i8o MEN OF MY TIME 



father at Danebury. Chief of the number was the 

 well-known sportsman, Lord Howth, of Howth Castle, 

 Dublin. He kept but few horses, but no man under- 

 stood racing much better than he did. In his small stud, 

 the two animals most worthy of mention were Wolf-Dog 

 and Peep o' Day Boy. The former was the winner of 

 many races, and the latter of the Chester Cup in 1848, 

 as a four-year-old, beating thirty- three others. His lord- 

 ship had also the half of all the horses out of Foinviella 

 that ran in Hill's name. He betted but little ; but it is 

 a proof how thoroughly he knew what he was doing, 

 that when he backed anything, you might be sure the 

 animal would win, or be very near the winner. 



I think he raced more in Ireland than here, and no 

 one knew better the form of Irish horses. He made my 

 father buy St. Lawrence, which won him many races ; 

 and I can't forget that it was through Lord Howth's 

 acuteness in finding out Sultan, and his kindness in 

 writing to me and saying, ' He is a charming horse ; 

 come and look at him, and I am sure you will buy him,' 

 that I secured that animal for Lord Anglesey. In con- 

 sequence of this invitation, I went over to Howth Castle, 

 where I was received with much kindness, and treated 

 with true Irish hospitality. I saw Sultan at Slane Castle, 

 Lord Cunningham's seat, and paid 1,000 sovereigns for 

 him ; Lord Howth, I remember, was good enough to 

 send on his groom with him to Woody ates. The horse 

 was about the only good animal Lord Anglesey ever 

 possessed, winning the Cambridgeshire for him, beating 

 Mary second, Dame Judith third, and a large field very 

 easily. Soon after this Lord Howth had a filly to sell, 

 called Termagant, good for little, or was thought so, I 

 should suspect. He parted with her for 1,000 sovereigns 

 to Lord Anglesey, but, be it said to his praise, without 



