ENTIRES AS JUMPERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 84, 9 April 1938, Page 22

ENTIRES AS JUMPERS

The victory registered by Battleship, who ran as an entire in this year's Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase, adds a further dash of high interest to the American feat at Aintree, writes "Phaeton." The only other occasion on which an entire scored Grand National honours at', Liverpool was in 1901, when Grudon, an 11-year-old son of Old Buck, beat a field of 22. Tacked on to the entry against Grudon's name were the letters "h.b.," which denotes that he was half-bred.

The records of the Grand National Steeplechase founded by the Victoria Racing Club in 1881 reveal that Sussex, a six-year-old son of the French-bred sire Grandmaster, carried 13.1 to victory. Subsequently he was at the stud in Victoria and some of his progeny won. In 1931 Acceleration, a son of Demolition, won the Australian Steeplechase at Caulfleld.

In New Zealand history we have to go back 45 years for the record of an entire winning Grand National Steeplechase honours. In 1892 Ahua, carrying 11.0, beat a field of a dozen at Riccarton. At an interval of six years Social Pest, a son of Ahua, won the New Zealand Grand National Hurdles. Spalpeen, an Australian-bred horse by imported Gossoon, won high honours as a hurdler and several of his progeny scored victories over hurdles and across country, namely, Waimai (New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase and Great Northern Steeplechase), El Gallo (Great Northern Hurdles and Great Northern Steeplechase, twice), and Master Lv (Great Northern Steeplechase), *