GREAT RACE AT AINTREE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 752, 4 May 1933, Page 8

GREAT RACE AT AINTREE.

Two Horses Neck and Neck to Last Fence in National. ONE FALLS ON HEAD; THE OTHER WINS. (Special to the “ Star.”) LONDON, March 30. TWO HORSES approaching Aintree’s final fence neck lo neck, and tens of thousands of people looking on, thrilled and excited, and yet strangely silent. Such was the dramatic scene at the end of the Grand National. Up they go, over and—one of them falls to tumble on his head, and collapse, within sight of the winning post, leaving the other to go on and win.

The two rivals fighting out the finish were Kellsboro’ Jack and Pelorous Jack, and it was the latter who came down when it looked as though he might win. They had taken command of the field, and, as stated, they entered the racecourse almost locked together. At the last fence Pelorous Jack went right over the other Jack, struck the top, and pitched on his head. It was Kellsboro’ Jack’s race then, but Williams, the jockey, with the sound of other hoofs drawing near, had to sit down and ride his weary horse hard. His pursuers were Really True and Slater, two outsiders, but though they closed the gap in threatening fashion, they too, were near the end of their tether, and Kellsboro’ Jack lasted home three lengths ahead. Thirty-four horses went to the post in glorious sunshine, and as many as twenty-seven of them jumped the water which marks the completion of the first circuit. Seventeen of them finished without falling, and two were remounted after coming down, making nineteen to run the full distance. And Kellsboro’ Jack knocked a few seconds off the record time by completing the four-and-a-half miles in 9 minutes 28 seconds. It is often said that the National is slow and sure, but the winner was one of the leading three throughout.

Winner Almost Scratched. The curious thing was that the winner was almost taken out of the race owing to his disappointing form. Trained by Ivor Anthony, Kellsboro’ Jack belongs tG Mrs Ambrose Clark, who comes every 3 r ear from America with her husband for the hunting. The running of the horse up to the National was no encouragement to let him take his chance. Finally, however, she did so, on the advice of Anthony, after winning at Wolverhampton.

“Kellsboro’ Jack is no use when the going is heavy,” said Anthony, “and this accounted for his poor displays during the winter. Long ago I took 100 to 8 that I would produce the winner. Then I had five in the race, and at the finish only two remained. Naturally, I thought I had lost my money.” That £1 Transaction.

Mr Clark discovered Kellsboro’ Jack running about in a field in Ireland as an unbroken two-year-old. He was sent to Ivor Anthony at Wroughton, a stable which is carried on by the widow of the late Aubrey blastings, but he was not broken in until he was four years of age. He developed on the best lines, and it was always hoped that he would prove a worthy National candidate.

It was curious how he came to pass into the ownership of Mrs Clark. One day Ivor Anthony suggested that, as Mr Clark had had such bad luck with his steeplechasers, he should give Kellsboro’ Jack to his wife. On the spot Mr Clark asked Mrs Clark for a pound note, and, as she handed it to him, he said: “For this you shall have Kellsboro’ Jack.” Mr Clark is one of America’s leading sportsmen. At home he drives his own coach-and-four to race meetings, and he is also keenly interested in polo. A few weeks before the race, Slater, who finished third, also belonged to an American sportsman, Mr Whitney. The latter, however, sold him to Mr G. S. L. Whitelaw. Pelorous Jack’s Fall.

Would Pelorous Jack have won if he had stood up? The question was hotly debated. Dudley Willliams, the jockey, said: “Five strides before we got to the last fence, I urged Kellsboro’ Jack for all he was worth. He found a little extra, and it may have been that which caused Pelorous Jack to fall. Before this happened, I thought I should win.”

Stott said: “Pelorous Jack made a terrible blunder at the very first fence. He actually went on his head, and I don’t know how he kept on his feet. He went along smoothly from this point, and when we drew level with Kellsboro’ Jack, my horse was full of running. He hit the top of the last fence pretty hard, and he fell over on his head and I came off, but, if we had got safely over, we should have won. I was going much the stronger at the time.” Golden Miller. As is always the case, the race caused disappointments. Gregalach and Golden Miller were the two horses most fancied. Gregalach broke a blood vessel, and had to be pulled up four fences from home, but I am afraid he was then a spent force. Golden Miller was always up with the leaders until he came down at the canal turn the second time round. The horse had caused a good deal of anxiety prior to this through his habit of jumping obliquely to the right at every fence. Indeed, over Aintree’s stiff course he ran very “green.” It was the first time he had been over the course.

Had the winning post been at the end of three miles, Remus would have won. There is no doubt about this. The big fellow went away with the lead, and, jumping gloriously, was in front over the water hazard in front of the stands. But at three miles he tired, and quickly faded out.