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1 j i 1 . 2 j j 1 : : SMALL GRAND NATIONAL FIELD All of the Old Stars and Few New Ones Named. Fifty-Eight Nominated for Worlds Greatest Jumping Race Three Previous Winners Eligible. 1 LONDON, England. One has to go bak a dozen years to find a smaller entry for the worlds most famous steeplechase, the Grand National, than that received for this years renewal of the cross country classic, at Liverpool, March 18. Fifty-eight nomina-tions were made for the ninety-third renewal of the great Aintree Steeplechase, but this number may be reduced to fifty-seven. According to revised conditions governing this years Grand National entries, all horses eligible to compete must be qualified at date of entry, and this seemingly bars the nomination of the American-bred horse Sea Soldier, son of the mighty Man o War, nominated by a syndicate of sportsmen. Beyond the reduction of number of subscribers to the Grand National, there is little else surprising to record about the entry, as practically all the horses one expected to be nominated are in the list of entries, with a few exceptions. One did not expect to find missing from the list the name of Mel-lerays Belle, which mare in her last three starts in the National, each time completed the course, finishing eighth last season, second the previous year, and fourth in 1929. Other notable defaulters are Victor Emanuels Rhyticere and Royal Arch H., which finished fourth and eleventh, respectively, in last seasons renewal. Royal Arch II., also finished sixth in 1930, his only other start in the race. Starbox, tentl. in last seasons contest, is also missing. While yet another absentee from the nomination is Ballasport, one of the choices in the betting last year, but his absence was not altogether unexpected, as his connections stated some time back that all was not well with Ballasport, and he was a doubtful entry. PREVIOUS WINNERS ENTERED. There are three previous winners of the National entered again in Grakle 1931, Shaun Golin 1930 and Gregalach 1929. One of this trio is destined to head the handicap, when J. C. Bulteel issues the weights January 21. All three contested last years race, and it will be recalled that Grakle, 161 pounds, scored by a scant length and a half over Gregalach, 168 pounds, with Shaun Golin, 172 pounds, finishing a poor sixth. If C. Taylors Grakle, goes postward in the National next March, it will be the sixth consecutive year that the Irish-bred horse will have started. He twice got safely over the course. He won last year, -and finished sixth in 1929. It was in the 1929 race that Miss M. A. Gemmells Irish-bred horse Gregalach made a successful debut in this race. The next year he met with disaster and last season finished a close second. W. H. Midwoods Irish-bred horse, Shaun Golin, made a successful debut in the Grand National two years ago, and last season finished sixth. He also won the Grand Sefton Steeplechase over the last three miles of the same course. - OTHERS THAT WILL TRY AGAIN. Other outstanding performers in last years Grand National again found among this seasons nominations are Lady Glen-apps Annandale, third last year when making his second start in the race, having fallen the previous year; M. D. Blairs Bally-1 hanwood, with three outings in the race, and fifth place in his last two outings to his credit; R. K. Mellons Glangesia, seventh 1 and fourth, respectively, in the last two Nationals, his only outings in the race; M. D. Blairs Great Span, ninth last season, after two previous attempts when he failed 1 to negotiate the course, and M. Meyers Harewood, which finished the course, having previously failed in two tries. Prominent performers of other years nominated again this season are John Hay Whitneys Sir Lindsay, a most unlucky loser, i finishing a close third when making his Aintree debut in 1930, and a failure to go the course last year; Sir Malcolm McAl- pines Richmond H., that finished third in 1929, when making-his debut as a six-year-old, his one and only National try, and the , "alphabet horse" D. D. B., seventh in 1929, the only occasion he started in the race. Top class horses engaged in this years Grand National that have yet to make a real name for themselves over the big Aintree course are W. Mortimer G. Singers Kakushin, a two-time winner over the shorter distance courses at Aintree; Captain R. H. Brownhills Drintyre, an outstanding performer over the park steeplechase courses; R. K. Mellons great little mare Alike, whose two previous attempts in the National eijded in disaster, and Miss Dorothy Pagets Solanum, a high class young steeplechaser, one of the three six-year-olds that started in the big Aintree event last year. Outstanding among the young horses in the Grand National for the first time this season are three promising young Irish-t bred horses, two of which are trained in the Emerald Isle. Of these the best possible is Mrs. C. S. Birds Heartbreak Hill, a seven-year-old mare that scored the easiest kind of victory in the Grand Sefton Steeplechase last November, a performance that calls attention to her chance of adding to her. laurels at Aintree next March. Yet another American sportswoman, Mrs. B. M. Webster, owns the other outstanding Irish-trained National candidate in Impudent Barney, winner of the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse last April. Captain R. E. Sassoons Irish-bred but English-trained mare West Indies, one of the best young steeplechasers racing, and winner over the Aintree course of the two and three-quarter miles Valentine amateur riders Steeplechase last November, is the third notable recruit to this years field. Other American owners besides those already mentioned with interests in this seasons Grand National, are Victor Emanuel,-whose lone nomination is the French-bred horse The Ace II., a well-known campaigner through the field over here, which started in the Aintree Steeplechase as a six-year-old in 1928, but came to grief; Gordon Sel-fridges hardy National annual Ruddyman; J. B. Snows evergreen Delarue and John Hay Whitneys second string Dusty Foot, a promising young steeplechaser, runner-up to West Indies in the Valentine Steeplechase.
