CHAPTER I 



"THE LIVERPOOL" 



Every sportsman who owns a 'chaser has one great 

 ambition — to win a Liverpool, as the Grand National 

 is usually called in conversational phraseology and by 

 writers on Turf affairs. If the Fates are propitious and 

 luck being with him our owner is blessed, his ardent 

 desire being once gratified he seems to be even keener 

 still to win a second. I think there can be no doubt 

 that with the owner of Liverpool horses appetite grows 

 by what it feeds on. In the history of the race, so far 

 as I am acquainted with it and that acquaintance is 

 scarcely casual, no man has ever won it more than thrice, 

 and only one has been so fortunate as to achieve three 

 victories. The late Sir Charles Assheton-Smith, when 

 in the year 1893 known as Charles — or more commonly 

 as Charlie — Duff, carried off the infinitely coveted prize 

 with Cloister, and after succeeding to the property which 

 involved the change of name, won again with Jerry M. 

 in 191 2 and with Covertcoat in 19 13. I was his guest 

 at Liverpool in Cloister's year and again in 19 14, when 

 Covertcoat, starting favourite, never showed promi- 



