AND TIMES OF JOHN OSBORNE 305 



Mr. William Eeilly, of Newmarket, a keen grey- 

 hound courser, entertained the idea that his black dog 

 Destruction was the superior of Wild Mint, whose 

 victor}^ in the Cup he regarded somewhat in the light 

 of a " fluke." He had to pay somewhat dearly for this 

 exalted opinion of his greyhound, whom he matched to 

 run Wild Mint the best of three courses for £500 

 a side. The match, which was decided in the Hay dock 

 Park enclosure March Meeting of '83, created a great 

 deal of interest in coursing circles. Destruction, in 

 heavy going, won the first course by his speed, but on 

 the second day, with the going sounder. Wild Mint,. 

 who was a \eicy quick beginner, reached game first, and, 

 soon giving puss her quietus, equalised the account. In 

 the final and deciding course she also proved herself 

 the speedier and better greyhound. So pleased was 

 " Old William " with her performance that he had her 

 painted life size in oils, along with Match Girl and 

 Waterford, two other of his long-tails of high repute, 

 and the canvas still adorns his modest Middleham 

 residence under the roof of Piercy, the whilom Ashgill 

 jockey, with whom he has lived since the jDartnership 

 of the brothers Osborne was dissolved in 1892. The last 

 time we paid the veteran trainer a visit at Middleham 

 was in the spring of 1900. He was then in enfeebled 

 health, yet his eyes lightened up when we talked of 

 Saunterer and of the " brave days of old " in the coursing 

 field. " Ay, ay ! he was a grand horse was Saunterer," 

 he exclaimed ; " an' wasn't Wild Mint a grand bitch ! " 

 In a jocular way we hinted of a rumour that he was 

 courting a rich widow in Middleham. " Ay, mon, 

 aw's nee use now for double harness," was the rejoinder. 



Mr. Harry Bragg, who for the previous fifteen or 

 sixteen years had been closely identified with the 



