Scotland’s first Grand National winner

Press, 2 April 1979, Page 21

Scotland’s first Grand National winner

b’ZPA Liverpool The old adage that "anything can happen in the National” has again proved right. On Saturday the 25 to I chance, Rubstic, gave Scotland its first Aintree Grand National winner. He was followed home by ZongBlero and Rough and tumble. Alverton, which beat Royal Mail into a distant second in the Cheltenham Gold Cup earlier in the month, was one of two fatalities in the race. Starting favourite at 13 to 2, he fell at Becher’s the second time around and had to be iestroyed. None ot the riders were badly hurt. The Grand National festival was more successful for New Zealand’s Royal Mail however. Running in the Colt Lancer Chase immediately after the Nationa itself, he was second after being heavily backed by the punters to ttart 6 to 4 favourite. New Zealand’s long-shot Grand National ambitions tame to nothing. P’irdo and Cartwright both fell early on the tortuous 7500 m course, and the 39-year-old Waikato amateur jockey, Dennis Gray, on Alpenstock met the same ignominious fate. Despite the near-perfect conditions, the National once again took a heavy toll of horses and riders. Only seven of the 34

starters crossed the line 30 Fences later and New Zealand’s standard-bearers appeared to be among the first to go, leaving Moifaa’s 75-year-old achievement as the only New Zealand horse to wm the chase unthreatenea. The eight-year-old Purdo — second in the 1977 New Zealand Grand National at Ricvarton — started well, keeping to the inside and clear of the following mob as he led across the first five fences.

But the Lomond-Foveaux Strait gelding finished his race at the famous Becher’s Brook fence — clipping the top and going down, unhampered by any other horses. Cartwright — whose main claim to fame in Europe has been a win in the Swedish Grand National in 1976 — was never sighted in the big, confused field and was one of nine horses brought down at the Chair another of Aintree’s “terror tences." Dennis Gray, who had successfully completed the National course on Thursday when he rode New Zealand horse Abo into second place in the Topham Trophy, also made no impression before being brought down. On the British long shot, Alpenstock, he was also among the casualties of the chair — the halfway mark — when two loose horses suddenly cut back among the field.