ENGLAND’S GRAND NATIONAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume LX, Issue 9721, 3 June 1924, Page 3

ENGLAND’S GRAND NATIONAL.

THRILLS AND FALLS

ONLY EIGHT OUT OF THIRTY FINISH.

WINNER ONCE A PLOUGH HORSE.

After a remarkable race, crowded with accidents and misadventures, Lord Airlie’s Master Robert won the Grand National Steeplechase (writes Robin Goodfellow in the Daily Mail). Only seven others of the remaining 29 completed the course, Fly Mask gaining second place and Silvo third, while the stable companions Drifter and Sergeant Murphy, finished fifth and sixth in front of Shaun Spadah and Ballinode. It was a spfendid spectacle as all the competitors, jumping cleverly, cleared the first three fences. RIDERLESS HORSES CAUSE. MISCHIEF. The falls became numerous, and much of the subsequent mischief was due to the presence of loose liorscs. Taffytus was knocked about by two of the riderless lot, and Conjuror 11. was brought down by another at Becher’s Brook the first time round. The downfall of the 'favourite caused intense excitement, and other thrills followed in quick succession right to the finish, though in the last half-mile it'was obvious that Master Robert was the winner, bar an accident, as Silvo could not maintain the pace and pursuit of the leader of Fly Mask was almost equally ineffective. A POPULAR WIN. The crowd welcomed the winner with tremendous cheering and Lord Air lie was overwhelmed with congratulations. He must he reckoned a favourite of fortune for Master Robert is his only horse in training, and, indeed, is owned in partnership with Major Sidney Green. This victor of the greatest steeplechase in the world was bred by a small Irish farmer and sent to Agly Anthony at the Curragh to he trained.. He seemed almost worthless and got turned out for a couple of years. Subsequently he was sold to Lord Ait lie for £2OO.

He won a small race because both his opponnets fell, but how the horse continued to improve was seen last autumn when he defeated Shaun Spadah and others here in the Valentine Steeplechase. Curiously enough, this relatively unknown ’chaser has been a general tip of a quiet sort, and it was reported that ho had been well hacked. Among the unlucky division was Winnall, whose running was firstrate till upset by. Palm Oil, riderless at the time. Eureka LI. met with a similar fate. Ballinode jumped into collision with another loose one, and lost some 200 yards, but this game mare struggled on to finish the course though she apparently had suffered some physical injuries and walked,in after clearing the last fence. None in the field looked better than Auchinrossie, a beautifully built mare. She was also upset by a loose horse and refused to try any further despite the efforts of her jockey. FAVOURITE TURNED LOOSE. Old Tay Bridge held a good lead till coming to grief at Valentine’s Brook, and some amusement was caused when the dismounted jockey on the fallen Libretto stopped Conjuror 11. and got into the saddle, but, seeing Libretto standing still a few yerds off, resumed that mount and turned Conjuror 11. loose again. When the surviving troop went into the country for the second time Winnall held a commanding lead of not less than 20 lengths from Silvo, so that the former’s luck was deplorable. Silvo did extremely well, but a couple of fences from Valentine’s Brook Master Robert joined him, soon secured the upper hand, and thence to the judge’s bov readily kept Fly Mask at bay. The gallant old Sergeant Murphy put in. some game work, but the blunder which he had made at the water jump must have shaken him verv much. Mr Sanford, the owner of the sergeant and of Drifter, who was present with a party of Americans, must have been pleased at least with the display, though there never looked in the final stage the least chance of the Sergeant repeating last year’s victory. G. Guswell ,put up instead of Pnoleau on Silvo, showed fine jockey ship. Happily, despite the numerous mishaps, few riders were injured, but Mr Herbert Hartigan, on coming down with Old Tay Bridge, suffered concussion.

MASTER ROBERT’S TRIUMPH

BRINGS £2OOO TO FOUR GIRL CLERKS.

HORSE’S CHEQUERED CAREER

LONDON, March 29. All sporting Britain was to-day talking about Master Robert’s Grand National victory and tho owners, the Earl of Airlie and Major Sidney Green, have received shoals of congratulations. Master Robert’s eleven years ot life have been' adventurous ones.

He has pulled a plough he lias been sold for a song, he has been rejected -by the army, and now he has won the biggest steeplechase event there is. By his victory four Liverpool girl clerks have won £2OOO. the first prize in a big sweepstake.

The Earl of Airlie,, a young Scottish Peer,- is a member of Lord Derby’s house party at Knowesley, while Major Green is among Lady Broughton’s guests at Doddington Hall, Cheshire. A VERY ROUGH DIAMOND.

As a very rough diamond Master j Robert went to Wroughton two years ago, and he has since been under the | supervision of tllie Hon. Aubrey Hast- j Researches into Master Robert’s past show how chequered was his i career. When lie was a tliree-year- j old ho was thought of so little ac- j count that he was sent to pull the j plough on the farm of Air McKinley, . of Co. Donegal, who had him. . | Mr McKinley eventually sold him to The Curragli training headquarters. There lie proved unsatisfactory, and was disposed of as a cast off to Mr Laverty. Mr Laverty thought Master Robert had possibilities, and had him trained as a hunter with South Tyrone Harriers. Then he went to a dealer for about seventy-five guineas. Soon afterwards he came to England. won several point to point races for Mr Fordham', and was later sold to his present owners. GIRL CLERKS’ GOOD LUCK. Four girl clerks. Who work in different offices in Liverpool, and who clubbed together to buy a ticket in the Liverpool Cotton Exchange Grand National Sweepstake, won the first l>rize, £2OOO. They intended to keep their good luck a secret, but as one of them smilingly said to-day. “We are girls, so I suppose lie could nJot.” They are, however, keeping secrot what they intend to do with the money. A CURIOUS HISTORY: Before Master Robert came into Lord Airlie’s possession he had » curious history. He lias changed hands no fewer than five times (coml merits a writer in the Sunday Post). ! • Those who saw him pulling a 1 pl ough could - not liavo contemplated that he would eventually win the greatest steeplechase in the world. | Two or three years later ho showed I •

promise as a hunter, and was sold for £250. Next Mr Forham bought him. for £SOO, and I understand iti was for half that sum that Lord Airlie fortunately secured him. In the meantime he had been used in Ireland for. schooling the brilliant Grand National winner Troy town. . ■ 4 .. Master Robert’s sire, Moorside 11., has - a remarkable history. After doing a turn at the stud, and incidentally getting the hero of yesterday’s race, lie was put hack to steeple chasing, and gained several successes. I believe that lie is still standing in Lonbolnshire as a hunter stallion. The Earl of Airlie is head of the house of Ogilvy, one of the oldest Scottish families. He served with distinction in the war. being woundm and receiving the Military Cross. He about 69,000 acres, his chief seat being Cortarchy Castle, Kirriemuir, Forfarshire. Another family seat is found in Scottish song as the “Bonnie Hoose o’ Airlie.” In 1917 he married Lady Bridget Coke, daughter of the. Earl of Leicester. Lord Airlie’s racing stable consists of one horse. It is rarely that a trainer lias in his stable two horses capable of winning the Grand National in the same year, but the enforced scratching of Super Man still left Hastings with the super-Aintree horse in Master Robert. Eight of the thirty runners in the Grand National finished, including two former winners in Sergeant Murphy and Shaun Spadah.