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HOW RUBIO WON HIS GRAND NATIONAL NATIONALDescription Description of a Remarkable Steeplechase Replete with Accidents and Sensations English turf newspapers give much space to de ¬ scribing the manner of the running of the Liver ¬ pool Grand National its many mishaps and its sur ¬ prising termination with the Americanbred Huhio the easiest of winners The fact that of twenty four horses starting only eight finished indicates that Uubios success was probably very lucky but he proved himself beyond dispute the best of those that stood up and there is no telling but what he might have won anyhow Describing the race the Sportsman says saysMr Mr Coventry got them away at the first attempt and Flaxman at once dashed out with the lead fol ¬ lowed by Prophet III Rnhlo Tom West Mattie MsHgregor Homan Law Springbok Extravagance Nanoya Kirklaud and Dathi in that order with Wild Fox III acting as whipperin At the first fence Prophet III Nanoya and Mount Prospects Fortune all came down and soon afterward Itonian Law took up the running from Tom West Flaxman Scisdon Prince Extravagance Johnstown Lad Mat tie Macgregor Kirkland and Springbok Alert III now being last At the third fence Paddy Maher came to grief as did Seisdon Prince at the fence after Valentines Brook Homan Law was the first to jump into tin race course his immediate attend ¬ ants being Tom West Flaxman Extravagance and Johnstown Lad The first fence on the nice course brought down York II and Wee Busbie and the order over the water jump in front of the stand was Iioinan Law Tom West Extravagance Flax ¬ man Johnstown Lml Mattie Macgregor Rublo lathl Springbok The Lawyer III Kirkland Wild Fox III Jcnkinstown and Chorus the last named of which was virtually tailed ofT Jenklnstown was pulled up directly afterward and at this point A Anthony on Flaxman broke a stirrupleather The second fence in the country proved false to the chance of Extravagance which fell which left Tom West in front of Johnstown Lad The next ob ¬ stacle brought Roman Law to grief and at the suc ¬ ceeding fence Johnstown Lad came down At this point Tom West was still in front Mattie Macgregor and Kubio now being his nearest attendants closely followed by Flaxman Dathi and Springbok The fence after Bechers Brook extinguished the chance of Tom West which came down as did Wild Fox III As they jumped on to the race course Rublo was clear of Mattie Macgregor Flaxman andSpring bok an interval of some lengths dividing this lot from Kirkland and The Lawyer III The first named of this pair came down at the final fence and Riihio increasing bis advantage at every stride won very easily by ten lengths from Mattie Mac ¬ gregor which was six lengths in front of The Law ¬ yer III Flaxman was fourth Springbok fifth Red Hall sixth the remounted Kirklaud seventh and Chorus the only other to finish Time by Bensons chronograph 100j 100jII II Bletsoe who rode Rubio gave quite an inter ¬ esting view of the horses performance from the viewpoint of his own experience and said WJien I got on Rublo he was watching everything and was very sensible and quiet I was disappointed that I could not get the inside place which Tom West took from me but Rubio jumped the first few fences beautifully When we got to the canal fence I was lying fourth Newcy Anthony and Murphy in front frontRubio Rubio jumped very quick and gained several lengths round the turn I did not see any of the falls the first time round because I was in front of them Rubio hit the first fence on the race course very hard That was where Rollason came down and I thought to myself You must not do that any more so I steadied him losing my place a little to give him his second wind He took off lengths too soon at the water and I thought it was impossible for him to get over but he did he must have jumped an enormous distance I looked at Newey at the last fence in the country the second time round and he had been going so well that when he fell directly afterwards I said to myself That is another out of the way wayI I thought after that that Tom West was my danger but be fell at the fence after Bechers hitting it and blundered on to his nose on landing and Murphy was shot yards over his head Flax ¬ man then seemed the only one I had to beat but I heard Mm hit the fence next to the canal fence and I knew I had him beaten He was very tired I was in front then with Mattie Macgregor close beside me and ithat is how we came on the race course Rubio was going very well and ihe kept jumping away from Mattie Macgregor I knew three fences from home I had only to stand up to win He was not tiring at all he could have gone another two miles He jumped the last fences perfectly and pulled up fresh and unless he had been very fit he could not have done what he did didRubio Rubio and Mattie Macgregor were both trained by tho same man and Bletsoe had the mount on the winner because the first jockey of the stable shared tho belief that the mare was best and elected to ride her a grievous mistake for him himConcerning Concerning Rubles curious career Sporting Life of March 28 said saidHe He never ran on the flat but made his first appearance In a race at the Grafton Hunt Steeple ¬ chase meeting on Easter Monday 1903 when In the ownership of Captain F DouglasPennant and rid ¬ den by Mr M1 B Bletsoe he won the Grafton Continued on sixth page HOW RUBIO WON HIS GRAND NATIONAL Continued from first page Hunt Plate of fifty sovereigns He next ran at the Portsmouth Park meeting the same year and won the Winchester Steeplechase again ridden by Mr Bletsoe His only other appearance that sea ¬ son was in the Kimberley Steeplechase over three miles at the Nottingham Hunt meeting where he again proved successful with the same jockey in the saddle amongst those who finished behind him being The Lawyer III which was beaten three lengths at even weights weightsHe He broke down so badly that he was lent to the proprietor of the Pomfret Arms Hotel at Tow cester and was driven by the latter in a trap and on one occasion covered thirtyfive miles between the shafts Coming out In 190C he only competed once In tho Stewards Steeplechase at Kempton Park in Xovember and finished third to Sudden Rise and Den ton In 1007 he was beaten a head by Canary II for the Grange Handicap Steeple ¬ chase over three miles at Hurst Park in February but a week or so later won the Xewbury Steeple ¬ chase of 500 sovereigns from Alyth Springmount York II and others othersIn In the March Steeplechase at Gatwick later he fell but in the Towcester Handicap Steeplechase on Easter Monday with 12st up won easily from Castle Treasure Bachelor Deiiton and others At the Xottingham October Mooting he ran third in thu Xottingham Handicap Steeplechase to Armature and Ashtou amongst those behind him being Roman Law LawHis His best performance previous to yesterday how ¬ ever was undoubtedly his third In the Grand Scfton Steeplechase at Liverpool last Xovember to Spring ¬ bok receiving 71b and Paddy Maher receiv ¬ ing 91b At Samlmvn In December he finished fifth behind Mount Prospects Fortune Scisdon Prince and Xanoya Three weeks later lie ran second to Agony in the Manchester Handicap Steeplechase having Xanoya Sweet Cecil Scisdon Prince and Young Buck II in the rear and then won the Molesey Steeplechase at Hurst Park in the record time for tho season of 3 He was unplaced be ¬ hind Cliossington at Kempton Park a month ago and unplaced to Atrato in the Great Cheshire Steeplechase at Ilooton Park on March 1 this be ¬ ing his last outing previous to his victory yester ¬ day
