THE CORINTHIAN CUP PICTURE. 3O9 



a 



magpie" jacket. I cannot give any anecdotes of 

 his Lordship's escapades during his school days, nor 

 can I state whether he particularly distinguished him- 

 self during his university career, but certain it is that 

 he took a " double first " in many schools through life. 

 Under silk and scarlet he was a conquering hero in 

 countless glorious cross country performances. No 

 better man ever rode to hounds ; and as Corinthian and 

 steeplecliase rider he was accounted about the best of 

 his contemporaries. When a very young man, his name 

 became a household word in racing circles, not only 

 at home but beyond the " silver streak." The first 

 horse he raced was in 1826. This was Penguin, by 

 Waxy, for the King's Plate, at the Curragh April meet- 

 ing. Five started, viz., Mr. Savage's Munster, 

 Marquis of Sligo's Straw, Mr. Hunter's Hypocrite, 

 Mr. Caldwell's My Mary Anne," and Penguin. It was 

 a great race, and was won after four four-mile heats, 

 by Munster, ridden by Will Conlon of the Curragh. 

 In the June meeting following, Penguin won a heat 

 for the King's Plate, but broke down and ended his 

 racing career in the second go. Two years afterwards, 

 Lord Howth again raced a horse, Modesty, which ran 

 unplaced for the Corinthians at the Curragh. Mr. 

 M'Donogh rode her; Mr. Tom Ferguson won on 

 Queensbury ; Mr. Mayne was second, on brother to 

 Altmont, Mr. William Disney, third, on Johnnie Bush, 

 and Mr. Walter Purdon was distanced on Mr. Bing- 

 ham's Puritan. At the October meeting, at head 

 quarters that same year, Mr. Bingham's Governor beat 

 Lord Howth's Soap in a m.atch for 50 sovs. each, two 

 miles. The first time I find his Lordship's name given 

 as riding a race (and I looked carefully over the old 



