With the recent falling from grace ai De la chance, the view that the Grand National will be confined to a select few this year needs revision Not one of the horses already mentioned can be safely discarded, Though there may be more than the usual number of forlorn hopes at Aintree this year, the comparative dearth of great performers means that anything may happen. And even though the field may, perhaps, lack some of the quality of other years, the race will not lack in thrills or interest.
The level quality of the competition to be expected in this year's race may be gathered from the fact that Blue Shirt, who some weeks ago was not even considered serian ly, is now ce-favourite with Royal Mail for the contest.
The winter season has been one of the most mild for years and Grand National horses are tolerably forward for the most part, so that there should be no lack of fitness on the part of the competitors.
This seven-years-old, owned by Mr. W. U. Goodbody, jumped impeccably at Gatwick and stayed on easily to beat such a great pair as De la chance and Drinmore Lad. He is a cert starter for the National.
As a matter of fact, many racing people are convinced that this will be a young horse's year to win the National. A seven-year-old, Blue Shirt, has been made favourite for ihe race on his brilliant showing so ZU far this season.
Though he has never faced the Aintiee fences, he is a clean jumper, and in knowledgeable quarters there is a feeling that perhaps the experience fetish for the National has been overrated.
Fancied Horses Among the fancied young horses are Airgead Sios, an eight-years-old Irish horse, Dunhill Castle, Pontet, Prominent Lad, Red Freeman, Royal Danieli, Stalbridge Park, Takvor Pacha, and Workman.
Airgead Sios is a grand jumper and winner of the Becher Chase at the Aintree course, and he has been winning races everywhere this season. It was thought that his connections might save him for a later National because of his youth, but Airgead Sios is to run.
Royal Danieli, Pontet and Workman are three other young horses to represent Ireland in the race. The first named is only seven-years-old. Carrying 12 st. 7 Ib, he won over 33 miles at Manchester.
Pontet, an eight-year-old, who won the Irish Grand National, has excellent prospects in the race, having run well over English park courses.
Workman is said to be a great jumper in Ireland and is thought to have a good outside chance in the National, although he fell in the Liverpool. Grand Sefton Chase in November.
Ireland's other representative, Cooleen, was very unlucky at Aintree last year, running second to Royal Mail after having been twice savaged by Dawmar.
She has done nothing startling this season, but as she is being specially trained for Liverpool her performance over other courses can be practically ignored.
Liverpool Horse "She is in the same stable as Bachelor Prince and is the better fancied of the pair, though Bachelor Prince proved himself a Liverpool horse when he finished third to Reynoldstown and Ego in 1936.
One of the most interesting horses in the race is the French entry, Takvor Pacha. He is only six years old and while not on the imposing lines of National winners, many think that he gay, emulate the performance of his fellow-Frenchman, At present there are several horses m the race at long odds, and while it is the usual thing for the Grand National to be won by a fancied horse, it would be less surprising than usual if one of these long shots' came home.
It has been 98 years since the institution of this great race, and long shots' have figured lange in its history. But they provide the exception rather than the rule, and it is -to the fancied horses that the victories have usually fallen.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.