To Aintree

Preparations for the Grand National Steeplechase of 1933 began as early as two months ago when George H. ("Pete") Bostwick, on his way to California for a winter of polo, announced that he planned to ride,one of his own horses at Aintree next year. Preparing for this year's Grand National on March 18, Richard King ("Dick") Mellon, affable young vice president of Mellon National Bank of Pittsburgh and nephew of Ambassador Andrew William Mellon, last week packed his bags in Manhattan to sail for England on the Bremen. Waiting for him there were his two Grand National entries, Alike and Glangesia. Alike won one of the Grand National trials a year ago but finished the race far back in the field, while Glangesia came in seventh. Glangesia, a 12-year-old Irish horse, ridden by his Irish jockey, James Ryan, last autumn won the International Steeplechase at Grasslands Downs, Tenn. In his exuberance "Dick" Mellon told friends that, if he won the Grand National, he would buy a Fierce-Arrow automobile and "give it away."

This year, because qualifying tests were introduced to eliminate low-grade jumpers cluttering the field, entries have been reduced from 85 last year to 58. John Hay ("Jock") Whitney's Easter Hero, who was favorite last year, was retired at Upperville. Va., but the three horses who finished ahead--Grakle, Gregalach and Annandale--were entered again. Among the others were Sea Soldier, a nine-year-old gelding by Man O' War; "Jock" Whitney's Dusty Foot; Gordon Selfridge's steady jumper, Ruddyman; and four of Morgan D. Blair's horses--Ballyhanwood, Prince Cherry, Great Span and Aruntius.

Most celebrated and most dangerous of all steeplechase races, the Grand National was run for the first time in 1839. Most famous of its 16 jumps is Becher's Brook, a five-foot hedge in front of a five-and-a-half-foot ditch. The average odds on Grand National winners have been 15 to 1; their average time, 9 min., 55 sec. for 4 1/2 mi.

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