Luck of the Irish

Nature has seldom devised a more demanding steeplechase than the Grand National at England's Aintree with its 4 1/2-mile course and 30 jumps over brush, fence, rail and water, including famed, treacherous Becher's Brook. Last week a crowd of 250,000, including a big contingent of Irishmen and a flock of hopeful holders of Irish Hospital Sweepstakes tickets, turned out to watch the 108th running of the Grand National and shudder at the spills. The footing was soggy and spills came early: three horses went down at the first jump, two at the second. Only nine of the 29 starters finished, and four horses were killed.*

Last away from the post and well clear of the confusion in the early going was top-weighted (161 Ibs.) Royal Tan, a ten-year-old gelding. Royal Tan is Irish-bred, owned, trained and ridden. His owner is J. H. Griffin, a 36-year-old candymaker from Templeogue, near Dublin. His jockey was a redhead named Bryan Marshall, who was born in Tipperary and raised in Limerick. His trainer was Vincent O'Brien from Tipperary.

One by one, the horses dropped out; one by one, Royal Tan passed those that remained. As Royal Tan approached the 30th and last jump, almost bridle to bridle with the last remaining challenge, Tudor Line, the knowing crowd let out a roar. For in 1951 Royal Tan misjudged the last jump and lost precious time; in 1952 he fell at the last jump.

Last week Royal Tan went up and over the final jump like a leprechaun, shook off Tudor Line's challenge in the straightaway, and won by a neck. Just a year ago, with another Irish steeplechaser named Early Mist, the Irish owner-trainer-jockey combination won England's 1O7th Grand National. Exulted Owner Griffin last week: "No other owner has ever won two consecutive Grand Nationals with different horses. Next year we'll try to make it three in a row."

* The four: the overnight favorite (7-1), Conneyburrow, injured in a fall and destroyed; Dominick's Bar, which dropped dead at the second fence; Legal Joy, which broke its neck at the 13th fence; and Paris-New York, which broke a leg and was destroyed.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.