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I i | ! j 1 j i j ; LIVERPOOL GRAND NATIONAL] MOST FAMOUS JUMPING RACE IN THE WORLD TO BE RUN TODAY IN ENGLAND — TWO AMERICAN-OWNED HORSES AMONG PROBABLE STARTERS LONDON. England. Match H3.-Iy.rd Wo.. lav itagteaa hiilliant young juniper Southampton will -tart as favorite for the six.y-ninth tiraml .National Stee,dechas. over the d.Mhuli Aintree course tomorrow. The held will b»- a big one. geldings piedominating. as usual, with two of the probable starters owned by American sportsmen The-e are Sergeant Murphy by Stephen Sanford and Square Ip by W. A. Heed. Mr. F. I Keenes Masterful will not go. Neither will A. S Cochrans I.adniinton II. Square Ip has a good plodding chance and Sergeant Murphy more than an ordinary one. He is as tit as a hddle and a good prospect. The betting thi- afternoon is without sharp certainty. Southampton is merely a mild favorite at a little leal than S to 1. at which price old Shaun Sp.dah wa- well backed. The prices as these dispatche- go are about this way on the more prominent candidates; Horse. Irice. Horse. 1iice. I Southampton I to 1 Music Hall KM to 1 Shaun Spa. lah 17 to - Seigeant Murphy 100 to 1 « lashing Anns 100 to . I .ray Dawn 100 to n I iravale 100 to 7 Drift. * 20 to 1 Cloni-ee 2." to 1 Square Ip 20 to 1 J Some of the well backed horses since their nomination have been declared out. Ocean Star. Zenon. Wool.raft. My Bath and W.iMtree are the most prominent of these. The weather is of the usual Orand National quality — cold and threatening ruin or snow. Liverpool is full of horse lovers. The IOL2 National will draw a record crowd if the air gives the public the least bit of encouragement. The lieUl may he a huge one of thirty or more horses. I In the domain of steeplechasing the Liverpool Grand National holds practically the same rank and I fame as that attaching to the Kpsoin Derby in flat racing. It is annually contested over the longest and mo-t difficult cour-e in the world. To even traverse this course successfully, to Bay nothing of winning the race, calls for the di-play of endurance of an extraordinary character. In fact, so trying are its ob-taclcs that it is of yearly occurrence that the majority of its contestants fall and lose any chance to reach its coveted finishing point in sufety. Without exception the horses slatting in this gnat race have gone through a long preliminary educational course in stoepleehasing over shorter distances, but sufll-cieiitly long to develop whatever natural aptitude the] may poaaOaa to the highest point of efficiency. lb-low is a map of tin- ra:id National course at Ala tree, with an enumeration and description of the obstacles in the race to be run March .14. The drawing was made this year and shows the present eoaraa with exactitude. The description of the jump- al-o i- accurate: DESCRIPTION OF ALL THE GRAND NATIONAL FENCES, Distance from the start to first fence is ."i4 ! yds. The atraighf run-in i« 404 yds. 1 and 17. — Thorn fence Scotch pine, 4 ft. 7 in. high, 2 ft. 6 in. wide. 2 and IS. — Thorn fence Scotch pine. 4 ft. 7 in. high. 2 ft. 6 in. wide. : and 19.— Thorn fence gorsedl. 4 ft. 11 in. high. 2 ft. ! in. wide, with ditch on take-off side « ft. wide, 2 ft. deep, banked up to guard rail 1 ft. 6 in. high in front of ditch. 4 and 20. — Thorn fence Seot.-h pine, 4 ft. 9 in. high, 3 ft. 9 hi. wide. ." and 21. — Thorn fence gorsed, 4 ft. 11 in. high. J ft. 9 in. wide. J and C "Moehert Break," a thorn feace packed with Scotch pine, 4 ft. 9 in. high. 3 ft. wide, with a natural brook on far side ti ft. wide. 7 and "3. — Thorn fence Scotch, pinch 4 ft. 11 in. high, 2 ft. 9 in. wide. 3 and 24. — The ••Canal turn." a thorn fence gorsed I. ;" ft. 1 in. high. 2 ft. 9 in. wide, ditch on take-off side *i ft. wide, ft. deep, banked up to guard rail 1 ft. tl in. high in front of ditch. 9 and 20. — "Valentines Break, M a thorn feme Scotch pine, 4 ft. 9 in. high, 2 ft. 6 in. wide, a natural brook on far side H ft. 5 in. wide. 10 and ML— Thorn fence gorsed, 5 ft. high. I ft. wide. 11 and 27.— Thorn fence Scotch pine, 4 ft. 10 in. high. 2 ft. 10 in. wide, ditch on take-off side « ft. wide. 2 ft d-op, hanked to guard rail 1 ft. 5 in. high in front of ditch. 12 and 28— Thorn fence gorsed. 4 ft. 10 in. high. 2 ft. 10 in. wide, ditch far side 7 ft. wide, 3 ft. deep. 13 and L9.— Thorn feace laarare tir . 4 ft. 7 in. high, l ft. 9 in. wide, 14 and 30.— Thorn fence Scotch pine. 4 ft. 7 in. high. 3 ft. wide. 10. — The "Open Ditch." a than ft m e ipatkxl with Scotch piic , I ft. 2 in. high. 3 ft. wide, ditch on take-off side 6 ft. wide, 2 ft. deep, and banked to guard rail 1 ft. 8 in. high in- front of ditch. Ifi.— The "Water Jump." 1.1 ft. 6 in. wide, with thorn feme gorsed. 3 ft. high, 2 ft. 3 in. wide, between Jumps 1J and 13 the land ha- been plowed as to one portion of the distance. The description of the obstacles in the course at Aintree gives some idea of the reason why high value i- placed on the horae that can carry big weight over them and race through plowed h-ltl- and various other kinds of footing at a -ia-hing pace freUI end to end of the journey.
