14© IRISH SPORT AND SPORTSMEN. 



nine inches had been taken off the last-mentioned wall. In 1830, 

 at Luton Hoo, in what was called the first St. Albans' Steeple- 

 chase, got up by the well-known Tommy Coleman, and for which 

 sixteen started, he ran second to Lord Ranelagh's gray gelding, 

 Wonder, ridden by Captain M'Douall of the Life Guards, with a 

 little Irish horse called Nailer, who had just only landed from Ire- 

 land in hunting condition. The course was an unflagged one, and 

 that Lord Clanricarde's fame had reached Hertfordshire was 

 clear when Captain M'Douall in asking how he was to ride the 

 Wonder, was told simply to pay no attention to anybody, but to 

 wait upon Lord Clanricarde. True to his orders. Captain 

 M'Douall never deserted his pilot, and at one period in the race 

 exclaimed, ' Halloa ! you're going wrong 1' But the turn proved 

 correct, as the first and second came in some minutes before the 

 others appeared. Nailer having at the end to succumb to the supe- 

 rior turn of speed of Wonder. His two next appearances in the 

 Metropolitan district were more successful, as he won two Grand 

 Steeplechases on Mr. Elmore's famous Moonraker, beating good 

 fields of first-class horses. The last of these races finished over 

 a very strong line at the Windmill, near Old Oak Farm, on the 

 Edgeware-road ; and on this occasion, it was always reported that 

 Moonraker, who was a hard puller and a very big jumper, cleared 

 a lane. At the period to which we refer, Lord Clanricarde had 

 been a frequent attendant with Mr.Grantley Berkeley's stag-hounds, 

 which were then kept at Cranford, and having distinguished him- 

 self in several runs over the Harrow country, Mr. Berkeley, after 

 he became the master of the Oakley Hounds, got up a steeple- 

 chase at Bedford, and asked Lord Clanricarde to ride for him. 

 Parliament was sitting, and there were no railways in those days, 

 but his Lordship was not to be denied, for he rode a couple of 

 hacks down the road to Bedford, rode his friend's horse in the 

 steeplechase, rode back again to town, and attended in his place 

 in the House of Lords in the evening. 



" ' Having sketched, somewhat too briefly we fear, Lord Clan- 

 ricarde's sporting exploits, we will now discuss his merits as a 

 horseman, and we are not saying too much in stating he may be 

 classed among the most remarkable men across country of the day. 

 His forte lies in possessing the art of imparting confidence, or 

 enforcing obedience to every horse he gets on. He can ride a 

 brute with the vigour and determination of a Dick Christian, he^can 



