THE GRAND NATIONAL

EXTIUOIIDINAHY RACE TWO OUT OF 42 FINISH (From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, 3rd April. Forty-two horses went to the post for the Grand National Steeplechase on tho famous Aintreo course, near Liverpool, and only two finished. Indeed only one stood up until the end. The American, Billy Barton, was placed second by the judge, and that after tho horse had been on the ground through falling at the last fence." Easter Hero was responsible for putting something like twenty-live horses . out of the race at the Canal Turn the ■ first time round. Easter Hero had gone ' off in front, followed by Grakle. There were only about half a dozen falls until • reaching tho Canal Turn. At that jump Easter Hero failed to clear the obstacle, and, binding on top of it, slid back into the ditch. Grakle ran into Easter Hero and also landed in the ditch, which was . the portion of Darracq, who had been third. With three horses in the ditch, all those in their wake had no alternative but to pull up, and the sight was wonderful, with horses scattered all over tho place and scarcely room for anything to jump the fence at all. The lucky ones to get over did not number more than eight, and it was Easter Hero who w-as primarily responsible for all the trouble. The plight of the leader was sensed by about a dozen other horses. They saw danger, and the boldest bred "lepper" in the world would conic to a halt in such circumstances. A horse loses his confidence. Thus a large number of Friday's field did not actually fall. They were simply victims of bad luck which, instead of distributing itself through the course of 4} miles journey, came in one lump. END OF THE RACE. At the water there Avcrc only half a dozen horses in the race with a chance. They were Billy Barton, De Combat, Great Span, May King, Tipperary Tim, and Alaguclonne. There were only three others still there who had been remounted, but they were a long sway behind. De Combat was the first to go. He fell at the fence before Becher's, and though, remounted toppled over .'again at Becher's. Then there wore | only five. All went well till the last open ditch, which is four fences from | home, ahd which some of the jockeys say is the worst jump on tho course. It was here that Master Billie fell last year, and'this time was responsible for putting May King and Maguelonno out of the race. At that point May King was a length behind Billy Barton, and the French marc a few more lengths away. The final obstacle was paid to Billy Barton, who slipped up on landing, and then there was only one. So Tipperary Tim cantered homo alone in his glory. The opinion is expressed that Tipperary Tim was travelling and fencing with greater freshness than either of the other pair, and that he would have won even if they had escaped tumbling. THE 3.OKTUNATE OWNER. Tipperary Tim is owned by Air. It. S. Kenyon, a brother of tho late Mr. C. F. Kenyon, who was such a big patron of racing that ho had upwards of a hundred horses in training in five different stables. Air. H. S. Kenyon won his first race With Tipperary Tim in 1925, but no big prize had como his way until now. The horse was given to Mr. C. F. Kenyon, and on his death, when his stable was put up for sale, Tipperary Tim was purchased for -his present owner for 420 guineas. His trainer, Air. J. Dodd, says the only reason the horse was entered in tho Grand National was that ho never falls. Air. Dodd has only a small stable at Whitchurch, in Shropshire, and it is remarkable that success should have come to him in the face of so much intensive competition from millionaires, who had spent thousands of pounds in buying up ■the niost fancied of the entrants. THE AMATEUR RIDER. Air. W. -P. Dutton, an amateur rider, was on tho back of Tipperary Tim. Ho is a young Chester solicitor, who graduated at Cambridge and has had considerable riding experience over fences. Air. Dutton had studied the course and that helped him to victory. "I found the going on the far side was soundest," ho said, "so I wont on a wide outside all the way, whero there was not even a footprint. It was because I was there ' that I escaped the trouble at tho Canal Turn. There was no other part of the fence I could have jumped owing to being one of the rearmost members of the Hold, and with so many horses about. Once over I found myself well up with those who were left standing. I continued to go on tho outside, and never being very far away in the secdnd circuit I joined Billy Barton coming to tho last fence and landed in front. I think I would have beaten Billy Barton had ho stood up, but Great Span would have made a better fight ofj it if he had not como down two fences from home." A SUGGESTION. "What gives trickincss, fair or unfair, to tho Canal Turn," says "Hotspur" of tho "Daily Telegraph," "is that horses have not only to make tho right sort of leap, but immediately on landing they must, bend sharp loffc-hand-ed. There is no question of a graduated turn. As soon as a horse lands safely ho is pulled to tho left. I suppose it would bo regarded as poor sportsmanship to make a serious suggestion that tho position of this fence bo altered cither by bringing it forward or, by doing away with it altogether. Ifi the latter course woro to bo adopted there might bo a graduated bond instead of tho sharp loft-angle one which has been in existence through tho ages. How can the size of the field bo reduced to reasonable proportions? The victory of Tipperary Tim will not help towards that end, however desirable it may bo.- Rather may it havo a stimulating effect, for what this humble, tubed horso has shown to bo possible will bo thought possible of other humble inhabitants of the stoeplcchasing world." After the race Mr. Dodd said: "Tho only reason why ho was entered for tho Grand National was that, although ho has no speed, he never falls. Last autumn he became affected in his wind, and in January I had him tubed, which improved him immensely. I havo been training for about twenty years, and it has been the dream of my life to saddle a Grand National winner." STORIES OF THE RACE. It is interesting in connection with the big prices paid for Easter Hero and Koko, that Tipperary , Tim could havo been bought for £200 up to the time of the race. Mr. Kenyon, owner of the winner, treated his National prospects jocularly, possibly because ho know that no one would tako him seriously. He promised several friends a now suit of clothes each in tho event of success. A prize of nearly £11,000 goes to tho winner. Other first-halid stories of tho race were: — Tom Leader (trainer of Sprig): "Both my horses fell. There was no excuse for either." Tho second Was Blight's Boy. Mr. B. W. Ancil (Carfax): "Tho horse never touched a twig, and was jumping tho fences like hurdles up to tho point whero all tho trouble occur- , red." T. Cullman (Billy Barton): "My horso did not fall, but. slipped on landing at the last fence. I really believe I would havo won but for this.",

W. Giinu-y (Koko): "Koko hit the fence (Becher's) just above the har, and turned clean over into the ditch. I thought he had broken his buck, but ho was all right. Ho had to be pulled out with ropes." This horse had been expensively purchased on the eve of tho race by Captain V. Gufest, M.1., in whose colours he, ran. The sale of Koko, coupled with that of Easter Hero to tho Belgian financier, Mr. A. Lowenstein, is reported to have brought the already rich Irish owner (Mr. F. Barbour) no less a-sum than £20,000, of which ti small proportion was contingent on one of the pair winning. TRANSATLANTIC TELEPHONE. For tho first time the transatlantic wireless telephone was used to describe Hie race as it progressed. A special telephone line from Aintreo was connevted with the transatlantic station at Rugby, which linked up with Baltimore, more than 30U0 miles away. A newspaper correspondent on the roof of tho grandstand described the race minute by minute. Mr. Graham M'Namce, the leading American broadcaster, repealed the description in an elaborate amplifying apparatus, and simultaneously they were picked up by a broadcasting microphone at the radio station at Baltimore. Despite a chilling rain, hundreds of Baltimore people gathered in tho streets and listened to the account of the race through the amplifiers. It is estimated that about 200,000 people in the United States heard the radio. The call continued for about twenty minutes. The' King of Afghanistan was an interested spectator of the race. When Tipperary Tim dashed past the post lie snatched off his hat, waved an arm'in tho air, and said something excitedly to tho Queen, who smiled at his delight. Previously ho had watched the race through iiis glasses, with Sir Francis Humphreys standing beside him to explain what was happening. He nodded his head from time to time, and beat on the front of the stand as one horse, after another went down at the various jumps. : Never, perhaps, in the history of the race has the event attracted such interest at home and abroad, and never was there swell a catastrophe staged on the beautiful course. Many people travelled by air from Croydon to Aintree—for tho first time.