Sir, - The excellent article in The Irish Field about the legendary stayer Brown Jack (June 12th, p15) prompted me to write a few lines about my father Dick McCormick’s association with this great horse.

Dick McCormick ‘saddled’ Brown Jack before one of his Queen Alexandra successes at Royal Ascot.

Brown Jack had recently come under the care of his new trainer, Ivor Anthony. Being a superstitious Welshman, Anthony was anxious to keep the ritual intact and my father duly obliged.

Years later my mother Una would boast that she had the privilege of walking the Grand National course in the company of Ivor Anthony before the great race.

When Brown Jack’s jockey Steve Donoghue retired from race-riding circa 1937, he held a private dinner party for 12 guests and gave each one a framed silk scarf imprinted with Brown Jack and all his races. Today, two are in the possession of the McCormick family.

One signed to Dick ‘ A pal to a Pal’ and the other to my grandmother signed ‘To Ellen McCormick from Steve and Brown Jack’. They are treasured family heirlooms.

I have knowledge of the location of another but what of the remaining nine? - Yours, etc.

Richard McCormick,

Woodville,

Dunboyne,

Co Meath