THE BIG STEEPLES

Evening Post, Issue 37, 12 August 1936, Page 13

THE BIG STEEPLES

A FACILE VICTORY

ROYAL LIMOND'S SUCCESS

(Special from "Rangatira.") CHRISTCHURCH, This Day.

Royal Limond's success in this year's Grand National Steeplechase, the leading item on the opening day of the Canterbury Jockey Club's Grand National. Meeting at Riccarton yesterday, though achieved by an official margin of only eight lengths, was actually one of the easiest witnessed in the big cross-country race for many years. Always, going well, he went up fast along the back the last time, was almost with the leading pair, High Speed and Manawatu, at the Kennels double, and then opened a break on the field. It was a case then only of surviving the remaining three fences, and he jumped them perfectly. Once again Royal Limond demonstrated that the stock of Limond require freshening up between periods of racing. They are a breed of horses that go sour on too much racing. Because of his fall in the Great Northern Steeples in June he had to be eased up in his work and thus missed the Wellington Meeting, but this proved a blessing in disguise, for the rest enabled him to recover his fitness and he went the very best race of his career in his victory yesterday. With racing at the Wellington Meeting twelve months ago, he was a dismal failure in last year's Grand National. IN SELECT BAND. , The win enabled Royal Limond to join the select band of horses who have won both the Great Northern and Grand National Steeplechases. He has been a rare bargain, too, for his present, owner, Mr. A. Syme, of Christchurch. As a yearling Mr. J. M. Samson bought him for 400 guineas, but ha was so disappointing in his early career that Mr. Samson disposed of him to.Mr. Syme for only 35 guineas. Now ten years old, he has won ten races in 92 starts, and he has earned £3097 in stakes, most of. it for his present owner. Mr. Samson has been unlucky in connection with the Grand National, for not only did he part with this year's winner, but he purchased Tuki after he had won the National. The exhibition of the winner was practically without fault. He did not require the hard riding that he previously did. He swung over a lot of extra ground going to the last fence and was not forced out at the end, but ■ for which he would have won with a much larger margin. OLD BILLYBOY. Old Billy Boyvfully deserved his second placing, for he was running on like a two-year-old at the close. In the early part of the race his jumping gained him a lot of ground and he was right up with the leaders at the Kennels the first time. Then he drifted back and he was one of the last of the bunch following Royal Limond to the last fence, but another fine jump retrieved him a lot of ground, and he outstayed High Speed and Manawatu in the run home. In five starts in the Grand National he has won once and been three times placed, a really splendid achievement. The best previous record for placings in comparatively recent years was that of Master Strowan, who met his death in his fifth attempt, . •:.... . ... . ~..■-, High Speed was second practically all the way, first behind Diamond, then behind Punchestown, and finally behind the winner. He was still second at the last fence, but he was tired and made a poor jump, which was undoubtedly the reason why he. could not- hold on to second share of the stake, and had to yield by a length to Billy Boy. Manawatu, third or fourth nearly all the way, was another who did not jump too well at the last fence, and he then tired into fourth position, though not far behind High Speed. He is a young horse who' may nevertheless yet go on to National honours. The other pair to complete were well beaten. Pahu, who had a "life" at the first fence, settled down at the rear and there he stayed. He was going better than High Speed and Manawatu at the post, but was really last of those who completed, as Forest Glow was eased up below the final fence. Pahu was also fifth last year. Forest Glow went well for the early part of the trip, but he was expended over the final section. It was a better effort than at Trentham, but it still does not make him look the good horse it was believed he might be earlier in the winter. ' END OF DIAMOND. The race was the.last that Diamond was. destined to contest. At first he dashed away as at Trentham, but he blundered badly at the post-and-rails near the seven furlongs post, which brought him back to the field. Then he was nearly down at the sod wall past the Kennels, and after jumping one more fence he collapsed at the carnage brush. He had broken his back and was destroyed after the race According to his rider, R. K. Smith he probably fractured his back earlier at the sod wall when Billy Boy jumped on nim as he was recovering from his bad jump He did not look the horse he was at Trentham and up till the time of h t s fatal accident he did not race like the same horse. The only other mishap was when Punchestown shot his rider off at the sod wall about a mile from home Punchestown took charge at the commencement of the last round, but he seemed to be tiring by the way in which he jumped Cutti's and it was the next fence at which he made so v& a leap that he disposed of his lider. For a horse who had not raced for twelve months he went very well ior two-thirds of the trip, but he would n e ha hv a ed^ e d s uonal histoiy --