ME. GUBBINS AND HIS lEISH DERBY 41 



'* A divil of a fine horse, shure ! '' And that was 

 the man who was going to eat the horse if he won 

 the Derby ! He afterwards came and congratu- 

 lated me, and said : 



" Old Jack Gubbins might have told me his horse 

 was going to win, particularly as he is staying 

 with me ! " 



When I went over to see Blairfinde run in the 

 Irish Derby, I caught the 8.45 mail at Euston, and 

 as I was going down the train looking for my seat, 

 the late Lord Chief Justice, Lord Russell of Kil- 

 lowen, put his head out of the window, and said : 



" Where are you going to, Mr. Darling ? '" 



" I am crossing to Ireland to-night, to race at 

 the Curragh to-morrow, my lord.'' 



" Oh, come in with me.'' I did so, and he then 

 asked : 



" What will win the Irish Derby ? " 



" Are you going to see it run ? " I asked. 



" Well, possibly, if I can get away, but I am to 

 be initiated into the freedom of the City of Dublin 

 to-morrow. If the ceremony is over in time, I 

 shall come to the Curragh." 



** If you do," I said, " would you kindly find me 

 in the paddock, and I will try and tell you the 

 winner of the Irish Derby." 



Sure enough his lordship appeared in the pad- 

 dock next day, and said ; 



