THE GRAND NATIONAL. 399 



and Phil May, who had fallen at the last fence and 

 been reniounted, last. 



Time : 9 minutes 34 2/5 seconds. 



The mornino" opened dull, and there was a 

 sprinkling of rain, but it soon passed off, and when 

 at last the sun made its appearance it was to shine 

 on a record attendance. 



Public interest seemed to be concentrated to a 

 great extent in John M.P., opinion being- pretty 

 equally divided apparently as to the show he was 

 likely to make in the race, his thick and thin 

 admirers declaring he would win in a canter, whilst 

 others — and these included many good judges — were 

 equally confident that he would never stand up. 



The riddle was not long in being solved. 



Becher's Brook successfully accomplished, John 

 was leading his field in a style which gladdened the 

 hearts of his backers, when just at the very moment 

 when they thought to see him come right away, up 

 went that heart-breaking cry one always dreads to 

 hear at Aintree, " The favourite's down ! " 



Staring about him at the noisy crowd instead of 

 attending to business, John made a regular hash of 

 it at the tricky canal fence, finally falling into the 



