COKRESPONDENCE. 285 



excepting Mr. Laurence, having their first 

 winning mount on Mr. McDonogh's horses. 

 As professionals, he brought out Paddy Gavin 

 and George Gray, the former of whom, when 

 scarcely more than a child, and weighing but 

 4st. 71b., rode and won the Prince of Wales' 

 Steeplechase, at Punchestown, on Blush Eose. 

 I think I may be permitted to mention two of 

 Mr. McDonogh's daring feats. When riding 

 Sailor in a steeplechase, over an awfully severe 

 country, close to the town of Bandon, Co. 

 Cork (where started, amongst nine others, the 

 celebrated horses Monarch and Valentine, the 

 latter running second, two years later, for 

 the Liverpool Grand National, and the former 

 sold soon afterwards to the great Marquis of 

 Waterford for a large sum, showing that the 

 company at Bandon was by no means a 

 contemptible lot), in this race, the distance of 

 which was 4J miles. Sailor fell four times, 

 each time unseating his rider ; yet so active 

 was his pilot in those days that he was as 

 quickly in the saddle as out of it. At his 

 fourth and last fall, the horse chested the 

 bank, flung his rider some distance from him, 



