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CAREER OF ENGLANDS PREMIER RIDER. When Stephen Donoghue does contrive to top the jockeys list it is a case of "Eclipse first: the rest nowhere." Donoghue won his first championship last year, at tl.e close of which he was no fewer than sixty points ahead of his nearest rival, who happened to be J. Clark. He won chief honors for the second time during the troublous seas.n just closed. Of course, opportunities Ixith for Donoghue and other knights of the saddle were fewer than usual: but. nevertheless, the champion claimed a lead of twenty-live points over the second in the table. Donoghue made his first appearance on this troublous planet somewhere aliout thirty years ago. Warrington being his native town, not "somewhere in Ireland" as popularly supposed. Most of his earlier riding was. however, associated with the Emerald Isle, wlure he was attached to the stable of his father-in-law. P. Bella n. and that of Michael Dawson. Six years ago he was practically unknown on this side of the St. Georges Channel, though he occasionally rode here. In 100! his winning mounts in England totalled but eight, but B year later they had jumped to twenty-seven. The year 1011 witnessed further progress. Donoghuos successes numbering forty-nine: but there was a slight falling off in the following season, when he could claim only 6 rty-one wins. In 1013 he advanced to the front with a bound, bis victories totalling seventy-eight. During that particular year he MM that wonderful colt Tin Tetrarch in all his races. This brings us to last year. when, as as mentioned at the ouset, Dom -arhue won the championship in • a canter. Among his more noteworthy triumphs were those on Anneey in the Great Mctro-71.lit.nn. China Cock in the Liverpool Summer Cup, Lord Annandale in the Stewards Cup iu which Mr. Raphaels horse ran a dead-heat with Golden Sun i and Honey word in the Cambridgeshire. On the last-named he r xle one of his finest races, and it was said at the time that he might have won on either of the first four concerned in that thrilling finish. This year he steered Pommern to victory on every occasion M which he was in the saddle! and as the son of Polyniclus carried off the Two Thousand and the substitutes for Hie Derbv and St. Leger. our lending rider had the distinction of winning the "Triple Crown." or what was at all evenls tantaiu .mill to it. lie also rode Hare Hill when that horse won the Chester Cup. while he was also on the back of Volta when Iird Carnavons good colt won the Victoria Cup and other races. In addition, he won his second consecutive Cambridgeshire on Silver Tag in the final week af the sea-sou. Donoghue, by the way, seems to have had an especial weakness for the big Houghton handicap. At all events, he has won it three times within a period of half a dozen years, as in addition to his triumphs on Honeywood and Silver Tag. he al«o rode Christmas Daisy when that horse won the race in 1010. Few predh Hens can be made with any confidence where this uncertain world is concerned, hut it is fairlv safe to say that, all going well. Stephen Donoghue will ride very many more winners in the immediate future. — London Sporting Life.
