,/f: 
DOUBLE WEIGHTS 
range 
Lincoln 
R. P. BULL’S five-year-old. 
Orgoglio, has been allotted 
top-weight of 9st. 71b. in the Lin- 
colnshire Handicap, which will be 
run on Wednesday, March 24th. 
The handicapper has used the full 
range here, and Orgoglio is set to 
concede as much as 3st. to some 
of the entries. 
Orgoglio is weighted 21b. in front 
|f Lord Rosebery’s Fastnet Rock, 
/ho, with 9st. 51b., has 51b. more 
lan he carried into second place in 
ist year’s race. 
Sailing Light, who was success- 
il last year with 7st. 1 lib., now 
[as 9st. 31b. The highest weighted 
|f Major L. B. Holliday’s three en- 
*ants is the five-year-old, Dum- 
[arnie, winner of the Midland Cam- 
fridgeshire at Birmingham last 
fovember. Dumbarnie has been 
[Hotted 8st. 121b., 41b. more than 
[is stable-companion, Netherwood. 
leath, Major Holliday’s other 
[orse, has 8st. lib. 
Chivalry, fifth in last year’s 44 Lin- 
coln,” under 8st. lib., has gone up 
>lb., but Nahar, the only French 
[rained entry, who started joint- 
favourite for last season’s race, has 
lone down 21b to 8st. 
CLOSELY HANDICAPPED 
Caerlaverock, allotted 8st. 61b. 
last year, when he did not run, now 
ias 8st. 131b. Caerlaverock finished 
third to Fastnet Rock in last 
;eason’s Rosebery Stakes, and is 
dosely handicapped with Lord 
.osebery’s horse on that running. 
Lord Rosebery’s other entrant, 
iwash buckler, is favourably 
weighted with 8st. 81b Stormy Hour, 
tlso trained by Jack Jarvis, but 
Jowned by Lord Milford, has been 
Igiven 8st. I 
Irish horse heads 
Grand National 
T HE National Hunt handicapper, Mr. D. G. Sheppard, has made 
known the weights for the Grand National, to be run at 
Aintree on Saturday, March 27th, and there are really no out- 
standing surprises. Knock Hard, as was generally expected, is set 
to give weight away all round, but Mr. Sheppard has given Mrs. 
M. H. Keogh’s 10-year-old 21b. less than the maximum impost 
— 12st. 51b. 
Knock Hard, the winner of last 
year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, has 
never run over the Aintree obstacles 
and is unlikely to do so this year, 
as I gather his main objective will 
once again be the big Cheltenham 
prize. Actually Knock Hard has 
not run over fences since his Gold 
Cup triumph, but has had three 
By Sport 
races over hurdles and, as I have 
already stated, will next be seen in 
action in the Great Yorkshire 
Steeplechase at Doncaster next 
month, a race, incidentally, which 
he won last year. 
M. V. O’Brien, Knock Hard’s 
trainer, has other strings to his bow 
in the Grand National, among them 
being last year’s victor, Early Mist, 
who has been allotted 12st., which 
is 121b. more than he carried 12 
months ago. Even with this heavy 
burden, however, he is by no means 
out of it, though Mont Tremblant, 
second to him in 1953, has now a 
nice pull in the weights. 
MEET AT LEOPARDSTOWN. 
Early Mist displayed his well- 
being at the Christmas fixture at 
Leopardstown, where he won in 
good style, although he probably 
had not a lot to do. Early Mist 
will next run in the Leopardstown 
Handicap Steeplechase to-morrow. 
Grand Sefton at Liverpool, and, in 
good style, too, so it is only natural 
that he should be regarded as a 
very “ live ” National candidate. 
With lOst 111b., Coney burrow 
will, no doubt, develop into a 
much fancied Grand National 
candidate. 
FAIRLY TREATED. 
Royal Tan, in the same owner- 
ship as Early Mist, and also trained 
by O’Brien, can renew acquaint-^ 
ance with Aintree. I thought 
would have beaten Nickle Coin 
1951, but for a disastrous last f^ 
mistake; and, he certainly 
have been placed the follow!] 
had he not fallen at tl 
obstacle. Royal Tan is fair] 
with list. 71b. 
O’Brien’s other twj 
Alberoni and Churcl 
been given lOst. 121b. 
respectively. Alberoj 
an Irish Grand Nath 
Plate, came back t< 
Limerick at Chris 
town did nothii 
prospects in 
effort at Navs 
Present pj^ 
.will run; 
engaged t< 
C. Mai 
him, 0\^ 
finishej 
who 
Leo] 
wl 
