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Twenty-two runners started in Irish-bred Covertcoat's Grand National of 1913, and only three finished. His owner, Sir C.G. Assheton-Smith also won the National with Jerry M in 1912, who was narrowly beaten by Jenkinstown--with a 30 pound weight advantage-- another Hackler son, in 1910. Hackler, a leading sire of jumpers for about ten years, was a stakes winner on the flat who traced to Melbourne through his sire's dam and through his own dam, Hackness, winner of the Cambridgeshire stakes. A staying son, Flying Hackle, was dam sire of 1937 National winner Royal Mail, and other good jumpers, and another descendant, through Cambridgeshire winner Hackler's Pride, was 1950 Grand National winner Freebooter. Covertcoat was from an Irish chasing female family developed by Irish breeder J.J. Maher; his brother, Covert Hack, won the Conyngham Cup an unprecedented four times, and his half-sister's son, Ballymacad, won the 1917 "Wartime" Grand National. |
