The Last Furlong - 27th March - Cork Independent News

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The Last Furlong - 27th March

Written by Staff Reporter

Thursday, 27 March 2008

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The Last Furlong - 27th March
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Did you know that in the not too distant past the Aintree meeting was also well known as the Liverpool meeting, for the course is practically situated in the suburbs of this venerable city. For a very long number of years, this historic fixture was run as a mixed meeting, over a three-day period, with a few decent flat races thrown in for good measure. It is a fact that the legendary Red Rum ran at this meeting as a two-year-old, and, ridden by the renowned Lester Piggott, managed to dead-heat for first place in one of the two-year-old maiden races, proving that the famous old warrior was partial to this course from the very outset.

It is also true that on many occasions, especially during the fifties, that the great race, through pressures on the fixture list or whatever, was at times run on a Wednesday. In 1952, the course executive, headed by Mrs. Mirabel Topham, for whose family the Topham Trophy is so named, was in fierce financial difficulty trying to keep the meeting going, so much so that they could not afford to pay the regular commentators for the Grand National, you know, people such as Michael O’Hehir, Raymond Glendenning, Michael Seth-Smith and company, who were always placed at strategic points around the course on the big day. The executive decided to do the commentary with a few of their own members, but the whole thing turned out to be a bit of a shambles, with the result that the following year, 1953, when Early Mist won, all of the old reliables were firmly re-instated. By the way, the ’52 race was won by a horse called Teal, which was ridden by A.P.Thompson, in a race that was littered with fallers all the way round. Of course, these were just more chapters in what makes the Grand National into the race that it is, full of interesting happenings and history making stories!

Looking at this year’s race, while all the time keeping in mind that between now and next week there will be many defections from the at the moment enormous field, I have chosen five possible horses that seem to fit the bill, namely, Simon, Comply or Die, Bewleys Berry, Mr. Pointment, and Butlers Cabin, but more about this next week, when the dust will have settled a bit more. We can look forward to many of the Cheltenham confrontations being rejoined throughout the fixture, with its variety of top class races, for, naturally there are still a few scores to be settled between some of the main protagonists, with the results still as unpredictable as ever. Different horses for different courses however will apply, but the playing out of each individual drama will be well worth the viewing over the duration of the meeting. Try to stay on your feet!!

Your Saturday Trio for this week is:- Shanansky—Helen Wood—and Hadaaf, which are all running, fast I hope, at Newbury. GOOD HUNTING!

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