AND TIMES OF JOHN OSBORNE 285 



had despatched the gelding under the erroneous 

 impression that he had been sent to be destroyed. 



The only remains of Grand Flaneur now extant are 

 his four hoofs, which went into the possession of the late 

 Mr. J. J. Walton, a well-known North-country sporting 

 journalist, and who was a great friend of Mr. Bragg's. 

 One of the hoofs he gave to Mr. Bragg's widow; a 

 second went to Mr. Walton's executors; the third into 

 the possession of Dr. Armstrong; and the fourth now 

 adorns the sideboard of Dr. Cook, of Gateshead-on- 

 Tyne, who was a bosom friend of Mr. Bragg. Dr. Cook 

 has often asked the question of veterinary surgeons if 

 they could tell whether the hoof belonged to a near 

 or off fore, or hind foot, but it defies their judgment, 

 so peculiar and even shaped were the gelding's four 

 feet. They were what are termed " donkey " feet, which 

 enabled him to wade through dirt, and to win many 

 of his races. 



Dr. Cook, who enjoys a lucrative practice in 

 Gateshead as a medical man, well remembers the 

 excitement that prevailed on the morning of Apology's 

 St. Leger, after the news had been hinted about Hke 

 wildfire that she had broken down at exercise. The 

 telegraph office was besieged by the touts and hundreds 

 of others, who struggled furiously to get the news of 

 her supposed lameness despatched to their clients for 

 hedging purposes. In the crowd was Mr. Harry Bragg, 

 then closely identified with the Ashgill stable, who stood 

 to win heavily on Mr. King's mare. " Give me some 

 paper to write out a message," excitedly asked Mr. 

 Bragg of the Doctor. No telegraph forms were avail- 

 able in the crush. The Doctor, not to be beaten, tore 

 a sheet out of the Church Service which he happened to 

 have in his possession, and the "key" wire was 



