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GRAND NATIONAL RUNNING « Interesting Details of Worlds Greatest Jumping Race. • Only Set en of Thirty-Keren Starters Vinisli — Romance of Winner Sprig and Lady Owner, Mrs. Partridge. e e ♦ SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE. LONDON, England. 1 Americans who find much of interest in the racing in England and France, as well 3 as In their own country generally learn the results of all the tig races on this side of the Atlantic the same day on which they are run. Cablegrams quickly carry the news to all corners of the globe. However, all the important details do not reach those Interested until the mails bring such information. It may be that a brief account of the recent Crand National will furnish just such Information that may have been missing from the brief Easter dispatches. In spite of a miserably wet morning, what was probably a rer-ord crowd attended Aintree to witness one of the most exciting and closely contested finishes the Grand I National has produced. Sprig, the favorite In a record field, defeating by a length the 100 to 1 chance Bovril III., with Brights Roy a similar distance away third a position Mr. Sanfords horse occupied last year. « As usual, grief was plentiful, and only seven of the thirty -seven competitors completed the course. Fortunately, not a single Jockey received serious injury. The cases treated were merely abrasions and bruises. For the third time since its institution, the j honors went to a lady owner—Mrs. Partridge. I,ady Nelson, whose Ally Sloper was successful In 191". was the first lady to carry off the spoils and four years later Mrs. Hugh Peels Poethlyn triumphed over twenty-one rivals. The value of this years race amounted to 7,325. Mrs. Partridge, as the owner of the winner, receiving 9,700 and a cup valued at ,000. PKT OF THE FAMILY. The winner. Sprig, is regarded by his owner, Mrs. M. Partridge, as "one of the family." while his trainer and jockey. Tom leader and Ted leader, are father and son. Leader achieved his lifes ambition piloting his mount to victory. Mrs. Partridge is a one-horse owner. She Is a harming lady, 74 years of age and was at Liverpool to witness the triumph of her horse. She seldom goes racing and never bets. She kept Sprig in training because her son. Richard, who bred him left the horse to her when, a lieutenant In the Shropshire Yeomanry, he was killed in France a few weeks before the armistice. Leaders jookeyship really won the race. He did not lose an inch all the way round. Unless a rider is very sharp at the Liverpool turns it is possible so one of the great steeplechase riders of the past avers to lose forty lengths in the four and one-half miles. Of course, the outstanding performance in regard to jockeyship was that of G. W. Pennington, who rode a magnificent race on Dcvril III. The horse is blind in one eye, :.i. 1 this fact caused him to be i non-runner at Pandown. where he might h;ip vi n the Giand Military Gold Cup. Some Liverpool MMMMMH thought, as did his young i.wner, that Bovril III. might have won, but for a blunder at the last fence. It is worth mentioning that Pennington was a Cambridge undergraduate a year ago. MANF ONE MISTAKE. Ted Leader, referring to Sprig, said that the horse mad one mistake at Bechers Brook the second time round. "He was always going like a winner, and jumped extraordinarily well." leader stated. "I was behind Bovril III. at the last fence. Sprig won by jumping the final obstacle more I quickly and at once took the lead on the flat." So far as the leaders were concerned. It was a -:i*t* of third time pays for all. Sprig twice finished fourth in the Crand National. Among the seven horses to finish were two owned by Americans. Master of Arts is the property of M. I». Blair. Bovril III. and Ballystockart were ridden by their owners. A summary of the 1927 running of the Grand National follows: Id -Grand National Steeplechase i Handicap of 8.215 MM including a trophy value 2tm sovs to owner, cup value 50 sovk to trainer, and cup Gallic 2. sos to rider of winneri: 2nd rec 700 M . 3rd 44HI wns. and 4th 100 MM. About four iciles and 856 yards, fcprijf. ••!,. K. ly Marco- Spry Mrs. M. Part- ridgci. 10 124 T. Leader 1 Bovril III., cli. p. liy Simouaon Bovril G. W. Pennington I o« ner 2 Bright* Hoy. cli. g, liy Soulouque Divine Flower S. Saufordl J. K. Anthony 3 I rinniond Lord Jueenborough| . . . . J. It. Balding 4 Master of Art* M l . Blair i .... Major favenagh 5 White Park 1 Major J. T. North... K. foster, fell fi Bally»t"ckart iCapt. It Nassoon I . . .apt. Sassoon 7 The remainder of the field fell, including Gerald L.. Amberwnve. Grecian Wave, Marsin. Thrown In. Knight of the Wilderness, I warf of the Forest, Shaun Or, lied Bee, Uncle Jack, Trump "ard. MasU r Billie. Pop Ahead. Misconduct. Sir Huon. Test Match. Snapper Ipton Lad. Grakle. Mr. Jolly. Corazon, Iissett III., Blaenor. Miss Bals-cadden, Cash Box. Hawker, Eagles Tail, Silver Somme, Keep Cool and All White. Winner bred by the late R. C B. Partridge; trained by T. leader, at Newmarket. Time of race— 10:20V
