THE GRAND NATIONAL

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 112, 14 May 1930, Page 8

THE GRAND NATIONAL

VICTORY BY A HEAD

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, 4th April. Everyone' who had the good luck to see tlio linish o£ the Grand National at Amtree on 2Sth March experienced the thrill of a lifetime. The victor, Shaiui Goilin, won by only a neck from Mellcr'ay's Belle, and no one had a greater surprise than J. Mason, the jot-key on the second, tor he thought he had won, aud was leading his horse into the winner's box when he was instructed to go into the next one. All-the racing correspondents founel.it difljcult to write of the event; for, as one of them said, it provided sufficient drama, romance, and gripping detail to make a book as thrilling 'as any fiction ever written. . There were 41 runners: at the finish there were only 'six standing. They were: Mr. W. H. Midwdod's • Shaun Goilin, ridden by T. Cullinau and trained by F. Hartigan; Mr. W. Wilson's Molleray's Belle (trainer, Easterby); Mr. J. Whitney's Sir Lindsay (trained- by J. Anthony and ridden by D. Williams); Mr. R. K. Mellon's Glangesia (A. Law, jockey J. Browne); Mr. M. D. Blair's Ballyhanwood (trained by owner, ridden by E. Foster); and Mr. V. Emmanuel's ' Koyal Arcli 11. (trainer1;©. Duller, ridden by Mr. Thackeray). Sit' Lindsay belongs to a w,ell-know,n American sportsman whose horse, Easter Hero, had been made favourite, but who was scratched prior to the race on account of injury. Some people.regard Sir Lindsay as-the unlucky horse of this-big''steeplechase -run over 4' miles .85(5'yards of a; very ,gruelling course. "lie .finished ii:'length and a half behind Mclleray's Belle. The time, 9miu ■10 3-ssec, was exceptionally fast. . - WHAT HAPPENED. The -'Sporting Lite" relates: —The first horse to come to grief was Derby Day 11., who slipped into the third fence. At the next obstacle Paris Flight- came clown. ,When K.C.B. "fell at Valentine's he. baulked Cryptical and. brought i down Delarue aud Alike. ..- . : Going into tlie country the , second time, Toy,, Bell and Slelleray's Belle began to improve their positions and took closer order .'With' Glangesia, Shaun Goilin, and .Merrivale 11. V Sir Lindsay hereabouts .'moved-up in front of May King and'be,gan, to..take, a, lino for himself .in the centre;: going well,'just clear of. Grakle. May King, Merayale 11., and Blennerhasset fell at the fence before Becher's, and over Becher's Glangesia was- in adv vance of;Shaun Goilin, MellerayV Belle, Sir Lindsay, arid Grakle.. Grakle made a mistake .at Valentine's, 'where Ibstoek fell, and Grakle came down at the next fence. Ballyhanwbod aud Koyal Arch 11. were now last'losing ground, and were a long way behind ' the others, though stijl plodding on. Newsboy was well beaten when ho turned over. GJangcsia carried on with,the lead right up to the last open ditch, Where he began to. tiro and fell back. Mclleray's Belle raced'in front of Shaun Goilin', whose jockey was sitting comfortably.'. Sir Lindsay ' also was : still full of running. . . .. , ' ,'■:■ GREAT RACE HOME. Although Glangesia arid' Ballyhanwood were still standing up, the race had resolved itself into a stern contest between Mclleray's Belle, Shauu Gailiu, and Sir Lindsay. ...' ; '"■ ' -..,,., ': .The mare was on the inside, Sir Lindsay on the right, and Shaun. Goilin in the centre. Mclleray's Belle jumped the last fence in front,>but was/ immediately, challenged by the other pair, the trio fighting out one of the best finishes ever'seen in this race. Culliilan rode desperately to get the mastery of Mclleray's Belle. . The lat : ter ran home with surprising gumencss; but Shaun Goilin got up:,to, win by a neck; a length and" a half, away'Sir'Lindsay was third.. Tlie three finished some fifteen lengths in front of Glangesia, who went by the, post some twenty, lengths-in front.' of Ballyhaudwood. Koyal Arch' 11. Was interfered with by a loose .horse, and -vyas;: taken back- ".to:.-. eomnleto:pthe course/ " ."!-'■ '■"" ■ -f.■'.■'% ',)""■■■■' Mr. .Midwood: said after the-' race: "Shaun .Goilin has achieved my great ambition. . I have entered eight times ■ for the Grand. National,ibut this.is: the first time that I have won. Shaun 'is.a thoroughly Irish horse, born in -Tippprary. I do not know his history, but I do know that he is a wonderful i stayer and as "steady as a i'd'ek. I am-very proud of him." NEVER MAPE A MISTAKE. "Ajax" ("Evening Standard") writes:— Cullinan, the jockey, let his Irish temperament have full sway after the race, and he simply could not say enough about the horse. "I may have been lucky in getting the fide," he said,-'"but I, am sure Easter Hero would not have won if Shaun Goilin had been in the field. He is the greatest leaper I have ever ridden. I was very pleased to know .when Easter Jrlero went wrong that 1 would still have ja. goodiiide .in" the race. I had a standing with Mr. Hartigau that 1 would ride .Shaun, Goilin if I was available. '■'Really'; all,'l.had to; do was a bit of work at the finish. The horse did the rest. Not one single'niistake did he make, and right from the start I was going on the bit. The horse gave me such a confident feeling that'the only surprising thing was that I did not win by a wider.margin.- I just let him. run along in ,my hands all the time, having in mind that I must,save.a bit I'or the finish. Everything ivent well in the first circuit, and I kept a good place, in nice touch with the leaders.; . . ■• ■ ' ..' ,"We,' jumped.' the water second, and when,we got into the country again I let Glangesia continue to give me ,a lead. The field gradually thinned down, but no matter what came along to join us in, the front rank.l felt my horse going strongly, and I had no fear. There. were three of us left to fight it out coming on, to the racecourse. . "Here I got my first shock. Two fences from home I lost an iron and had to jump1 the last fence with only one foot in a stirrup. I" did' not recover it until after passing the winning post, but though my horse rolled a bit after landing on the flat, he came again and ran his race out as game as a pebble, though we both had to put in all we knew to land that' wonderful prize." . AN ENTHUSIASTIC PRESSMAN. Of his own sensations, "Ajax" remarks: "I am something of a hardened racegoer myself, but I cannot" remember having been so thrilled before. As long as I live I shall remember that wonderful sight. I "was. simply bubbliug over with, enthusiasm all the way, and throughout the four and a-half miles /there was a crescendo of excitement such as raised the crowd to a high pitch. They let themselves go after the race, and jt must have been one of the most popular victories of all time. People simply went mad in their excitement, aud it was as much for the wonderful race they had seen as the fact that at last a well-backed horse had won a big race." , : SHAUN GOILIN'S SIRE. The "Daily Mail's" Dublin correspondent says that, .although. the sire of Shaun Goilin is unknown, it is at least certain that the "National" winner has the blood of either Wavelet's Pride or Uncle Mac in his veins. The sire of-.: Shaun Goilin was one of three colts which were quartered at Major Edward's stud farm at Kathduff, County Limerick.. Shaun Goilin's dam,- Golden Day, was there at the same time. One of the. three coltsit is not known-which —sired Shaun Goilin. The three colts were the stock of Wavelet's Pride; or Uncle Mac, so that Shaun Goilin's fine staying power is inherited* ■■