THE GRAND NATIONAL. 49 



" We thought him rather stilty on his hind legs, 

 and the said legs very straight, while his colour, a 

 rather mealy-brown, gave him a somewhat mean 

 look. But he carried his head proudly, and had a 

 bold confident look of the eye, which is one of the 

 best signs of fitness and condition." 



A feature of the race was the appearance of the 

 famous Irish mare, Brunette, now thirteen years old, 

 who had crossed the Irish Channel for the first time, 

 and after running at Worcester and Hereford, came 

 on to run here. She reached Liverpool on the 

 Saturday before the race apparently quite herself, 

 but the next morning was far from well, and so much 

 worse was she on the Grand National day, that she 

 never would have been sent to the post but for the 

 fact that one of her compatriots had betted a very 

 large sum of money on her starting. As it was, she 

 appeared to be completely tailed off at one time ; 

 her manaoino- to oret so near the winner as she did, 

 therefore, was remarkable under the circumstances. 



At Leaminoton, whither she went after the Liver- 

 pool. Brunette broke down, after which she returned 

 to Ireland. Her ooino- amiss at the last moment 

 was a great disappointment to the Irish division, 

 who had supported her previously in no half-hearted 

 fashion, Alan McDonough alone, so it was stated, 



H 



