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ABOUT SERGEANT MURPHYh • — H Has Interesting Facts Concerning S. Sanfords National Winner. M 1 ♦ M IIow the Biir Liverpool Race Was Run and Pi Won by the Irish-Bred and American- Y Owned Jumper. s* ci ■ ♦ fe BY E. K. COUSSEIX. st LONDON. England, March 27.— "What do ai and you think of my hack?" asked trainer George a Blackwell one morning in the last December rr sales week, when I met him riding down ": Newmarket High street. •* "He looks a good hardy sort." he " "Yes, he is ; he is hardy enough to win " the next Crand National and if he keeps at al well he will do so, for his name is Sergeant Murphy." S This conversation was recalled to my mind w when I heard the result of the Grand Na- * tional. Last year at Liverpool the day be-fore the great steeplechase Blackwell intro- a at duced me to the late Charlie Hawkins, with the remark : "He is riding Sergeant Murphy ■ tomorrow and I think an American owner is , c going to win the National for the first time." r ™ Blaekwells prophecy did not materialize, for tlM Sergeant, at the canal turn, slipped into th? open ditch and unwittingly caused I u a scrimmage which effectually settled the . ! chance of six or seven prominent candidates. " Hawkins was the only rider to have his . w mount going again. a SEKIKS OF MISHAPS. [ He went back for a run, cleared the fence . all right. Then his bridle slipped. Dis- ... mounting again, his rider put matters to fa rights. The Sergeant went after the other c four or five runners still on their feet and 1 then about half a mile ahead. In the end 1 t to Mr. Sanfords horse made a bold bid for - I fourth place, which he took. All this is preliminary to the great triumph v of Sergeant Murphy and all his connections . e at Liverpool on Kt iday, March 2.1. when it t v is officially stated that a crowd of upwards 3 * of 81,000 onlookers gathered at Aintree. • The first and third days of the meeting , were perfect in weather conditions. On a the National day a thick mist made it im- . * possible to see beyond the third fence. The ? s raising ot the entrance fee to 00 reduced i : the field by live only as compared with . 1922. when there were thirty-three starters. A record was established when it was seen i 5 the field of twenty-eight included four r I American-owned animals. Stephen Sanfords ■ t Sergeant Murphy. A. S. Cochrans Libretto. i. I J. E. Wideners Duettiste and Foxhall t Keenes Masterful. All the world knows s t that Sergeant Murphy "came back" at thir- s teen years old to win the race. Duettiste e t came to grief before Bechers, and Libretto 0 f-II before completing the first circuit. Mas- I terful, in falling, broke a fetlock and was s e destroyed. l t RACE RUX IX MIST. , The race was run in a thick mist. After r A Arravale had been forced out at Bechers s Brook Sergeant Murphy and Drifter led the e . J field. The latter was first over the water, with Shaun Spadah. Forewarned. Conjurer r II. and seven others following at intervals. I Thus there were twelve survivors the first ;f time round. Forewarned, the favorite, fell " at the same fence which settled Duettiste e the previous time round. The runners were e not even phantoms — they were obliterated. 1 When the field could be distinguished at the e | straight it was seen that Sergeant Murphy ; led Conjurer II. and Shaun Spadah. The last ;t named passed Conjurer II. at the final fence e but could make no impression on Sergeant !» . Murphy, whose three-lengths victory was tremendously cheered. Conjurer 11. was beaten six lengths for •r second place, with Punt Gun. l." 5 pounds, s. fourth: Drifter. IM pounds, fifth: Max, 159 i9 pounds, sixth, and Cinders II., which carried j 142 pounds and was a 100 to 1 chance, seventh. No others finished. Of course the honors went to Shaun Spadah, ,. which ran the race of his life. He carried top weight. 175 pounds, and was conceding 1_ 18 pounds to Sergeant Murphy. Conjurer 1_ II. carried 154 pounds. The time was IS 9 minutes and 36 s?conds. This is 21 seconds Is faster than Music Halls a year ago. Indeed, d. the Sergeants time is the best since Ascetics K Silver mad: the record of 9 minutes and U% % seconds in IMC SliRGEANT MURPHY IRISH-BRED. Like so many brilliant National horses the first two this year were foaled in Ireland. J Sergeant Murphy is a chestnut gelding. 1910, bred by the late G. L- Walker and sired j by General Symons from Rose Graft, by " Ascetic. The last named was probably the ie most wonderful sire of steeplechasers ever er known, though he himself as a race horse se was not worth 00. Ascetic stands alone in turf history as having tired three Crand National winners rs in Cloister. Drumcree and Ascetics Silver. T. The second dam was Roscstock. by Prestor.-pans. n- son of Prime Charlie, from Roseleaf, a a sister to Coward, which appears in a few ,w pedigrees. She was by Fright, from Rose Noble, by liaikaway. This has been an Irish sn family f.r over eighty years. General Symons was a well-bred horse by v JL Childwiek. He died la P»10 when twelve years old and Sergeant Murphy was one of the last of his offspring. General Symons. ls- which was from Hamiltrude. by Hampton, m, was bred by the late It. A. Bi ice. When a a yearling h ■ went wrong in the fore joints, ts *, which almost turned right round. He was about to be destroyed when the Irish breed * John Taylor visited the stud and pleaded for or tin- coifs life. Reluctantly Briee made a a proatr.it of the colt to Taylor, expressing the hope he would be lucky if he reached the , . station with the horse. Anyway General Symons went to Unilinear. For a few nea-sous ,. he was mated with edds and er.ds "f of mares. He forced his way to the front 111 and became so successful that at the time uc of lis death he was commanding a fee of of ,000. It needs only to be said that Sergeant .n t Murphy started fourth favorite tit 100 to * • 11. while 20 to 1 was laid against Shaun Spadah. ih. After the race King leorge, who was present ■nt with the Prince of Wales, specially sent f ■, r r Mr. Sanford and Captain Bennett to offer rc,r them his personal congratulations upon th?ir "~ great and popular triumph. B.aekwell was as missing, having gone to attend to his charge. ie. : . i 5 r I ■ t i. I t s t s e t 0 I s e l t , A r s e . J r I ;f " e e 1 e | ; ;t e !» . •r s. i9 j ,. 1_ 1_ IS Is d. K % the J j by " the ie er se as rs T. n- a a few ,w sn by v JL of ls- m, a a ts *, was * for or a a the . , ,. "f of 111 time uc of of .n t * • 11. ih. ■nt f ■, r r rc,r th?ir "~ was as ie. * B. This popular trainer only took Sergeant . Murphy to obi ge Mr. Sanford. as for the ■ last eighteen months he has had charge of that gentlemans brood mares in England. I He has been overwhelmed with congratula-1 tions. Few trainers, if any. have in their career trained the winners of the Two Thou-- sand Guineas, the Derby, the St. Leger and a the Grand National. Captain Bennett said that Sergeant Mur-. phy was tiie best prepared horse he had * ever ridden. The National winner is a trifle unsound in the wind. The idea was enter-tained of tubing him on the morning of the race, but this was abandoned. It is worth while mentioning that the value of the stake to the winner was $.18,855. Mr. Sanford, the day after the National, bought Drifter, but the price has not been announced. The performances of Sergeant Murphy are shown below: Two, Three and Four Years Old. Did not run. i a Five Years Old. Ran once. Six Years Old. Finish. Race, trick and distance. Amt. j Third Patrick Daj IfftH pill their. Baldoyle, two and one-quai tcr miles, Third Nebrook Steeplechase. Mullingar, two miles. Third Irish N.itonal Hunt Steeplechase, I.eo| aid«town. tluee miles. Second Westmeutli Steeplechase. Mullingar, three miles. Won Three-Mile Steeplechase, Baldoyle, 153 1 iK»;:nds $ 455 I Won -Stayers Steeplechase, Cow ran Iaik. « three miles. 142 pounds 215 Seven Years Old. Third Horley Steeplechase, Catwick, three miles. i«2 ponnds. Third Surrey Trial Steeplechase. I.ingfield. three miles. HO pounds defeatiai Ally Sloper. Ioethlyn. 142 pounds, won. Second Sorthern SI coplecha.-e. Catwick, three i.iiles, 149 pounds. Kan six times, Eight Years Old. Won Westerhani Steeplechase, l.ingfield, 3 miles. HIS pounds defeated Sunloch i . . . . 495 Won- Southern Steeplechase. Catwick, 3 miles. MS peiinds. Ran nine tane; 560 In Ioetblyns "War National" he was unplaced with 147 pounds, riddjn by Walk-ie ington. Nine Years Old. Second New Year Steeplechase. Manchester, 1"9 pounds, three miles. Won Man. beater Handicap Steeplechase, three Britaa 980 Won Kinirwood Sleepie.lias -. Calwh-k. three miles. 14i a mads Shaun Spadah. US pounds, second I 410 Second — Thames Steeplechase. Kingstou Park, three miles tin this race ha ran out but retraced Ma steps. .,n Park Handicap Steeplechase. Sandown 1ark. three miles, 15s pounds 1,325 Uan seven times unplaced, im hiding sev- enth in Crand National, carrying 147 pounds rtddefl by W.ilkinstoni. Ten Years 01.. Won Thames Handicap Steeplechase. Hurst Park, three nttt «. MS pounds 1,105 Sc.ond Qarretl Mean Btaeatocbaae, Hurst 1ark. three and one half miles. 17:5 pounds. Fourth GfSad National. Liverpool to Troy- town. Turk II. and The Bate, carried 141 panada, twenty four ran. Second Vi]e!i!ine Steenle. base. Liverpool. two miles and six furlongs. Iff pounds The Hoe. ajrhar I aeaada, was first i. All his starts in England, ran iu two races in France, third in a deal of four aud earth iu a f.el I of five. Eleven Years Old. Did not race, was banting. Twelve Years OM. Fourth Craad N.itonal. Ureraast, to Music Hall. Drifter acd Taffjrtaa. retried l".4 IMiunds. Fell, hui was i enn.uiHed. ?,J ran. Won S-ollisIi Grand Naliini!. F.-linton. :i miles, o tartan** and v~i yards. Carried Ill paanrta and won by three qaartera af a length, is ran 2,9o0 Thirteen Years Old. Third Walton fltrrplcrhaf. Hurst Park, three and one half miles. M| panada, I.i- b efo. 1 »" panada, that. Fifth Behind Gerald U 171 pounds, in National Trial Bteepiecheae, Catarick, three miles and two furlongs. tarried Hi3 panada. Forewarned, 173 pounds, was Mcoa.l. Won -Grand National, Uverneal 38. 800
