Gentlemen Riders 



this, Captain Becher on Ironsides was second, and Mr. 

 Bretherton third on Beppo. They all three seemed to have 

 been about equal in favouritism, and according to the experts 

 Becher would have won had not his horse fallen on the flat 

 at an early stage in the race. So successful was the meeting 

 that it was continued the following year, and again the next, 

 the presence of the famous Irish horse, Dan O'Connell in the 

 former lending a vast amount of interest to the race, such 

 being the confidence reposed in him that he was backed for 

 weeks before, for pounds, shillings, and pence. Great, therefore, 

 was the disappointment when he collapsed in the first round. 



The following year, 1839, the Grand National was success- 

 fully inaugurated, and on that occasion Mr. Bretherton was 

 without a mount. The following year, however, as we have 

 already mentioned, he rode Jerry to victory, beating Arthur, 

 the mount of Alan McDonough, by four lengths. 



Jerry started at 12 to i, but whether he would have won 

 had not Lottery come to grief at the wall is problematical. 

 The disappointed backers of the latter — and their name was 

 legion — gave vent to their feelings very freely indeed, some 

 of them going so far even as to insinuate that Lottery's fall 

 at the wall was done purposely, which of course was absurd, as 

 dear old Euclid would say. It was equally untrue that his 

 owner. Jack Elmore, had an interest in Jerry. 



The horse had certainly been his property some time 

 previous, but on this occasion he belonged solely to Lord 

 Suffield, though for private reasons he ran in the name and 

 colours of M. Villebois. As the editor of BelPs Li/e'm reference 

 to the affair sagaciously remarked, " Steeplechases, like other 

 games of chance, are Lotteries, and the losers must abide by 

 their luck, good or bad." 



Mr. Bretherton had five more rides in the Liverpool, 



40 



