THE GRAND NATIONAL 215 



at Baden-Baden soon after his arrival in Germany. 

 I cannot recall what the Germans paid for The 

 Lamb, but at Tattersalls in April 1870, barely a 

 month after his second victory, The Colonel was 

 sold for 2600 guineas. 



All this is astonishing- to remember when we come 

 to the days of Sir Assheton Smith, who, Mr Gore 

 will tell you, subsequent to the days of Cloister, 

 spent no less a sum than ;!^50,ooo in the purchases 

 of such horses as Jerry M., Covert Coat, Sunloch, 

 Cackler, Holy War and others. However, after 

 Cloister, Jerry M. and Covert Coat had triumphed. 

 Sir Assheton was more keen on Aintree's spoils 

 than ever. AlthouQ-h then thrice a winner, he was 

 anxious to top a similar record held by Mr Elmore 

 and Captain Machell ; he therefore purchased 

 Sunloch after he had won for Mr Tyler. A fourth 

 victory, however, was not to be, for death took this 

 great patron of steeplechasing from our midst, a 

 circumstance rendered the more traoic from the 

 fact that his son Robin met his death in the war 

 soon after his return to the front from attending 

 his father's funeral. 



Sir Assheton was both impetuous and enthusiastic. 

 Perhaps his greatest blow occurred in connection 

 with Aintree's chase in 1894, when Cloister met 

 with an accident in a school at Bishop Sutton. 

 He was handicapped at 12 st. 7 lb., was a well- 



