Tuesday, March 21, 2017


BALLYMACAD 
1917 “WAR NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE WINNER

Celebrating the War National winner of 21 March 1917, 
 one hundred and six years  since Sir George Bullough’s Ballymacad won the War National Steeplechase at Gatwick, near London.


An in-depth history written from first-hand research by
George W. Randall, co-founder in July 1996 and former 
Vice Chairman Kinloch Castle Friends' Association. 

*
“The three races at Gatwick are not always recognised as Grand Nationals  - 
their results often being omitted
from winner’s lists.”
(wikiwand – Grand National)

*
Sir George Bullough became joint Master of the Ledbury Hunt with Captain Peacocke in 1908, eventually becoming 
sole Master, a position he held until 1922, 
the year his interests moved from steeple chasing into flat
 racing based at Newmarket where he built a beautiful detached house adjacent to his flat race trainer 
Jack Jarvis at Park House.
Sir George first registered his racing colours in 1910,
 Eton blue and white stripes with Eton blue cap. 
These were changed in 1911 to cerise, purple sleeves with 
cerise cap, colours he retained until his death in 1939.


The Grand National Steeple Chase (Handicap) 
is for horses 5 years old and upwards.

The Aintree, Liverpool Course was  described at this time as a "Left hand oval course of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 100 yards
 (i.e. 2,520 yards), the far side gently declining, 
      the other rising from the Canal (turn) to the finish.      
                    There is a straight run of about 1,000 yards."

Sir George clearly set his heart on winning the world’s premier
long distance steeplechase handicap  -  the Grand National. 
*
His first attempt was on Friday 29 March 1912 with seven year old bay gelding 
Regent by Diamond Jubilee out of Western Flower ridden by Francis Morgan
carrying 148-lbs. at 66/1. 
With the going described as "sticky", of the 
twenty four runners sixteen fell including Regent.
The winner Sir C. Assheton-Smith's Jerry M ridden by Ernest Piggott 
at 4/1 against by six lengths in 10 minutes 13.4 seconds.
*
Sir George tried again on Friday, 4 April 1913 with Regent ridden 
by Mr. J. R. Anthony carrying   161-lbs. at 66/1. Although conditions were officially
recorded as “Going Good” twenty of the 22 starters including Regent fell. Despite blundering, Irish Mail ridden by Mr. Owen Anthony carrying 158-lbs. at 25/1 came home second by a distance.
The third horse to finish, also by a distance, was Carsey ridden by Mr. H. W. T. Drake
who fell but was remounted. The winner by six lengths in 10 minutes 19 seconds was
Sir C. Assheton-Smith’s* seven year old bay gelding Covercoat by Hackler 
out of Cinnamon ridden by Percy Woodland carrying 160-lbs. at 100/9.

* The fourth time in the races history to 1913 the same owner 
had won on successive years.

1913 Grand National - The Canal Turn - Good Going - 22 of the 63 entries ran.
It was here 7 year old Covercoat ridden by P. Woodland carrying 160-lbs. at 100/9 
took the lead to win by a distance from Irish Mail. In 1913 
the winner received £3,500 plus a trophy value £125.

(Image from: The Grand National by Graham and Curling)
 



Value of money 2017 compared to 1917.
The British pound experienced an average inflation rate of 4.26%
per year between 1917 and 2017.
£1,000 in 1917 equates to £64,640 in 2017.       (Almost 65 times.)
(UK Office for National Statistics)


*
(George W. Randall Research Archive)
Sir George tried again on Friday, 27 March 1914 
with two entries. 
Regent ridden by Mr. H. W. T. Drake carrying 152-lbs. at 33/1 and his recently acquired six year old bay Ilston by Blankney out of Lady Rufford, purchased at the Sandown Park Bloodstock sale in December 1913 for 2,000 guineas (£2,100), and fresh from winning the 
Grand National Trial Steeple Chase 
by six lengths on 19 March, ridden by Ivor Anthony, also carrying 152-lbs. at 10/1.  

Of the twenty entries only eight finished. 
Despite winning the Liverpool Trial Handicap over 
3 miles 2 furlongs by ¾ length on 19 February
 Regent broke down. Ilston fell.

Mr. T. Tyler's Sunloch  at 100/6 wins the
1914 Grand National. 

  *
With restrictions due to the war, particularly public use of the railways, 
it was only a small crowd who witnessed Lady Margaret Nelson become the first woman to own a Grand National winner with her five year old Ally Sloper, trained by the Honourable Aubrey Hastings and ridden by Mr. J. R. Anthony at 9/2 in 9 minutes 47.8 seconds by two lengths.
Sir George's 1915 entries were: Seven year old  Distaff, a mare by Hackler out of Circe, ridden by thirty-seven year old Ernest Piggott, Grand National winning jockey in 1912, carrying 150-lbs. at 25/1; eight year old Denis Auburn by General Peace or Denis Richard out of Auburn's Pride,  ridden by Jack Reardon carrying 133-lbs. at 33/1; and seven year old Ilston ridden  by Ivor Anthony carrying 162-lbs. 
at 33/1. Ilston and Denis Auburn fell, Distaff was pulled-up.

Ally Sloper passes the post to win the 1915 Grand National at Aintree held on the 26th March.
*
Shortly following the 1915 Grand National the Army requisitioned the Aintree course 
 rendering it unavailable to hold the 1916, and, eventually the 1917 and 1918
Springtime event for the first time since its inaugural run in 1839.

If the race was to take place in 1916 a new venue had to be found.

The site chosen was Gatwick, near London. A highly popular course at the time,
Gatwick opened in 1891 and closed in 1940; today the land forms part of the
International Airport which bears its name.

The Gatwick Course was described as being “Right handed.
The Mile course perfectly straight, almost level; after the winning post it bends
 round a slight incline and forms a long oval of one mile 7 furlongs
 (i.e. total 3,300 yards), joining the Straight Course at 5 furlongs.
There is also a kite-shaped course of 1½ miles, 
starting and finishing in front of the stands.”

The three Gatwick War Nationals were organised by the National Hunt Committee 
and ran under National Hunt Rules with no input from the Aintree executive 
or Jockey Club.

Mr. Edward Topham, from the Aintree Course, played an advisory role in staging
the War Nationals while the twenty-nine birch fences were built
 under the watchful eyes of five leading trainers of the day.
Many changes were made to the course to make it as close as possible 
to the one at Aintree.

As usual, each day’s meeting comprised a combination of flat and steeple chase races.
*
THE 1916 SUBSTITUTE GRAND NATIONAL
RACECOURSE ASSOCIATION STEEPLE CHASE
(HANDICAP)

The 1916 Gatwick March Meeting was a two day event, eight races over the flat plus five over fences and ran on Friday and Saturday, 24 and 25 March.

The substitute Grand National, officially called, the Racecourse Association Steeple Chase (Handicap) ran on the first day and attracted forty-one entries
of which twenty-one ran.

Conditions were described as “Heavy Going”.






















Sir George Bullough ran his nine year old Denis Auburn 
ridden by Edmund Driscoll at odds of 8/1. Entering the final straight Denis Auburn 
was leading but rapidly tiring.  He was soon overtaken by Vermouth,
who went on to win by two lengths at 100/8 in 10 minutes 22 seconds.
Denis Auburn finished fifth.
Lady Nelson’s Ally Sloper, winner in 1915, finished sixth.

*    *
BALLYMACAD Pedigree

Ballymacad, bred by Mr. James J. Maher at his Confey Stud in County DublinIrelandwas purchased by Sir George Bullough in late February 1912 for £2,000 after easily winning his previous four races each over two miles.
The 1917 “War National” Steeplechase at Gatwick 
was Ballymacad’s fourteenth race in Sir George’s colours.
*
LAVENO (Ballymacad’s Sire)  
Bred by the Duke of Westminster   -   Owned by Mr. J. H. Houldsworth.

                              Laveno              (Sporthorse-Data)
Laveno a bay colt born in 1892 by Bend Or out of Napoli by Macaroni.
His sire, Bend Or, a chestnut born 1877 by Doncaster out of Rouge Rose, was bred and owned by Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster. Bend Or had ten wins from his fourteen starts, including the 1879 Chesterfield Stakes and Richmond Stakes, the 1880 St. James’ Palace Stakes and Derby Stakes and the 1881 City and Suburban Handicap and Champion Stakes. He finished a good second to Robert the Devil, (winner in 1880 of the St. Leger Stakes and Ascot Gold Cup), in the Champion Stakes.
Bend Or died on 10 January 1903.

Other paternal sires of note in Laveno’s pedigree include Lord Exeter’s Stockwell (1849), winner of eleven races from thirteen starts including the St. Leger Stakes and 
2,000 Guineas Stakes; The Baron (1842) winner of the St. Leger Stakes 
and Cesarewitch Stakes; Teddington (1848) winner of the Derby Stakes, 
Doncaster Cup and the Emperor of Russia Cup; and Thormanby (1857) 
winner of the Derby Stakes, Gimcrack Stakes and Ascot Gold Cup.
Laveno stood at Eyrefield Lodge, Curragh Camp, Ireland to a 
“limited number of approved mares”. 
His fee in 1904 was 45 guineas plus one guinea for the groom.

Of his progeny his fillies proved better flat racers than his colts,
his sole classic winner being Topstone, born 1901, in the Irish Oaks.
His daughters were especially successful as brood mares, 
with the bay colt Craganour out of Veneration by Desmond winning the 
New Stakes, Champagne Stakes, Middle Park Stakes and Newmarket Stakes. 
Craganour was exported to Argentina where he proved himself a great stallion. 
The fillies Glorvina, born 1911 by Desmond, won the Ascot Gold Vase and
 Nassovian, born 1913 by William the Third, won the Princess of Wales’ Stakes.

Laveno was in the league of Top Twenty Winning Sires three times 
and headed the list in 1903.
In addition to BallymacadLaveno sired several successful steeple chasers, 
including: LavisherLast Hope II and Laveline. His flat race winners including: 
Laveno Mare born 1906,  Lavetta born 1908, Lavaine a colt born 1909, 
Lavanda a filly born 1910 and Laveno II born 1910, the latter selling for 
340 guineas after winning the Long Course Selling race at Newmarket 
in May 1913. Laveno died on 12 August 1909 at the age of seventeen.


BALLYMACARNEY (Ballymacad’s Dam)   -   Owned by Mr. James J. Maher

Born 1897 by Royal Meath out of Cinnamon by Concha, Ballymacarney’s paternal sires of particular note include Lord Henry Chaplin’s Hermit (1864) winner of the 1867 Derby Stakes, a powerful horse of exceptional confirmation who suffered from Epistaxis, bleeding from the nose; Newminster (1848) winner of the 1851 St. Leger Stakes; Melbourne (1834) a leading sire in Britain with a gentle disposition and the propensity to pass on good feet and legs; Neasham (1848) who ran a good third to Teddington in the 1851 Derby Stakes and Champion Sire Touchstone (1831) winner of the St. Leger Stakes, Doncaster Cupand Ascot Gold Cup on two occasions.
Ballymacarney foaled several other steeple-chase winners, including Ballyhackle born 1903, Ballymaccoll born 1904, Ballymadun born 1906 and Ballyhist born 1908.

Ballymacarney, covered by St. Gris (by Galopin),
“the property of Mr. James J. Maher”, was sold at Messrs Robert J. Goff & Company’s Blood Stock Sale at the Curragh, Ireland, on 18 April 1912 
to Mr. F. Hardy for 130 guineas.

Ballymacarney did not foal any flat race winners.


******        *        ******
Following purchase by Sir George Bullough in early 1912, 
Ballymacad was entrusted to thirty-four year old the
Honourable Aubrey Craven Theophilius Robin Hood Hastings,
third son of the Thirteenth Earl of Huntingdon,
at his Barcelona Yard Stables, Wroughton, Wiltshire,
to be trained as a steeple chaser.
Aubrey Hastings was an all-round horseman;
an excellent polo player who won the All Ireland Open Cup,
Rugby Open Cup, Roehampton Cup, County Cup,
and Junior Championship at Roehampton.

Sir George clearly chose his trainer well.
Hastings was already an established rider and manager of steeple chasers, 
having trained and ridden Prussian Prince Franz von Hatzfeldt’s Ascetic’s Silver 
to success in the 1904 Irish Grand National and, after a false start,
the Grand National in 1906. He also trained Lady Nelson's  Ally Sloper 
Grand National winner in 1915
and later Lord Arlie's Master Robert, the 1924 winner.

*
THE 1917 “WAR NATIONAL” STEEPLECHASE (HANDICAP) 
HELD AT GATWICK RACE COURSE 21 MARCH 1917


DETAILED FIRST-HAND RESEARCH BY GEORGE W. RANDALL
Text Copyright © GWR Research Archive.

Gatwick Racecourse Grandstand.
The Band Stand - centre - was relocated following closure of the course
and remains in use at nearby Crawley, West Sussex.

(Crawley Cyclopedia)
*
Winner to receive £1,065 and a Cup value £100, 
added to a Sweepstakes of £20 each acceptor. For 5 year olds and upwards. 
Second receives £100, and third £50 out of the race; entry fee £5.
(Racing Calendar - Steeple Chases Past -  1917 - Weatherby & Sons)

For the second year running hostilities necessitated the Grand National to be transferred from its home course at Aintree, Liverpool, to Gatwick Racecourse, near London, the land today being part of Gatwick International Airport.
The 1917 War National Trophy.
     The lid inscribed 
Ballymacad
    Winner War National 1917.
Run under National Hunt Rules and called the ‘War National’ Steeple Chase (Handicap), the Gatwick course was 4 miles 856 yards long, the same as at Aintree. Open to horses of five-years-old and upwards, the winner to receive a purse of £1,065 and a Cup value £100, second £100 and third £50, added to a Sweepstakes of £20 each acceptor. 
The “Chronicle” reported that “the obstacles had been stiffened considerably for the race, as was the case last year. The Gatwick Course comprises twenty-nine jumps, one less than at Aintree, and on both courses the open ditches are taken seven times and the big water jump once. (At Gatwick) the water jump is three feet high with a thirteen foot width of water against at 3 feet 1 inch and 16 feet at Aintree.”      
Bitterly cold, with snow falling at frequent intervals between all too brief moments of sunshine, the going was officially described as “heavy with intermittent snow showers”. The nineteen runners out of an entry of thirty-eight, described by the Sporting Chronicle as “the cream of jumpers from all over the country”, lined up ready for the “Off” on Wednesday 21 March, 1917, the First Day of Spring!
At the “Off it was Major D. Dixon’s “brilliant cross-country performer” eight-year-old Irish bred bay gelding Templedowney by Bushey Park out of Galway Girl, winner of the 1915 Scottish Grand National run at Ayr, Scotland, (who subsequently fell), ridden by Thomas Hulme carrying 175-lbs at 25/1, who led for the first mile with forty-two year old Edmund Walter Driscoll in the cerise, purple sleeves and cerise cap colours of Sir George Bullough bringing up the rear on ten year old bay gelding Ballymacad, carrying 138-lbs. at 100/9.

No change occurred until passing the stand for a second time when Mr. D. Stuart’s seven-year-old bay gelding Carrig Park by Succoth or Bushey Park out of Ardcarrig, ridden by Charles Hawkins carrying 160-lbs. at 7/2 also fell. Colonel Birkin’s nine-year-old bay mare Queen Imaal by Denis Richard out of a mare described as “by Brown Prince” at 25/1, who eventually finished sixth, and Mr. G. Jones’ twelve-year-old bay gelding Blow Pipe by Bird of Paradise out of Ballista at 40/1, who finished fifth, then headed Templedowney, who shortly afterwards regained the lead.
Seven furlongs from home Ballymacad and Blow Pipe raced past Templedowney who fell soon afterwards.
At the final fence, Mr. E. W. Paterson’s seven-year-old American bred bay gelding Limerock by Rock Sand** out of Annoy Lyle at 40/1, ridden by William J. Smith, jumped into the lead but slipped and fell a few yards after landing.
Ballymacad went on to win by eight lengths from Mr. H. Trimmer’s seven year old Chang by Cupid out of Threnody ridden by William Smith carrying 135-lbs. at 11/2, in 10 minutes 12.4 seconds, an average speed of 26.4 mph. Lady Nelson’s eight-year-old bay/brown gelding Ally Sloper* by Travelling Lad out of Sally in our Alley at 20/1, ridden by Ivor Anthony carrying 164-lbs. at 20/1 and Aintree Grand National winner in 1915, was third by four lengths.


Open Ditch at Gatwick.

Mr. P. F. Heybourne’s  seven-year-old  bay gelding Vermouth by Barcadaile out of a dam by Bushey  Park at  8/1 finished fourth, Blow Pipe fifth, Colonel R. L. Birkin’s nine-year-old  bay mare Queen Imaal  by Denis Richard out of a dam  described  as “by Brown Prince” at 25/1 sixth, Lord Suffolk’s eight-year-old chestnut gelding Father Confessor by St. Gris out of Entrenous at 40/1 seventh, Mr. H. Trimmer’s nine-year-old bay gelding Charlbury by Succoth out of May Hack by Hackler at 40/1 eighth and Lord Lonsdale’s six-year-old chestnut colt Yellow Chat by Chatsworth out of Yella at 100/12 in ninth place, followed by Mr. Eric Platt’s ten-year-old Irish Mail second by two lengths to six year old Vermouth in the 1916 Racecourse Association Steeple Chase, and Mr. F. Bibby’s twelve-year-old Thowl Pin who was unplaced in 1916.
Two of the four racing plates worn by
Ballymacad Winner of War National 1917.

Of the nineteen starters, eleven successfully completed the course.

Sir George Bullough’s second entry, ten year old Denis Auburn by General Peace or Denis Richard out of Auburn’s Pride ridden by thirty-two year old Roger “Tiny” Burford carrying      144-lbs. at 40/1 was one of the nine horses recorded as falling or being “pulled up. The others being: 8 year old Templedowney, 10 year old Hackler’s Bey, 8 year old Gristhorpe, 7 year old Limerock, 8 year old Kenia, 7 year old Carrig Park, “who had been brought over from Ireland at the beginning of the Hunt season and won three races right off against good fields, his last six efforts resulting in as many wins”, and Mr. P. S. Adams’ 7 year old chestnut gelding Fargue.
Sir George Bullough gave his winnings to
St. Dunstan's Hospital
for blinded soldiers and sailors.

* NOTE: Ally Sloper by Travelling Lad out of Sally in our Ally, born 1909, 
was sold as a yearling by Mr. C. J. C. Hill at the Doncaster Blood Stock Sale on Thursday 8 September 1910 to Mr. Sugden Armitage for 25 guineas. 
His first steeple chase was at Newbury on Wednesday 27 November 1912 in the Hamptonshire Maiden Hurdle Race in the name of Mr. H. Randall. 
There is no record of a public sale to Lady    Nelson in whose name Ally Sloper raced from 1913, winning the Grand National in 1915.
** Exported to America, English Triple Crown winner Rock Sand, born 1910, was a paternal grand sire of Man o’ War and sire of Teabiscuit dam of Hard Tack, sire of Seabiscuit.


                                                        The Paddock at Gatwick.               (Photograph by Chris Pitt)
GWR RESEARCH ARCHIVE
NOTE: There is no record of Ballymacad racing in 1914 or 1915
in The Racing Calendar for 1914 or 1915 (steeplechases or flat races)
published by Weatherby and Sons for the Jockey Club.

GWR RESEARCH ARCHIVE
*
The 1918 Gatwick War National Meeting, also a mixture of races over the flat and jumps, was held on Wednesday and Thursday 20 and 21 March. 
The substitute Grand National ran on second day as the War National Steeple Chase (Handicap) and attracted thirty-eight entries
of which seventeen ran. Conditions were described as “Good Going”.
Following his success in 1917, Sir George Bullough entered Ballymacad,
now eleven years old and his nine year old, Simon the Lepper.

Ballymacad finished third and Simon the Lepper eighth.

Gatwick Course and Grandstand on Race Day.
The Bandstand was relocated to Queen's Square, in nearby Crawley
where it is still in use.

(Condo Hotel Centre)


1918 “WAR NATIONAL” STEEPLE CHASE (HANDICAP)

DETAILED REPORT COMPILED BY GEORGE W. RANDALL  
-   Copyright © GWR Research Archive   -

Sir George Bullough entered 11 year old Ballymacad ridden by Ivor Anthony carrying 157-lbs. at 7/1 and 9 year old Simon the Lepper, ridden by Roger Burford carrying 140-lbs. at 50/1.

*
For the third successive year hostilities prevented the Grand National being held at Liverpool, where the Aintree course remained under requisition by the War Ministry.
Gatwick Racecourse therefore again hosted the substituted ‘War National’ Steeple Chase (Handicap), the length of the course being the same as at Aintree, 4 miles 856 yards and run under National Hunt Rules.
Conditions were declared good as the seventeen runners from an entry of thirty-eight took their starting positions on Thursday the 21 March 1918 for another First Day of Spring National.
 At the “Off” all made a good clean break.
At the second fence Lady Nelson’s eight-year-old bay/brown gelding Ally Sloper by Travelling Lad out of Sally in Our Alley at 5/1, (winner in 1916 and 3rd in the 1917), blundered, unseating his jockey, John Walsh, who remounted to finish sixth.
Captain Brian Bibby’s seven-year-old brown gelding Wavertree by Wavelet’s Pride out of Kendal Lily at 5/1, ridden Edmund Driscoll who rode Ballymacad to victory in 1917, fell at a small obstacle preceding the Ditch. Mr. H. Trimmer’s ten-year-old bay gelding Charlbury by Succoth out of May Hack by Hackler at 33/1 then led Mr. F. R. Hunt’s ten-year-old bay/brown gelding Captain Dreyfus by Santoi out of Madame Dreyfus at 20/1, who finished second, Mr. F. W. Parnell’s eight-year-old chestnut gelding Top Hole by Caedmon out of Childish at 50/1, Mr. H. Denison’s ten-year-old bay mare Queen Imaal by Denis Richard out of a dam described as by Brown Prince at 50/1, Ballymacad and the ultimate winner, Mrs. Hugh Peel’s eight-year-old bay gelding Poethlyn by Rydal Head out of Fine Champagne at 5/1 etc.
After the first ten furlongs Captain Dreyfus headed Charlbury.
At the water jump, Top Hole jumped into the lead.
There were no further changes until they passed the stands for the second time when Charlbury briefly regained the lead before falling.
Entering the straight the pace of Queen Imaal, Top Hole, Mr. P. F. Heybourn’s eight-year-old bay gelding Vermouth by Barcadaile out of a dam by Bushey Park at 12½/1, Mrs. Douglas Stuart’s eight-year-old chestnut gelding Sergeant Murphy by General Symons out of Rose Graft at 40/1, and Mr. F. S. Watt’s eight-year-old chestnut gelding Chang by Cupid out of Threnody at 12½/1, all collapsed, leaving Captain Dreyfus clear of Poethlyn.
Two fences from home Poethlyn, trained by Mr. H. Escott, ridden by Ernest Piggott, (grand-father of Lester Piggott), carrying 160-lbs. at 5/1  jumped into the lead ahead of Captain Dreyfus.
Poethlyn went on to win by four lengths in 9 minutes 50.4 seconds, from Captain Dreyfus with Ballymacad in third place by over a distance.
Mr. Barclay Walker’s seven-year-old bay gelding Berneray at 100/7 was fourth, Mr. Ernest Salter Wills’ seven-year-old chestnut colt Mark Back by Marcovil out of Oliveback at 40/1 fifth, Chang sixth, Vermouth seventh, Sir George Bullough’s second entry, Simon the Lepper at 50/1, ridden by Roger Burford finished eighth and Mr. T. M. McAlpine’s seven-year-old bay gelding Shaun Spadah by Easter Prize out of Rusialka at 10/1 in ninth place.        
Of the seventeen starters, two, namely Ally Sloper and Wavertree, fell.

[Poethlyn also won the 1919 National,
making three National wins for Ernest Piggott - 1912, 1918 and 1919.]


                                          Gatwick Racecourse  Paddock Inspection.          (Collector-Sport, Croydon)      
 *         

It is regrettable historians of this world famous steeplechase choose not to recognise the 1916, 1917 and 1918 races run in the middle of the Great War, descriptions and even the results often being omitted from lists of winners. 
Grand National purists could not be more scathing about the three “War Time” Grand Nationals, dismissing them as the “three so-called substitute races……run on a course bearing no resemblance to Aintree……”




It was through no fault of the trainers or owners that after 
years of preparation for the great race, they, and their horses, should be denied their place in the history
of the world’s most famous steeple chase.

Whilst the Gatwick substitute Grand National Course was the same length as Aintree,
4 miles 856 yards, it ran right handed. The twenty-nine specially built fences under the supervision of leading jockeys of the day, the highest being
4 feet 10 inches, were considered “not as difficult as those at Aintree.”
Whilst lack of “difficulty” regards the fences might be interpreted as not being a test of stamina, the distance alone is a test of staying power with that all important reserve of strength to win in the home straight often by the narrowest of margins.

Whether the Gatwick course bore any resemblance to Aintree or not, by which the purists undoubtedly wish to imply that although the distance was the same the fences were by no means as testing, the winner of the 1915 Aintree Grand National, Lady Nelson’s Ally Sloperwas beaten into third place by Ballymacad in 1917 and blundered in 1918unseating his jockey, the year Ballymacad finished in third place!
Maybe this alone says more for “luck” on the day than anything else.

Recall, the nineteen runners were described by the Sporting Chronicle as
“the cream of jumpers from all over the country” as they lined up for the “Off”
on Wednesday 21 March, 1917 - at that point they all stood an equal chance of winning.

The 1917 War National Trophy.
     The lid inscribed 
Ballymacad
    Winner War National 1917.


*
BALLYMACAD'S COMPLETE RACING CAREER
Compiled by George W. Randall

IN OWNERSHIP OF SIR GEORGE BULLOUGH:-
Compiled by George W. Randall
REFERENCES:

Dams of Winners 1915-1947 - H. E. Keylock 1952
Racing Calendar (Steeple Chases) - Annual Editions 1910 to 1922
Sporting Chronicle Racing Up-to-Date - Annual Editions 1910 to 1922
Pedigree on Line – Thoroughbred Data Base
Collector Sport, Croydon
Bidssquare.com
wikiwand – Grand National
GWR Research Archive 1992 - 2017
Racing Through the Midlands.com
Randox Health Grand National Media Guide 2017
Hathi Trust Digital Library
www.british-caledonian.com
Crawley Encyclopædia
Condo Hotel Centre
The Grand National - Clive Graham and William Curling 1972
Horse Racingh - J. A. Allen 1953
Racing Life of Lord George Bentinck - John Kent 1893
BBC News
New Zealand Herald - May 1917
Christ Church Press - March 1917
Jockeypedia
UK Office of National Statistics
Randox Health Grand National Festival 2017
Grand National Guide
The Bloodstock Breeders’ Review - Annual Editions1912-1922
They’re Off - Autobiography - Jack Jarvis
Between the Flags - S. J. Watson 1969
Portrait of a Sport - Elizabeth Watson 1957
Graham Budd Auction House
Sotheby's Auction House



Welbeck silver plate trophy for the 1917 War National
retailed by The Alexander Clark Company, Ltd., London.
Inscribed: WAR NATIONAL, GATWICK 21st MARCH 1917
with the names of the first three placed horses:
Ballymacad, Chang and Ally Sloper.

........................................
Originally posted on 21 March 2017 to celebrate the centenary of

THE 1917 “WAR NATIONAL” STEEPLECHASE (HANDICAP)

HELD AT GATWICK RACE COURSE ON 21 MARCH 2017

Updated 5 April 2023


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