Jumping Over the Dilworth Building

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 370, 2 June 1928, Page 6

Jumping Over the Dilworth Building

How many Aucklanders, or sportsmen from any part of the Dominion, for that matter, have any idea of what is required in the way of jumping for a horse to win the Great Northern Steeplechase? Not many. There are 25 fences to be negotiated, and the accumulated height of these obstacles would make a most formidable jump. To get over these fences, a horse has to jump sufficiently high to enable him to clear the big Dilworth building in Queen Street. The Dilworth structure soars 10S feet into the air. Tho total height of the 25 fences at Ellerslie is 93£ feet. Allowing a little clearance over the top of these obstacles, and another four inches or so for the soft ground, and there would be height sufficient to enable a horse to clear the building referred to, one of the Dominion’s biggest edifices. Strenuous Task It is claimed that the Ellerslie country is not difficult. The fences in themselves perhaps are not so stiff as those at Riccarton, for instance, but taking all the conditions into consideration it would seem that Ellerslie has it on the Grand National course as a real test of stamina and jumping ability. At this time of the year, for the Great Northern, the going is always fetlock deep at least, and of course this makes the fences that much higher. Then there is the hill to be negotiated three times, with its stiff upward gradient for a third of a furlong, its grade being approximately one in seven, measuring it with the eye from the stands, and after walking it. Nearly Four Miles The distance of the Great Northern Steeplechase is officially designated as about 35 miles, but it is conceded that the journey falls little short of four miles. The hill is traversed three times, and on the last occasion the ascent is begun when the horses have already gone three miles in the bad ground. What could be more difficult than that? During the last eight contests the time for the G.N. Steeplechase ranged from 8.3 to 8.23. That will give an indication of whether * the course is difficult or not, for in a case like this time is really a big factor. Last year’s Grand National was run in 7.1.

Here is a running description of the Great Northern Steeplechase course from start to finish: Ist (at six-furlong post).—Hurdle 3ft 6in. 2nd (at five-furlong post).—Brush hurdle. 3ft lOin. Then climb the hill to tho 3rd (on top of hill). —Post-and-rail fence 3ft Sin, with hedge at back, 4ft 6in. 4th (still on hill). —Post-and-rail fence, 3ft Sin, with live hedge at back 4ft 4in. All down hill for about furlong, and then to the .sth. —Stone wall, topped with turf. 3ft Sin. Cut sharply across course poper and training tracks to the flat, to the 6th.—Sod bank. 3ft 7in, with live hedge on take-off side. 7tli. —Water jump, 10ft wide, with 4ft live hedge in front. Bth.—Stone wall, 3ft Sin, with turf on top and faced with palings. Then cutting across training tracks and course proper to the alley for the 9tli.—Brush wattle fence, 3ft loin (known as tho old water jump), and landing on course proper again, to pass the starting point half a furlong further on. 10th.—Hurdle, same as number one. one. 11th.—Brush hurdle, same as number 2. 12th (on the hill, second time). —Same as number 3. 13th (on the hill, second time). —Same as number 4. 14th.—Stone wall, same as numbers. 15th.—Sod bank, same as number 6. 16th (first of double). —Brush fence 3ft lOin. 17th (second of double). —Post-and-rail, 3ft 7in, with hedge on take-off side. 18th.—Stone wall, same as number S. 19tli—Brush fence, same as number 9. This completes second circuit. 20th. —Hurdle, same as numbers 1 and 10. 21st.—Brush hurdle, same as numbers 2 and 11. 22nd (on the hill, third time). —Same as numbers 3 and 12. 23rd (on the hill, third time). —Same as numbers 4 and 13. 24th.—Stone wall, same as numbers 5 and 14. On to course proper again and approach home stretch to the last jump, the 25th.—Brush hurdle in straight, 3ft Sin, leaving a run to the winning post of one furlong and about 100 yards. But how many will be left in for that final run?