New Britain herald., 1930-03-28
SHAUN COLIN IS . WINNER OF RACE
Irish Owned Jumper Leads Field
 Over Aintree Course


 Aintree, Eng. March @S lPl- Shaun Collin. the Irish owned jump CT, today won the Grand National Stoeplechase over the Aintreu course.
 William Mason's Mellerays Belle ran second with John II. Whitney's American owned Sir Lindsay, third. The winner carried the silks of ". H. Wildwood. Forty-one ran.
 Last years field was GG as com pared with this years 4 and thcra was less crowding than usual as the horses sailed over the fences.
 Shaun Collin, sire unknown from Goldenway, went to the post as ona Of the lukeWarm favoritcs. Ruddy. man. owned by Gordon Selfridge of the United States, fell failing to finish the course.
 The other two American owned horses. Sandy Hook and Royal Arch II, finished unplaccd.
 One of the most complete railway services yet organized in England, making Aintrcc the pulsating cen ter of 8. vast system stretching away 10 the far corners Of the United Kingdom, brought some 900.0Oo persons into town for the Dist run ming of the grand national stccplc- chase today.
 Altogether, 43 special trains - which placed end 10 end would reach over four milcs-Wcrc run. in addition to the regular trains, 10 handle the vast horde of racing fans whose one object Vas to witness the worlds premier stocplcchasing event.
 Hundreds Of others came hy motorcar and airplanos. Two % scatter Passenger planes with full complements, reached Aintroe from London before noon.
 Liverpool and Aintrec today held what was called the biggest at home in their history with nearly Ioo.Q00 guests.
 Hotel proprictors smiled as broadly as bookmakcrs and the bookcs already had been we'll treat cd by fckle lady luck what with outsiders winning most of the races during the first week of the season and nearly every day producing a new 'fayorite' for the grand na- tlonaL All Of the many favoritos 10 date were heavily backed before losing their choice positions among the nationals candidates.
 Crowds began to assemble at Ain tree at daybreak and soon there were strolling among the marquee8 and in the paddock some fans who had come thousands Of miles just for q thrill-pretty American girls who found stecpIechasing lust too intriguing" chic French girls with collapsible stools under their arms dark eyed Italians all chattering with gay excitement.
 There were beautiful women and fast horses. tipstcrs, bookies, lords and ladies, costers, all forming a cosmopolitan crowd, There's noth- ing like in elsewhere, not even at the derby.
 Mingled with a. cochncy accent was the slow southern drawI from Mississippi and the nasal twang of the easter from Maine. all dis cussing various aspects Of the great steeplcchaso over four miles. G56 yards Of difficult country which con- tains 50 jumps over high thorn hedges and water.
 The grand national course is laid out in shape Of great triangle which the horses cover twice to complete the course starting at the right of the grand stand and run ming straight away i'll yards to the first fence.
 Thence they go bounding over 2 series of hurdles 10 Bcechcr's brook which consists of q solid rail with stiff hedge forming one of the most difficult jumps of the course. If the horse is fortunate enough to clear this obstacle he has a few easy jumps before reaching the noted canal turn which in the past has proved the turning point in the career of many promising chaser. Close ahead is Valentines brook. which completes the trio Of the most dangerous jumps. all of which are nearly out of sight Of spectators in the grandstand
 Once clear of these three jumps. the horses go laundering over a series Of lesser obstacles right down the home stretch to the famous Wa ter jump immediately in front O. the grandstand, completing tho frs, lap, On the second lap at the finish the watcrjump is omitted.
 The water jump consists Of T five foot hedge and 15 foot water jump which certainly eiycs tho grand stand customers their moneys worth.
 The only changes in the innr4 this year was the reduction Of the height of fences No. g and ta by one inch from five feet five inches and an increase in the width Of the hedge there from three feet 10 three feet six inches.
 The booLics also were given a space three yards from the raIlinas Of the course in which to operate instead Of being backed against tho course fence as formerly. This change gave spectators an unintor- ruptcd view of the race course
 Todays renewal of tho famous