207 



Gorse, and shortly afterwards arrive at Kathbride Cottage, where that 

 fiae horseman, Mr. William P. Cullen, has lately come to reside, and 

 has several useful animals under his charge. 



Historic llathbride Manor is close by, and was for years the abode 

 of the St. Georges and the Irvines. Here in old times were stabled 

 many famous racehorses, including Faugh-a-ballagh and Mickey Free. 

 The bones of the latter rest here. Within the past few months, Mr. Rice 

 Meredith has come to live at the manor. Perhaps no young trainer 

 of present times, excepting my figurative companion George Dawson, 

 has achieved in so short a time more successful results for his patrons 

 than Mr. Meredith. Not alone in Ireland, but in England, and for 

 many most important races, has he led back winners within the four 

 years he has undertaken the duties of public trainer. From this 

 gentleman and his father before him, Punchestown course has been 

 rented ever since races were established there. In Mrs. Meredith he 

 has a wife who looks after her husband's business as carefully and 

 efficiently as himself. Kind for her, for is she not the daughter of 

 Tom Waters, and great-granddaughter of Watts, who bred and owned 

 The Baron ? 



A mile farther on we arrive at Rossmore Lodge, called after the 

 nobleman who, with many others of the same class, was a column of 

 our Irish racing half a century ago. The eccentric Tom Ferguson lived 

 here in the thirties and trained the famous Harkaway. For many 

 years Joe French, a quondam trainer from Newmarket", lived there, and 

 cared his horses with consummate ability. It was he who turned 

 out Bendigo when he won the Cambridgeshire in 1883. Strange that 

 with all his sagacity he should have lost most of his earnings upon 

 backing horses, resulting in his having to live for the last of his years 

 upon a small annuity. He died at Newmarket in 1890. During recent 

 years Mr. Frederick F. Cullen has sojourned at Rossmore Lodge, 

 He with his brother William are, like Mr. Meredith, young trainers, 

 and also have been most successful for their patrons. L^nlike most 

 others, they are their own "first jockeys," and whether it be on the 

 flat or over a country few men can give weight to either of these 

 gentlemen. 



Milletta Lodge we pass by, as no one has lived there for some years. 

 Poor Reggie Greville had it for a time. You remember he was called 

 The Limb, and rode as Mr. St. James. He was a capital horseman, 

 and connected with the Jockey Hall stable, for which he won many 

 steeplechases, principally over Punchestown, where he was almost invin- 

 cible. The poor little fellow was killed at Sandown, dying, as he always 

 ■wished to, with a silk jacket on. 



Curragh View is next reached. It has just been vacated for Rath- 

 bride by Mr. Meredith, and is a cosy little place for a small string. 

 Here a trainer of no mean sagacity sojourned for many years— Tom 

 Connolly. This ends our visits and brings us to within a mile or two 

 of Kildare, from which we started many hours ago. 



