LIVERPOOL 115 



and after she had been taken back to Mason's stables 

 in Mount Street, London, it was asserted that her leg 

 had actually been blistered unknown to her trainer. 



As showing the difference between betting in those 

 days and at the present time, it is on record that Miss 

 Mowbray was heavily backed for the National even 

 before the entries were made public, but when the 

 weights were announced, the public discovered that they 

 were not exactly on velvet, and so for a time she went 

 out of the market ; but, after a while, she again became 

 the favourite, and was at the head of the quotations until 

 a move was made in favour of Bourton. Yet there were 

 some who were ready to bet against her, and one book- 

 maker offered to lay ^18,000 to ^3000. 



Abd-el-Kader would have been a certain starter, but 

 while in the train en route for Dublin, he took fright at 

 the flapping of the near side door of his box, which 

 slipped out of the slide. He broke his head collar and 

 became for some time perfectly unmanageable. In the 

 scrimmage which ensued he injured his eyes, and did so 

 much damage to his hocks that he was struck out on the 

 Monday before the race. 



Among the twenty starters were old Peter Simple, 

 Oscar, Half-and-Half, La Gazza Ladra, Maurice Daly, 

 and Timothy. Half-a-dozen of them refused the bank 

 beyond Becher's Brook, and so fast had the pace been 

 that before the far turn was made there was a tre- 

 mendous tail, and after completing the first round 

 Bourton (the eventual winner) was lying second, and he 

 always held a good position. Burnt Sienna showed 

 very prominently for a great portion of the course, but 

 when it came to the last turn died away, Crabbs and 

 Bourton then going on side by side, until, when fairly in 

 the straight, Bourton took a decided lead and eventually 

 won in a common canter by fifteen lengths. Bedford 

 broke his leg and was shot. The time of the race was 



