loo STEEPLECHASING 



Elmore called on him and bought the horse for ^350. 

 A few days afterwards he was resold to Lord 

 Cranstoun for ^1000, when his new owner at once 

 proceeded to match him against Lord Suffield's Jerry 

 for ^1000 a side, the course to be four miles over the 

 Ouorn country. Several good horsemen had tried to 

 ride Sir William, but none of them could do much with 

 him, as in the hands of a stranger he could hardly 

 be managed. The two horses were matched on a 

 Monday, and on the following Thursday a messenger 

 from Melton Mowbray arrived at Wellmont with a 

 letter from Lord Howth asking McDonough to ride 

 the horse. That was in the pre-railroad days, but 

 McDonough started at once and arrived on the follow- 

 ing Sunday. He saw that Sir William was in a capital 

 condition, and in his hands the horse won the match. 

 Jerry, ridden by Jem Mason, was favourite, and, to 

 the delight of McDonough, who was afraid to make 

 his own running, was sent to the front at once. His 

 joy, however, was of short duration, as Jerry refused 

 the first fence, so Sir William went on, jumped kindly 

 enough, and won very easily. In the next year, how- 

 ever (1840), Jerry won the National from a field of 

 ofood horses. 



Thouofh Alan McDonouo-h won on a number of 

 horses, his name is perhaps more closely connected with 

 Mr. Preston's Brunette, a mare who as galloper and 

 jumper had gained a marvellous reputation. She might 

 have won the Grand National in 1847 had she not gone 

 dead amiss from an affection of the throat. She went to 

 quite an outside price, and early in the morning on the 

 day of the race she could scarcely manage to jump a 

 small fence. Nevertheless she went to the post, and 

 when she came to the water jump opposite the stand, 

 she was nearly a quarter of a mile behind. Then be- 

 ginning to make up ground, she challenged the leaders 



