THE STEEPLECHASER 



" Action carries weight." " Wind is strength." 

 " The best stayer is the sprinter, which only 

 gallops while others race." These three maxims 

 really contain the essence of truth, so far, at 

 least, as selecting cross-country material is con- 

 cerned ; and he who would go a-shopping would 

 do well to bear them in mind. Countless have 

 been the efforts to make over high-class flat- 

 racers into crack steeplechasers, and in nearly 

 every case the result has been dire failure. Years 

 ago, in the late sixties, R. B. Connolly was fair at 

 both games ; later on, Post-Guard (General 

 Phillips), and Resolute (Mart Jordan), and Day 

 Star performed fairly well, but in these three 

 cases it should be remembered that fences were 

 all very small, and that horses of no reputation 

 on the flat were beating all three of them in the 

 turns that our pernicious handicap system as- 

 sured. More recently Dr. Catlett, quite a good 

 flat race-horse, ran successfully over the " sticks," 

 but he generally beat nothing much, and was apt 

 to fall if hurried. Howard Mann, winner of the 

 Brooklyn Handicap, was put to jumping, and 

 was big enough and strong enough, had such 

 qualities been useful factors, to carry any weights ; 

 but a trumpery hurdle-race or two was the best 



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