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RUNNING OF THE GRAND NATIONAL To all but the backers of Troytown the Grand National Steeplechase was a disappointing race The weather was so murky that little of the con ¬ test could be seen and since oily six of the twenty nine starters managed to finish the course it is obvious the crop of blasted hopes was large Con ¬ cerning the race London Sportsman of the next day said saidThe The King was present at Aintree yesterday to see the race for the Grand National and from the stands it appeared almost as if half his kingdom had followed the royal example It is a thousand pities that the weather was bad and the heavy downpour that commenced after the first race was quite sufficient soon to penetrate the best raincoat and to make most people uncomfortably wet for the remainder of the afternoon Naturally the going was seriously affected aid rendered the National course an even greater trial than usual This feature was particularly unfortunate in view of the fact that a walk round the course in tin morning showed that the fences though not higher than previous years had been stiffened to an ap ¬ preciable extent A vast amount of surface water collected on the stretch beyond the canal turn and as the rain continued the paddock became a quag ¬ mire and few ventured there to see the runners for the big race It was a little brighter when Poeth lyii led the parade past the stands lie looked remarkably well as did Troytown which followed Schoolmoney was the only notable absentee from the canter past A false start and they were off on their Ioig adventure adventureThe The favorite appeared none too well placed on approaching the first jump and though it could not be seen from tlie stands he fell at the first feiKe More than oie riderless horse was certainly there but no one dreamt that Poethlyn was among them The bad light combined with the rain made it impossible to follow the race with the strongest glasses and although there appeared to be few early casualties less than ten were there when they came splashing through the waterlogged course inward the stands Troytown was in front followed by Ardonagh Turkey Kuzzard The Hore Sergeant Murph Neurotic The Turk II AVaver tree and Irish Dragoon The latter fell and the party disappeared in the country again while the crowd lamented the surprising disappearance of the favorite When they came In sight once more only four were left Tlie Hore and Troytown were to ¬ gether in front of The Turk II and Sergeant Murphy some distance behind behindAt At the lent fence the Irishman came away and won amid considerable enthusiasm by twelve lengths lu the meantime The Turk II had passed The Hore to take second place Sergeant Murphy was fourth Neurotic fifth and Honnie Charlie which had been remounted the only other to finish The winner rceeived a great ovation on returning to the pad ¬ dock and besieging the unsaddling inclosure a crowd consisting chiefly of his fellow countrymen cheered lustily and continuously while the horse was bedecked and pcttid by his delighted connec ¬ tions Troytown started at ii to 1 after a point less had Ixieii taken All things considered lie finished in little distress and won iii the stylo of an outstanding steeplechaser None of the jockeys who fell was sriously hurt
