THE GRAND NATIONAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20560, 10 May 1930, Page 8

THE GRAND NATIONAL

A THRILLING FINISH. SHAUN GOILIN'S VICTORY, APPLE ONLY FOOD ON DAY. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT ] LONDON, April 4, Everyone who had the good luck to see the finish of the Grand National at Aintree ori March 28 experienced tlia thrill of a lifetime. The victor, Shaun Goilin, came in only by a neck from Melleray's Belle, and no one Lad a greater surprise than J. Mason, the jockey on the second, for he thought he had won, and was leading his horse into the winner's box when he was instructed to go into the next one. the racing correspondents found it dif. ficult 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. They were weighed out in splendid time—and the delay at the post was not a lengthy one. At the finish there were only, six standing. They were: Mr. \V. H. Mid. wood's Shaun Goilin, ridden' by T. Cul. linan and trained by F. Hartigan; Mr.. W. Wilson's Melleray's Belle; Mr. J. Whitney's Sir Lindsay: Mr, R. K. .Mellon's Glangesia; Mr. M. D. Blair's Bally, hanwood; and Mr. V. Emmanuel's Royal Arch 11. Sir Lindsay belongs to the 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 856 yards of a' very gruelling course. He finished lengths behind Melleray's Belle. The time, 9min. 40 3-ssec, was exceptionally fast. A Series of Falls. The first horse to come to grief was Derby Day 11., who slipped into the third fence. At the next obstacle, Paris Flight came down. When K.C.B. fell at Valentine's, he baulked Cryptical and brought, down Delarue and Alike. Going into the country, the second time, Toy Bell and Melleray's Belle began to improve their positions, and took' closer order,, with Glangesia, Shaun Goilin, and Merrivale 11. Sir Lindsay, hereabouts, moved up in front of May King and began to take a line for himself in the centre, going well, just clear of Grakle. May King, Merrivale 11., and Blennerhasset fell at the fence before Becher's, and over Becher's Glangesia was in advance of Shaun Goilin, Melleray's Belle, Sir Lindsay, and Grakle. Ibstock fell at Valentine's and Grakle came down at the next) fence. Ballyhanwood and Royal Arch 11. were now fast losing ground, and were a long way behind the others,' although still plodding on. Newsboy was well beaten when he turned over. Glangesia carried on with the lead right up to the last open ditch, where be began to tire, and fell back. Melleray'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 and Ballyhanwood were still standing up, the race had resolved itself into a stern contest between Melleray's Belle, Shaun Goilin and Sir Lindsay. The maro was on the inside, Sir Lindsay on |he right, and Shaun Goilin iu the centre. Melleray's Belle jumped the list fence in front, but. was immediately challenged by the other pair, the trio fighting out one of the best finishes over seen in the race. Cuilinan rode desperately to get the mastery of Melleray's Belle. The latter ran home with surprising gameuess, but Shaun Goilin got up to win by a neck, and Sir Lindsay was a length and a-half away third. The three finished some fifteen lengths in front of Glangesia, who was twenty lengths in front of Ballyhanwood. Royal Arch 11. was interfered with by a loose horse and was taken back to complete the course. Shaun Goilin' has his idosyncrasies* One is that he is a bad traveller, and worries about being away from home. It is the hardest thing in the world to get him to eat anything, for always lie has to bo hand-fed with such delicacies as apples and grass. The only thing he had eaten prior to going out for the great race was an apple, "and," said hi 3 trainer, "that cost me a shilling." that apple probably won him the big stake, which rums well into five figures. He hag a meanish neck, but it runs into beautiful shoulders, and though his middle-piece is surprisingly light, ha shows fine power behind the saddle. Never Made a Mistake. Mr. Midwood said after the races " Shaun Goilin has achieved my great ambition. I have entered eight times for the Grand National, but this is the first time that I have won. Shaun is a thoroughly Irish horse born in Tipperary. I do not know his history, but I do know that he is a wonderful stayer and as steady as a rock. 1 am very proud o him." . , Cuilinan, the jockey, let his Irish temperament have full sway after the rac and he simply could not say enough aboil the horse. " I may have been lucky > getting the ride," he said, " but I sur ® Easter Hero would not have won if Goilin had been in the field. _He 1S ... greatest leaper I have ever nclden. * I had to do was a bit of work at finish. The horse did the rest. Not singlo mistake did he make, and rig from the start I was going on the • Everything went well in the first cul and I kept a good place, in nice toucn with the leaders. , j "We jumped the water second, when we got into the country ag> let Glangesia continue to give me a • The field gradually thinned down, no matter what came along to JO in the front rank 1 felt my horse g ing strongly and I had no fear, were three of us left to fig it it on , . ing on to the racecourse. , 6 . f mv first shock., Two fences f rom ,, i„of lost an iron and had to jump * fence with only one foot in a S JF jj 10 did not recover it until after pasb g winning-post, but though mv a a i rolled a bit after landing on the he camo again and ran his iaco . game as a pebble, though we . to put in all we knew to land thai wonderful prize."