let Victrix alone at 10.2, though ’chasing may not have improved her for hurdle racing. After running third with 9.0 to Kapua, 10.0, in the Hurdles at Hastings last month. Unity, who is now given 9.12, came on to Wellington, where he easily won the -Hurdles when in receipt of 241 b from Kapua. Taking the form in both these races, I think Mr Henry has handicapped them fairly. As they are both in the same stable, though, I need not discuss the question of which, in my opinion, would be the best at the weights were it to come to a finish. I do not care for Stranger’s chance at 9.11, but I ana very partial to the Dunedinite Rebel at ilb less. He will have the advantage of being piloted by his owner and trainer John Poole, who is one of the best riders over hurdles and across country now practising his profession in New Zealand. Jack, 9.9, has a big reputation down Napier way, which has not yet been borne out, and, as I have frequently remarked before, I like to see them do something

in public before I can put my trust in them on their private reputation. Erin- / go Bragh, 9.8, is a great old veteran at the game. He is getting a bit ‘ long in

the tooth ’ now, but during the past season he has more than once proved a bad ’un to beat, and in the astute hands of T. Sheenan he may be worth looking after as an outsider on the day. It must not be forgotten that with 104 he ran second to Kulnine, 11.5, in this same race last year. Despised is in at 9.7, and may exhibit the same runaway race as did Mutiny in the Auckland G.N. Hurdles, but I don’t apprehend danger from any of those below Eringo Bragh, so I shall pick this half-dozen to supply the winner : —Empire, Gondolier, Magpie, Kapua, Eringo Bragh, and the selected of H. Lunn’s stable —be it Norton, Kulnine, or Cajolery.