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Betting |
Bell’s Life and the Sporting Chronicle provided a detailed account of the race on Saturday 9th March 1867, the article forming the backbone of the information shown below.
This year seemed to mark a turning point in the views of the racing press about steeplechasing in general, and the Grand National in particular. One well-respected newspaper hack wrote, ‘Truly gratifying to lovers of steeplechasing is the present state and prospects of that all-invigorating and glorious sport. Time was, not so long ago, when steeplechase meetings were synonymous with robbery, with the demoralising light-weight system in full force, got up for the most part as an instrument of fraud and barefaced swindling. Now steeplechasing is upheld as a national sport, and vindicated as a pursuit calculated to test the merits and mettle of the horse and its rider. Messrs Topham offers a varied programme systematically presented to the public, but the all attractive item remains the spectacle that is the Grand National’. At 3.23pm the starter got the field of 23 away, led initially by Thomastown, but before even the first enclosure was reached he was overtaken by Cortolvin, King Arthur and Sea King. At the first hedge and ditch King Arthur was 3 lengths in advance, although he lost that advantage at the next when declining the fence. Cortolvin resumed command at Beecher’s Brook, from Sea King, Globule and Lightheart. This order remained broadly the same turning for the canal side, whence Cortlovin resigned the lead to Globule. Reaching the water in front of the Stand first was Globule, ahead of Sea King, Revolver, Genievre and the settled Cortolvin, the four being side by side. At Beecher’s second time round Globule’s rider took a pull, enabling Cortolvin to get on terms, closely followed by Shakspere (sic) and Lightheart. Over Valentine’s, Globule and Cortolvin remained at the head of affairs, and it was only well into the home straight that Globule began to tire. Cortolvin met the final hurdle superbly and raced to the Chair with ease to win by fully 5 lengths from the fast finishing Fan. Shangarry got up on the line to deprive the gallant Globule of third, Lightheart cantering in to claim fifth, while Revolver was sixth. |
