152 



ride the winner of the Ward Hunt Cup at Fairyhouse on the 

 following Easter Monday upon a horse not then in his possession. 

 This sporting wager he won on Malahide, beating nine others in a canter 

 by three lengths, after having led them from start to finish. The fact 

 that Mr. Barrington had not ridden at all for years previously, and had 

 never any experience between the flags, made this feat all the pluckier 

 and more sportsmanlike. 



Three years afterwards Lord Manners, under similar circumstances) 

 entered into the same sort of engagement with regard to the Grand 

 National of 1882, which he won on Seaman, beating a field of eleven. 



A word also about these two good horses. Malahide was by Joco- 

 Miss Fisher, by Kingfisher, and was bred by my friend Mr. James 

 Dobbyn of Tipperary, who hunted him for two seasons. Mr. William 

 Jameson (the owner of Comeaway) bought him from Mr. Dobbyn and 

 called him Malahide, and Mr. Barrington bought him from Mr. Jameson 

 for the purpose of the race. 



Seaman was by Xenophon — Lena Rivers, and was bred by the late 

 Captain Stamer Gubbins, but being a miserable yearling he was not 

 shown with the Bruree horses when they were sold after the owner's 

 death, I don't think I ever saw a horse go over our Conyngham Cup 

 course in such brilliant style as did Seaman in*1881, when, carrying 

 list. Tibs., and ridden by Mr. Harry Beasley, he won from a large field 

 of good horses. He laid only one hind leg on the double into the new 

 country and landed a yard clear of the off grip ! Xo other horse ever 

 jumped that fence in such a fashion. He was rather a small horse. 

 with very bad legs, but luckily he did not require much galloping. He 

 was scarified with the irons from knees to knuckles and from hocks to 

 heels ; nevertheless. Captain Machell bought him for nearly £2,000 from 

 Mr. Linde for Lord Manners, as being the horse most likely to win for 

 him his plucky sporting bet. In selling Seama*n Mr. Linde sold a rod 

 to whip himself, for the son of Xenophon, in winning his race, beat by 

 a head Cyrus out of the Eyrefield stable, with the crack Mr. Tommy 

 Beasley riding. 



P. S.— Since I put together the list of Irish horses which won the 

 Grand National, that good horse Cloister has added to our laurels by 

 winning in 1893. He carried 12st. 7lbs., and thus broke all previous 

 record. The race was timed at 9min. 32sec., but this I think must be 

 & mistake. I saw the race and paid my utmost attention to Cloister, 

 He went the same pace all through, which by no means struck me as 

 being fast, for at no time was he fully extended, and he won by forty 

 lengths. If, therefore, carrying 12st. 7 lbs. he did the course in 9min. 

 32sec., he is the very best horse that was ever saddled for the Grand 

 National. I always held for Cloister the highest opinion, but I 

 certainly would not give him that record. 



