only trotting after

In the Gospel there is a story relating to a poor publican, but I may tell you that the publicans at that time would be only trotting after the publicans of to-day.

1924 October 23, John Daly, quotee, “Dáil in Committee. - Intoxicating Liquor Bill, 1924.—Third Stage (Resumed).”, in Dáil debates, volume 9, number 2, Oireachtas, column 193

There was not a town or region in Spain that had not made its contribution to the national treasury of cooking […] Granada’s Alhambra was only trotting after the banana dish to which the Moorish city gave its name. That was a dream of a dessert.

1944, Maura Laverty, No More Than Human, Longmans, Green, page 36

‘It’s this way,’ said Gaeglers. ‘Even in the town where I come from, we have heard some strange tale about the great men that is produced out here, leapers and swimmers and rock throwers, and we were all in there in the pub the other night and they were spinning the tales about how wonderful ye all were, and to tell you the truth, if I was to believe a half of it, Finn mac Cumhail was only trotting after the lot of you — all the boasting that went on — and I said, well, if ye are as good as ye are supposed to be, let’s have a sports and see what ye are like.’

1956, Walter Macken, The Green Hills and Other Stories, London: Macmillan, The Proud Man, page 54

"Sit down, son," says the builder. […] “Son,” he goes on, “do you ever read the papers? Did you see the annual report from the Inspector-General of Bankruptcy? Did you see that we builders have once against headed the league table? Three hundred and ninety-two builders bankrupt last year, with the company promoters only trotting after us with one hundred and sixty-five!

1967, Patrick Campbell, “Build Up to Bankruptcy”, in A Bunch of New Roses, Anthony Blond, page 201

With their righteous anger echoing in the eaves and every corner of the church, they prophesied hell and damnation and the wrath of God on those wretches cowering before them, beating their breasts in collective supplication. It was clear to me from listening to them that Sodom and Gomorrah were only trotting after the goings-on in Listowel.

2006, Gerry O'Carroll, The Sheriff: A Detective's Story, Edinburgh: Mainstream, →ISBN, pages 39-40