LIVERPOOL GRAND NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XI, Issue 548, 20 June 1901, Page 15

LIVERPOOL GRAND NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE.

ITS HISTORY. The Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase has a tolerably long history (says the “ Field ”), m the first steeplechase ever run at Amtree took place on Monday, February 29, 1836 Under the management of Mr Lynn, proprietor of the Waterloo Hotel, flat races had taken place for some considerable time before, but with the examples of St Albans’ and other places bt fore him, that excellent man of business thought that he would be doing no wrong in following the popular craze for cross country contests, and so organised a steeplechase, which took place partly near and partly on the original Aintree course. Ten horses were entered, the race was worth 80sovs, in addition to a sweepstake of 10 sovs each. The weight was 12st each, and gentlemen riders were necessary. The winner turned out to be Mr Sirdefield’s The Duke, ridden by Captain Becher, and the race was remarkable for having been the occasion of Jan accident, owing to the rascality of someone interested in another horse. In the primitive course which then existed, the horses had to pass through an open gateway, and in crossing a lane Mr Powell, who was riding Laurie Todd, took the lead on approaching the gate, and just as he reached it it was shut with great violence, Mr Powell being severely injured by falling after being kicked by another horse. From this beginning came the Grand National, and after the race of the above-named year, steeplechasing at Aintree became quite popular. The appearance of the famous horse Dan O’Connell lent some interest to the race in 1837. The contest, however, was simply a chapter of accidents, and The Duke won for the second time in succession. To the Aintree course belongs Jthe distinction of being perhaps the first proprietary racecourse ever organised. In 1839 Mr Lynn was growing old, and his health began to fail, so feeling unequal to carrying on the meeting as he had previously done, the meeting was turned into a kind of syndicate of a thousand shares of £25 each, with Lord Stanley, Sir Thomas Massey Stanley and other responsible patrons as trustees. The first “Grand ” Steeplechase at Aintree took place on February 24, 1840, and this may be regarded as the first of the Grand Nationals, though the term, was not then in use.

People came from all parts of the United Kingdom, and even from the Continent; there were great house parties for the occasion, but betting was practically at a standstill, for nobody knew how many of the fifty-one horses were going to start. There was a gigantic crowd, and the race was timed to take place at one o’clock, but it was three o’c’ock before the eighteen competitors paraded in front of the grandstand. What would racegoers of the present day say to a meeting which started its principal contest a couple of hours late ? On this occasion the famous Lottery, ridden by Jem Mason, was victor, he beating Sir E. Mostyn’s Seventy-four, ridden by the erratic Tom Oliver. Lottery, it may be mentioned, under the name of Chance, ran twice on the flat as a four-year old at the Holderness Hunt Meeting of 1834, and one of the contests he won. Mr Villebois, of Marham, then bought Lottery, and rode him with his staghounds, reselling him to Elmore, who first of all let him out as a hunter and then put him to steeph chasing. After the first few years the professional steeplechase jockey began to make

his mark, and we find amateurs, at any rate in the first three, growing fewer and fewer. In 1840 it is true that amateurs were on the first five, among them being Mr Bretherton, who rode the winner, Jerry; that fine horseman Alan M‘Donough was second, and the Marquis of Waterford, who rode his own horse, The Sea, gained the fourth position. In 1841 amateurs were on on the'first three, but then we have to go on for several years, in fact, until 1848, before we find an amateur riding the winner, and that was when Captain little won on The Chandler. The years 1850 and 1851 are entitled to passing mention, inasmuch as on both occasions Abd-el-Kader, or the “ Little Ab,” as his owner fondly called him, won. He was the property of the still living nonagenarian, Mr Joseph Osborne, whose writings, as “ Beacon ” are so well known, and who has for some years compiled that valuable work, “ The Horse Breeder’s Handbook.” T he history of Abd-el-Kader was somewhat peculiar. Mr Osborne was once on the box seat of the Shrewsbury Hirondelle coach, and was much taken with the near leader, a goodlooking brown mare, which he eventually bought for the moderate sum of fifty guineas. He discovered her breeder, obtained from hin a declaration that she was by Hit or Miss out of a half-bred mare, named her English Lass, won some steeplechases with her, and subsequently

she bred Abd-el-Kader, by Ishmael. Will Archer, it may be mentioned, the father of Fred and Charles, was a steeplechase jockey, and after being second on Spring in 1854, he won on Little Charlie in 1858, second to him in the latter year being Weathercock, ridden by the accomplished Mr Ede, who, as is well-known, rode under the name of “ Mr Edwards.” The year 1860 saw Mr Thomas win his first Grand National on Anatis, and then the professionals had it all their own way till Mr Coventry in 1865 was fist past the post on “ Cherry ” Angell’s Alcibiade, Mr Goodman riding Mr E. Studd’s Salamander in the following -year. The late Lord Poulett’s The Lamb won in 1868, ridden by Mr “ Edwards,” and then came the victory of George Stevens on The Colonel, followed by Mr 1 homas winning on The Lamb in 1871, and it is a somewhat curious fact that Ben Land, who trained The Lamb committed suic de, the first jockay, Mr Ede, was killed in the Sefton Steeplechase, while The Lamb himself had to be destroyed through breaking his leg at Baden Baden, so tnat horse, trainer and jockey all died violent deaths. Mr Richardson’s two votaries on Disturbance and Reugny are still talked about, and there are many yet racing who remember Mr F. G. : obson winning on his horse Austerlitz, and, according to - his custom, catching hold of the cantie of his saddle at every fence. The year

1882 was also remarkable, inasmuch as Lord Manners, who had had no great experience of steeplechasing, elected to ride his own horse Seaman, and, after doing a little resolute practice, succeeded in carrying off the race. The Count Kinskey rode his own horse Zoedone to victory, and about this time a number of Irish horses won the chief steeplechase of the year, the late Captain E. B. Owen riding Father O’Flynn in 1892. Since the race was first established a number of j otable men and horses have taken part in the contest, and the Liverpool Grand National is one of the few steeplechases of the year which evokes any genuine interest.