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HIGHBRIDGES FINE RACE AT CHELTENHAM. At ■helteniiani. March IS, Bighbridge ran hv far the best race he had shown in England and. while failing to concede twenty-two i mis i«. Strangways, Bnlshed second n him and gave nnieh weight and a beating to a half dozen other i.ivercooi Grand National candidates. This was In the National Hunt Steeplechase at throe miles and a quarter, in which bo can nil tin top weight of 177 pounds to 1.V, on the winner. His performance was so distinctly promising that "Augur" -aid of the day following in Sport im_ Life: "From the facl of there bgln; several Grand National candidate- in the Held, the National Hunt Handicap Steeplechase al Cheltenham yesterdaj be came Invested with considerable interest. Bally hackle, however, was missing again, and 1 hear that be i- not lik.-lv to be seen • ut before the day of the hi:. Aintiee race. This, If really his owners intention, is not an encouraging circumstance, though similar procedure has been adopted in other rears wiih equally uromincnt horses, the American in-vader, tligbhrafgo. wa- wddled in spite of the bi;-r harden of 177 pounds be had to carry and. while be suffered defeat hj Strangways. lie proved to be a-il th. best of the Liverpool contingent yesterday. With Strangways be ran true to their Sandown Park form of r.-bruar.v K, the Teeny borne turning the tables at an advantage of two pound.-. Ilighbridge, however, had to shoulder that amount more over an extra distance of a quarter of a mile, and win or I..-.- al Vinlree uexi month, Mr. tvil"s gelding is obvious! ii"! far from the top of the tree according to run- standard. That be will tind the I.i vi I f - too formidable, I think unlikely, but there i- .iu.-t a d.iibt as to whether be stays much beyond yesterdays distance, though against this i- to be put the facl thai he will have in the Grand National ii lowesl weight. IKK pounds, he has yel had to Klionlder in this country, while instead of having to inaki euormous c esslons in maii. Instances, in- w ill n it i.. required to give more than fourteen 1 ...in. I- I" anv annual o;i|.o- in him. "lo-tii ral Fox, to wlnm, Ilighbridge was unplaced al Sand.iwu on ihe da] preceding the Grand Mll larj Meeting, was made joint favorite for yeate lays* in- with the tiatwick winner, tbirraia, wui. Celerity, I.l.w Pipe. Greal Cross, and Gale II. w.i.-all preferred to eltbci Strangways oi the Anu-rie-i •. Diirrain reverte«l t i hi- earlier disapiMiintiiig form bj falling, and it was l.ft to Gale II. to follow the tn t an. I c umI home Blow Pipe and Mavoumceu-i Id il I... ih Aintree candidates rnnnlng out. Bridgi IV. did better than on any pr i-.iL- occasion tm-wint.i. bill n. itlief Regent not Greal Cross did a ill tliiir_ io eiiliani" bis reputation." Elsewhere thai same newspaper printed the f..i lowing additl mil • iunu4il: "Highbrhlges gallai rill- III tl I" will -elda under I be I ting In I ••: 17. pound* greatl.i enhances bis i ros|iects .1 . it ring oil tl blue riband ..l ste«-|dechasiag, -n ii .a h did In- jump magnlfioiitl Ihronghont. bm had a ran bnrsl i i.-.-.i io Unlsli with, lie became M-r ur..i;- when -addb d before a b cr«»a i yesterdaj . If h. sweateii a di nl d t I i- mi Ii , |,ie,e. thOSe V.ll" t"kid llilll OI . CMHH tO tile coll . Iu-i"ii ihat Ihe American had a -ii i| a I ii, tiaiinil .io|»-ai an. • He ie -till so inn-. |. ,,,11 .„,. .,- ill i gb lie expected i»f n horse that ! ad ii. i i nte i Imm ugbl.i ai c in at Ixed. Sei rtli be i making ever progress."
