GRAND NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE HOLDS THE STAGE

Chronicle (Levin), 31 July 1946, Page 7

GRAND NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE HOLDS THE STAGE

No raee at this time of the year captures the imagination to such an extent as the Grand Nationai Steeplechase, whicli will be run at Riccarton on Saturday. For -weeks leading up to the race it is a common subject for discussion whenever and wlierever followers of raeing meet. It is not uncommon for people who normally take little interest in racing to make an annual trek to Riccarton to .see the Nationai. One man's fancy is as good as another's before the race is run and the claims of this or tliat candidate are advanced often hotly by admirers. The average racegoer has 110 illusions about the iield this time. It is wealc in quality if not in numbers, the only pro'vcd horse in a race of this type being As Required, the Grand Nationai winner of 1944, and Slayer, whicli will be tackliug the event for the sixth time. Sometliing has to win and in tlie absence 01' any outstanding runner tliere may easily be an over-size in surprises. The Grand Nationai course is a gruelling one, embracing ten obstacles whicli have to be negotiated twice, with tlie exception of the earriage paddock brush, the first obstacle, wliicli has to be cleared tliree tinies. All the obstacles are solid and call for clean leaping. Cutts's bvusli, whicli takes its iiiune after the famous Riccarton traiuer Edward Outts, is the tallest, being 5ft. and very solid. The two sod walls, wliich are not easy to distinguish* owing to their greenness, and a post and rails add variety to the obstacles. The brush at the top of the straight is also a stiff one, 4ft. lOin. high, and it takes jiimping, particularlv. the second time rouiul wlien the liorses are beginning to tire. Local interest will be centred round the running of two Awapuni-trained liorses, lied Glare and Iudian Bign. Red Glare has been given No. 1 position this year- with 11.10 an'd if he is good enough tliat will not stop liini. Clarion Call and Foxiana, both trained at Awapuni, were successful carrying 12.1 and 11.13 respeetively. They were class jumpers, however, and stavers, and it is stamina tliat is Red Glare 's doubtful point. Red Glare 's jumping is not in questiou and if the going is iinu the chestnut miglit easily confound the views of the critics. It is in liis favour that he left for Riccarton last Eriday a thoroughly fit horse and his traiuer, II. Grilliths, was quietly confident regarding his chances. Iudian JSign, the July Bteeplechase winner at Awapuni recently, comes in with tlie handy weiglit of 9.11. But for uusoundness, Iudian Sign would have quicklv reached the top rank among 'chasers for some of his pcrformances 011 restricted pi'eparations have been reaily liigh-class. Provided he can be ianded a sound horse at the post, the Bulandsluir gelding must be given a grand chance as he is a brilliant jumper and should have little difiiculty in mastering Ihe country.