THE LATE MR. JOHN R. GUBBINS.
Photo by Walery, 164, Regent Street.]
Leaving with Lindé an increased stud of steeplechasers, including Spahi, Ashplant, Seaman and Usna (the two latter being the best Harry Beasley ever rode), he began hunting in the Shires. To show how he acquitted himself it may be mentioned that after a brilliant forty-five minutes with the Belvoir and a kill in the open, Frank Gillard, on the part of the Duke of Rutland and members of the Hunt, welcomed the Irishman to the country, and presented him with the brush, which from find to finish he had truly earned. This brush, with inscription under, now hangs at Bruree.
Inheriting another large fortune from an uncle in Cork, the subject of this notice soon after started to race on the flat in England, giving up hunting through increasing weight and continued attacks of gout. It is impossible here to enter upon the achievements of John Gubbins on the Turf—besides, are they not matters of general knowledge? Suffice to say, they were brought about at first from the stable of Jousiffe at Lambourne by such horses as Stars and Stripes, John Morgan, Bruree, Marietta, Toffey, Kinsale, Improver, Holycross, Palace Gate and others, all bred at the home farms. But it was not till the horses were sent to Sam Darling, at Beckenham, that the summit of this sportsman’s ambition was reached. From that stable were sent, amongst other good ones, Blairfinde (own brother to Galtee More), Kendal Boy, St. Jacques, St. Valentine II., Revenue, and Port Blair. While there also were prepared the great Galtee More and the still greater Ard Patrick, whose names, by the way, are taken from those of the highest peaks of the Galtee Mountains, which overlook their paddocks.
It may be recorded that the race for the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown in July, 1903, when Ard Patrick, ridden by Otto Madden, beat at sex allowance the mighty Sceptre, both of them leaving that year’s Derby winner, Rock Sand, lengths in the rear, ranks amongst the finest contests ever witnessed on a racecourse.
These horses, one the “triple-crown” winner of 1897, the other the Derby of 1902, after winning in stakes £27,019 and £26,616 respectively, were sold, the former to the Russian Government, the latter to the German, for £21,000 apiece. And it may be stated that when in May, 1898, representatives of the Russian Government came to this country purposely to buy a really high-class thoroughbred stallion, after looking over every one that was for sale (and others which were not, such as St. Simon, Carbine, Cyllene, and Galtee More), they came to the conclusion that not one could compare with the Irish horse. It was with the utmost difficulty Mr. Gubbins was persuaded to sell the celebrity.
Knowing that Kendal had on two occasions beaten Ormonde in trials, Mr. John Gubbins bought him at a good price from the Duke of Westminster in the early nineties, and sending him to his stud at Bruree, the son of Bend Or and Windermere got winners with quite phenomenal success. After a few years he was sold to Mr. Platt for £18,000, with free service of mares, which brought the amount to nearly £20,000. So with the income he earned as a sire in Ireland at a fee of £200, Kendal must have done as well for Mr. Gubbins as did either his son Galtee More or Ard Patrick, who was from Galtee More’s dam, Morganette, but by St. Florian, the horse bought to take the place of Kendal. In fact, besides being one of the most successful owners ever known on the Turf with regard to stakes won, he was one of the most successful breeders, for almost all his horses were bred at home, except the stallions, Morganette herself coming from his mare, Lady Morgan. With the sum of £22,739 he headed the winning owners in 1897, and as he always backed his horses he had reason to be grateful to the Parnellites for driving him out of Ireland!
The good nature of this fine old Irish gentleman was such that never would he refuse information to any one as to his horses, the absolute stranger being as welcome to ask it as the dearest friend. It is not surprising, therefore, that no more popular colours were than the never-to-be-forgotten “violet with crimson buttons and crimson cap.” And when Ard Patrick won for him his second Derby, the generous owner not only made suitable presents to those directly concerned with the horse, but gave double wages for a month to all the employees he had at home, while he remitted a half-year’s rent to all his tenants.
In his young days he was himself a good man between the flags, winning the Downshire at Punchestown, on Fairyland, in 1870, carrying 13 st. 8 lbs., as he did the Welters at both Cork and Downpatrick, on a horse of his own, D. P. S. But it was with one of the brothers Beasley as jockey (generally poor Tom) he won nearly all the big steeplechases in Ireland and several in England; while if Usna, with Harry Beasley, had not met with the accident at the canal turn, through over-jumping, the Grand National of 1888 might have been won by Jack Gubbins’ horse. Seamen, also with Harry Beasley, won the Grand Hurdle Race at Paris in 1881; and when Whisper Low won the Grand Steeplechase there the year after, steered by Tom Beasley, Gubbins was half owner.
Strange to say he did not care much for racing in itself unless he had a horse engaged, and had been known to go salmon fishing in preference to visiting Punchestown; while in July, 1903, rather than go and see Ard Patrick win the Princess of Wales’ Stakes of £10,000 at Newmarket he went to the Gordon-Bennett Motor Race in Kildare. He was a good, practical yachtsman, and fond of coursing, but did not care for shooting.
Owing to failing health and more frequent attacks of gout Mr. Gubbins retired from racing after the sale of Ard Patrick; and at the Newmarket Second July Meeting of 1904, his horses in training were sold, the twenty-seven lots fetching 14,920 guineas. Last autumn, however, finding himself better, he sent a batch of yearlings to his friend, Sir Charles Nugent, at Cranbourne, and so promising were some that nominations were freely taken; but now, alas, their sportsman-owner is no more, and these become, through a curious rule, null and void.