Evening star., 1936-03-22
Falls or Fortunes?
Continued from page tVO
ed from page fWO


three thousand miles away :.
They jumped together - but they
did not land together. Kellsboro Jack
landed safely and went on to win in a
time five seconds faster than the
forty-year old record - but Pelorus
Jack fell. His long. stern chase had
exhausted him.
If he hadn't almost fallen at the
first fence. Pelorus Jack might not
have fallen at the last. He might have
won the race and set the new record
and been acclaimed great horse.
In other words. an undeserved fall
prevented not very good horse from
beating really remarkable one. This
is definitely against all tradition, but
it is true 49,.
Nothing but luck" The world still
says it about the Grand National -
and forgets something else. 1t forgets
that sometimes horses just fall. Fall
because they aren't good enough. or
aren't quite fit. or because for just
one moment they do something wrong.
They fall. II they are comparatively
unknown. or if not much is expected
of them, no one pays much attention.
But not if they are favorites - not
if they are supposed to win. Then
they have been victims Of horrible
luck or of fragrant dishonesty! Take.
as an example. Golden Miller .
In Kellsboro Jacks National,
Golden Miller was young horse,
running his first big race at Aintree.
The experts did not see him as a
likely winner.
So when Golden Miller jumped
crookedly before the race was half
over - so crookedly that his jockey
fell off - the experts and everyone
else nodded wisely. and said: I'VE
told you sor'
But no one could stop Golden
Miller. A year later he was favorite
for the National. Not because the
experts had changed their minds -
they hadn't; but because of his truly
amazing winter record. So impressed
with that record was the general
public that they didn't listen to the
experts - which worked out very
nicely. because Golden Miller ran a
smashing race. won by five lengths,
and took five seconds off kellsboro
Jacks magnificent record.
So the experts had been proved
wrong. and everyone was pleased. AS
a result, Golden Miller was favorite
again last year - 1885. He was
favorte at the shortest price in Ma
tional history - at to l. Ridiculous
odds for the Grand National; but that
didn't stop people from betting.
Golden Miller. 2 to favorite. There
it was. If he won, the bookmakers
would weep. and some 60 to the poor
house; if he lost. England's betting
public would wear mourning. So the
atmosphere grew tense and more
tense. Starting time drew near - and
all over the world men and women
turned on radios and listened. eagerly,
nervously, intently. for news that
might make them rich.
They held tickets, and had drawn
horses, in the Irish Hospitals Sweep
stakes. Holders of tickets on the
winning horse would win $3.50, 900; on
the second. half that: and on the
third, about $4,000.
A Jersey City silversmith and
widow in Ridgefield owned tickets on
Golden Miller In lower Manhattan
an unemployed Pole, and in Buffalo
an architect, thought feverishly of
Thomond ii. Two Philadelphians and
a Bronx housewife murmured the
name "Reynoldstown." And the
Bronx. Brooklyn, Queens, and Bridge
port each boasted an inhabitant with
a ticket on Blue Prince -.
They all listened
At Aintree, the sun was shining.
Shining on that same flashing line of