If the weather had been made to orde r it could not have been better; in fact, for this season of the year it was gloriously propitious, and the C.J.C. may lay flatter ing unction,to their souls that they have ex perienced such meteorological favors, while the Auckland, Napier and Wellington win. ter gatherings met with such misfortune as caused the courses to be deluged with rain. The attendance was large, and more people were out on wheels than usual. The course was in good going order. The programme opened with the Hunters' Hurdle Race, and a nice field went out t 0 do battle, Ivanhoe, a son of Python and Bribery, being ridden patiently by Tommy Stewart, winning cleverly at the finish. Squib was perhaps made too much use of, but ran very gamely. Then followed the saddling up for the

Grand National, and in the paddock, when lookine over the candidates, we noticed numerous North Island friends .fro m Napier, Wanganui, Wellington, with a sprinkling of Aucklanders, while Dunedin and Southern districts supplied, as usual, a goodly number of visitors. „Eleven horses cried content. "Spectator, in Ms exhaustive review ot the candidates m the Weekly Press, has so fully done justice to the subject that we can only here briefly refer to them. Chemist, the top weight, a son of The Painter (who should have died hereafter) and the Peter Flat mareWai puna, looked fit to run for a kingdom, and Orangeman and Ahua, by comparison with others, could not have been found fault with on the score of condition. Irish Kme bore evidence of having done a lot of work, and Torrent's coat shone out in the sun, showing bim to be in good health, but he looked too full of carcase. Waitangi was big rbut Panic had a tucked appearance. Orient was on the light side. Monteagle looked a much-improved horsesince falling into Butler's hands. Sheenan had Presto in fair order. Below will be found a des cription of the race, but it may be sup plemented by saying that we think, and with us nine out of every ten who wit nessed the contest, that whatever other horses might have done, but for accidents or mistakes of one kind and another, Ahua would have got home first. When practically with the race in hand three fences from home he experienced his first fall. 