THE GRAND NATIONAL. 317 



Along the canal side Cloister came on, followed 

 by Faust. Choufleur, v^sop, and Golden Gate, and 

 the favourite showed the way along the race-course 

 with a long lead to ChouHeur, yEsop, Faust, and 

 Field Marshal, who had caught them up. At the 

 third ditch before reaching the water Joan of Arc 

 fell, and Cloister cleared the water jump four lengths 

 in advance of the rest. 



Going into the country a second time Why Not 

 took second place to Cloister, with The Midshipmite 

 heading ^'Esop. 



At the second fence Golden Gate was pulled up 

 beaten, and two fences further on Choufleur, who 

 had made a mistake, also stopped, 



Cloister led over Becher's and Valentine's Brooks 

 followed by The Midshipmite, who soon after gave 

 way, and the favourite came on to the race-course 

 with quite ten lengths lead of Why Not. After 

 this the finish was merely a procession, as he cleared 

 the second fence from home quite twelve lengths 

 ahead of ^Esop, who had no earthly chance of 

 beating him, finally cantering home an easy winner 

 by forty lengths, amid great cheering. Why Not 

 was a bad third, Tit for Tat, four lengths away, was 

 fourth, The Midshipmite fifth, Father O'Flynn 

 sixth, Roman Oak seventh, and Faust eighth. 



