NEW ZEALAND GRAND NATIONAL MEETING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume V, Issue 211, 9 August 1894, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND GRAND NATIONAL MEETING.

Our. Southern friends hold their big jumping meeting to-day, so I shall make a few further remarks respecting the prospects of the racing seeing that the scratching pen and mishaps have blotted out the chances of one or two of the candidates I named in last week’s Review. Taking the big race, the steeplechase, first, we find that final payments and bad track displays have resulted in only eight horses having been paid up for. Writing re this race last week I named Morag, Norton and Bombardier against the field for places, but that tip must now go by the board, for thanks to Morag’s slovenly jumping, he came a cropper on Monday, and was escorted back to his box with one of his cannon bones badly stripped. After finally considering and keeping an open ear to reliable reports, I am going to replace Morag by including in the first three the name of Despised, and I shall not be surprised if the two to fight out the finish will be found to be Norton and Despised. There will be only half a dozen hurdlers found at the post when the flag falls for the Grand National Hurdle Race, but there is a heap of quality bound up in that same half dozen, and a rattling race should be witnessed by those lucky enough to be present at the meeting. Liberator and Kulnine at 12.6 and 12.3 are a warm pair to pass by, but I feel inclined to do that foolhardy trick in view of the two lighter weighted candidates which I will name without further padding. Their names are

Melinite, and Empire. In naming the latter I am aware that I have suddenly woke up to excellence I was shutting my eyes to. But it is not a crime to acknowledge shortsightedness even at the eleventh hour. However, that is the pair I am now going to rely upon. Respecting the minor events I have nothing much to alter from last week’s tipping. Then I took Pumau, Piccadilly and Gillie for the First Hunters’ Hurdles, and I still think the same, and believe that

Pumau is the best one to support. For the Winter Handicap my vote is still Awarua Rose, Warrington and King John, with a preference for the first named animal; and in the Enfield Steeplechase my three are Tiritea, Roscius and Robin, with a strong leaning towards the last named. For the Maiden Hurdles I consider Barnardo and Jacob Faithful the best two of the four acceptors, and for the Ladies’ Bracelet I like Leontine.