Dead-Lazy Winner

The English bookies, loaded down with big bets on the favorite in the Grand National, stood to lose up to $20 million if he won. The favorite: Prince Regent. In the 103rd running of the famed steeplechase at Aintree, one of the bookies' best hopes was Symbole, a big French horse. But Symbole fell at dreaded Becher's Brook, and had to be killed. With two fences still to go, only six of the 34 starters in the world's toughest jumping course were still in the race--and Prince Regent was ten lengths ahead. The bookies were sweating.

At that point, a redheaded amateur jockey on a bay Irish gelding, running second, saw the favorite tiring. Jockey Bobby Petre, an ex-major in the Scots Guards and a veteran of Normandy and Italy, gave Lovely Cottage a crack of the whip ("He's dead lazy, you know!"). At the final fence, Lovely Cottage was only two lengths behind. Then lazy Lovely Cottage--bred in County Cork and bought four months ago for $8,000 through a newspaper ad--spurted ahead, won by four lengths. Prince Regent came in third. The win was worth $35,320 to his owner, John Morant, a well-to-do ex-captain of artillery. Lovely Cottage paid off at 25 to 1, and the bookies wiped their brows.

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