Grand National Ultimate History

 

1936

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Fr 27 Mar 1936 (3.16) 4m 4f Good 9.37.80 35 £7,095 Major N. Furlong

35 1 Reynoldstown 9 12-02 Maj N. Furlong F. Walwyn 10/1   Held up in fore of mid-division, left 9th CT 1C. More prominent in 6th at 12th & WJ (where 18 remained). Left 4th at 17th. A close 2nd by BB 2C, pair 5L clear. Same position CT 2C. Almost on terms when collided with the blundering Davy Jones on landing 26th & nearly UR. Soon regained ground lost but bad mistake 28th, where rider briefly lost an iron, & dropped 4L down. Rallied gamely. Going well and coming to dispute lead when left well clear last. Pushed out. Easily.
  2 Ego 9 10-08 R. Bennett H. Llewellyn 50/1 12 Held up in mid-division. Left 11th at 12th. 10th WJ and left 10th again 17th. Progress to be 5th by CT 2C. Left 3rd at 28th, about 14L down. Inherited 2nd at last. Kept on dourly.
35 3 Bachelor Prince 9 10-09 G. Evans J. Fawcus 66/1 6 Mid-division 1C. Left 9th at 17th, 8th CT 2C. Some headway down the CS and had just been left 4th, about 14L down, when mistake 28th. Inherited a distant 3rd at last. Kept on dourly and one-paced.
  4 Crown Prince 11 10-07 P. Thrale R. Strutt 66/1   Towards rear of main group when badly hampered 10th. 15th WJ, left a last but one 16th at 17th. Headway to be 7th CT 2C. Left 5th, about 16L down, at 28th. Inherited a distant 4th at last. Poised to challenge for 3rd Elbow but under heavy pressure. Plugged on.
  5 Inversible 8 10-09 J. Wight S. McGrath 40/1   Mid-division until took closer order after ABC 1C. Came with a rush to take 2nd briefly WJ. Soon dropped back, left 6th at 17th. 9th CT 2C. Left 7th at 28th. 5th at last. Plugged on.
  6 Provocative 6 10-09 J. Anthony E. Brown 33/1   Towards rear when mistake & nearly UR 1st. Rear of mid-division CT 1C. Left 12th at 12th, same position WJ. Left 11th at 17th. Brief effort circa BB 2C but soon lost the ground gained and a distant 10th CT. Left 9th at 28th. Late headway to be 6th at last. Plugged on.
35 7 Castle Irwell 8 11-03 I. Anthony P. Bostwick 8/1   Outpaced and never better than rear of mid-division. Left 14th at 12th, same position WJ. Further towards rear from 17th until very modest progress CS 2C and left 8th at 28th. 7th at last. Plugged on.
  8 Double Crossed 8 11-04 J. Anthony D.J. Morgan 20/1   Away nicely & very prominent by 5th. 3rd from BB to CT 1C, 2nd from VB to 12th. 4th WJ but 2nd again 17th. 3rd once more BB & CT 2C, 5L down at the latter. Began to fade and gap had widened by 26th where still 3rd. Left 6th but about 17L down at 28th. Badly weakened further, tailed off in 8th at last. Laboured home.
  9 Moorland View 10 10-07 J. Cockton E. Paget 66/1   Initially rear of mid-division. Last but one 12th. Rearmost 20th & BB 2C. Tailed off CT, well so by 28th. Broke down after last. Limped home.
  10R Comedian 8 10-07 B. Roberts G. Turner 100/1   Never better than rear of mid-division. 13th WJ. Dropped further towards rear 2C then became tailed off. UR 28th. Remounted, completely tailed off, to finish.
  RO Davy Jones(2) 7 10-07 H. Whiteman A. Mildmay 100/1 30TH Tubed. Away well & soon led. Made virtually all. Bothered by loose horses after ABC 1C. 5L clear of the 3rd with Reynoldstown BB 2C. Narrowly ahead when blundered 26th & hampered same horse. 4L to the good just after 28th. Mistake 29th & buckle of reins became undone but still 2L up, going well, when ran out last, scattering spectators.
  U Keen Blade 9 10-07 P. Thrale T. Elder 100/7 28TH Pecked 1st but soon chasing leaders, 7th VB 1C. Same position WJ. 4th from CT 2C to 26th. 3rd, although over a dozen lengths down, when mistake & UR 28th.
35 U Emancipator 8 10-07 H. Whiteman P. Cazalet 20/1 28TH Soon prominent. 5th BB 1C, left 6th CT 1C, 4th next (VB) and 3rd at 12th. 5th WJ but left 3rd again at 17th. 4th once more BB 2C. 5th again CT but faded along the CS and had just been left 8th when ploughed through 28th & UR.
  F Persian Sun 10 10-12 W. James T. Vinall 66/1 20TH Mid-division. Had advanced into 8th by WJ. Left 7th at 17th. 5th when fell heavily 20th.
  R Kiltoi 7 10-08 S. Harrison T. Carey 66/1 19TH (OD) Away well & very prominent, 2nd BB & CT 1C. 3rd next (VB), 4th at 12th. Had dropped to 9th by WJ. Rallied briefly to be 5th when bad mistake 17th & quickly lost position. Rear of mid-division when refused 19th.
  R Lynton 9 10-07 M. Blair C. Hook 100/1 19TH (OD) Fairly prominent to 7th. 8th VB 1C & 12th. Had dropped to 11th by WJ. 12th when bad mistake 17th. Continued to fade and towards rear when possibly put off by Kiltoi & refused 19th.
  R Pencraik 9 10-07 J. Wight J. Lynn jnr 100/1 18TH Rear of mid-division until VB 1C. Further towards rear when hampered 10th, switched from inner to centre and last over 11th. Slightly adrift 12th. Tailed off by 14th. Same story when had to leap over the ill-fated Avenger 17th. Well tailed off when refused 18th.
  F Avenger 7 11-08 T. Rimell F. Rimell 100/30F 17TH Always prominent. 4th BB 1C, left 4th again CT 1C, 5th VB & 12th. 3rd WJ and when fell heavily 17th. Broke neck. Dead.
  F D'Eyncourt 8 10-07 F. Brown P. Carey 50/1 12TH Away well & very prominent over early fences. 5th when bad mistake & nearly UR CT 1C. Chasing leaders in 8th when ran down 12th to the left, horse & rider falling into landing side ditch. Later found to have fractured back. Dead.
  U Buckthorn 8 10-09 Master of Gray Cpt P. Harding 40/1 11TH (OD) Chased leaders. 6th BB 1C, left 7th CT 1C, 6th again next (VB). Fore of mid-division when bad mistake & UR 11th.
35 U Blue Prince 8 11-00 Master of Gray B. Parvin 20/1 11TH (OD) Mid-division, left 12th CT 1C. Still midfield when mistake & UR 11th.
  R Blaze 7 10-07 Sir H.C. Nugent K. Piggott 100/1 11TH (OD) Rear of mid-division VB 1C. Further towards rear when hampered next (10th). Refused 11th.
  F Rod And Gun 9 10-07 J. Anthony L. Stoddard 100/1 11TH (OD) Always towards rear. Last of main group CT 1C and when fell 11th.
  F Evasio Mon 10 10-11 T. Holland-Martin T. Holland-Martin 100/1 11TH (OD) Mid-division, fell 4th. Remounted, tailed off. Fell again 11th.
33 34 35 R Golden Miller 9 12-07 O. Anthony E.M. Williams 5/1 11TH (OD) Mid-division when BD by Castle View 1st. Remounted, well tailed off. Refused 11th.
  F Hillsbrook 10 10-08 P. Whitaker W. O'Grady 40/1 10TH Mid-division. Mistake VB 1C. Jumped violently left next (10th), collided in mid-air with Uncle Batt & fell.
34 35 F Uncle Batt 10 10-07 W. James T. McNeill 66/1 10TH Mid-division until jumped slightly right 10th, collided with Hillsbrook in mid-air & fell.
  U Zag 11 10-11 I. Anthony Maj O. Prior-Palmer 100/1 9TH (VB) Mid-division until bad mistake VB 1C & UR.
33 34 U Delaneige 11 11-02 G. Beeby F. Nicholson 25/1 8TH (CT) Away well & very prominent. 4th when bad mistake & UR CT 1C.
35 F Royal Ransom 9 11-07 J. Anthony H. Jones 33/1 8TH (CT) Mid-division until fell heavily CT 1C.
35 U Brienz 10  11-00 G. Beeby T. Hamey 40/1 3RD (OD) Fore of mid-division until stumbled on landing & UR 3rd.
  F Oeil De Boeuf 9 11-00 Maj F. Barrett M. Feakes 100/1 1ST Very prominent and rather headstrong, fell 1st.
  B Castle View 9 10-07 P. Dennis G. Owen 100/1 1ST Mid-division, BD by Oeil De Boeuf 1st.
35 F Lazy Boots 10 10-07 Sir G. Congreve Cpt B. Moseley 25/1 1ST Towards rear, fell 1st.
  F The Boy In Blue 7 10-08 P. Thrale P. Vaux 100/1 1ST Towards rear, fell 1st.

 

REYNOLDSTOWN CEMENTS HIS PLACE AMONG THE GREATS

A tremendous performance by Reynoldstown, in the year that Mirabel Topham truly began her reign over Aintree, as he became the sixth dual Grand National winner, the fourth of that group to be victorious in consecutive renewals. Frank Furlong had retired due to weight problems so Fulke Walwyn, a friend with whom Furlong had served in the cavalry, took over. Anthony Mildmay, riding for HIS great friend Peter Cazalet, on Davy Jones proved to be the only partnership among the lightweights capable of living with Reynoldstown in a race that was unkind to the other high class horses. Davy Jones, tubed and sporting heavily bandaged forelegs, was a relative novice and a hard puller. He also had a long neck, therefore, Mildmay, a man who would suffer more than his share of ill fortune, chose not to knot his reins in deference to this and the drop fences. The buckle became undone and, unsteerable, Davy Jones ran out at the last. Both protagonists were still going well and it seems commonly accepted that Davy Jones was unlucky, at the weights, not to win. Walwyn could not say definitely which way it would have gone. However, Davy Jones's two length advantage was being reduced by Reynoldstown as they approached the last, there was obviously a fair way to go and the latter was proven at the trip whereas Davy Jones was totally unexposed at a test anything akin to the National distance. He soon became completely unsound so was never able to show how good he might have been. Walwyn, who had lost his whip on the first circuit, performed miracles to remain in the saddle when hampered by Davy Jones at the 26th and Reynoldstown had made up the four lengths lost there by the 28th where he blundered, losing another four lengths (and Walwyn briefly an iron). Yet, once more he responded gamely to reduce the gap. Personally, I think Reynoldstown would have won anyway. The horses who ultimately finished second to seventh were never serious challengers in the contest except for a brief burst from Inversible circa the Water Jump.

Unlike in the renewals immediately preceding the 1936 Grand National there is a lack of collateral form with which to qualify time comparisons and left to stand alone they would portray similarly inaccurate pictures to the ones that would have been drawn if time had been solely relied upon in 1934 and 1935. Suffice to say that Reynoldstown's winning time in 1936 was above average for the weight he carried on the going. Calculations show it compares very favourably to the times recorded by the triumphant horses on the two most recent previous occasions that the ground was Good, in 1930 and 1932, and undoubtedly the surface was softer in 1936 than in those two years following overnight rain. Fully adjusted figures based upon time would measure Reynoldstown's performance on a par with that of Golden Miller (0) two years earlier, which it certainly wasn't, whereas I rated Reynoldstown -18 in 1935. That said, it was a much improved effort by Major Noel Furlong's steeplechaser, partly because Reynoldstown appreciated the easier ground compared to that of twelve months prior, partly because Furlong senior felt beforehand that Reynoldstown was a better horse than in 1935 and partly because of the trials and tribulations he encountered en route to his second victory (see first paragraph). Although the horse won by a large margin it does not appear on film that he was particularly eased, just pushed out (Walwyn had lost his whip, remember), going quite quickly, and not at all tired. It is impossible to quantify whether and by how much, if anything, Reynoldstown had improved per se and, if so, to separate this from other factors that ARE measurable: 4 lengths lost at the 26th, 4 more at the 28th, and 2 for comfort of success. Therefore, taking -18 as a raw and base figure, strictly at the weights Reynoldstown emerged 34 (pounds/lengths) superior to Ego (-52) and 39 better than Bachelor Prince (allowed 1 for a mistake at the 28th, -56), and I will grant Reynoldstown 10 for -8 which seems about fair. (Incidentally, had Davy Jones finished in a dead heat for first I would have rated him in the region of -39.) My Scroll Of Merit (which, you may recall, includes only a horse's best or tied best performance/s) now reads: Golden Miller; -7 Troytown; -8 Reynoldstown; -14 Lottery, The Lamb, Disturbance, Seaman, Come Away, Cloister, Jerry M, Easter Hero, Thomond(1); -17 Poethlyn; -18 Congress, The Liberator; -19 Why Not, Manifesto, Kellsboro' Jack; -20 Delaneige.

Reynoldstown could have run in the 1937 National, however, Major Furlong declined to enter him in protest at the minimum weight reverting back down to 10st again, the horse was then retired. Fulke Walwyn was forced to do likewise, from the saddle, due to an injury sustained in 1938.       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright 2017 by Chris Dowling