Buckstone. 157 



keen rivalry between the great houses of Dent and Jardine. 

 Buckstone, who was bound for Shanghai, did not go beyond 

 Hong Kong; for soon after his arrival, he got twist of the 

 intestines and died. Bob Sherwood, at that time, used to 

 train and ride for the Jardines in China. Since then he has 

 become famous as the trainer of St Gatien, Florence, Gold- 

 stone (remembered by Mr Barnard), Merry Prince, who no 

 doubt lingers in the memory of Mr John Hammond, and 

 many others. As the giving of thousands of pounds for 

 racehorses was beyond the ability of all except a select few 

 in China, and as the house of Dent fell from its high estate, 

 horse racing gave way to pony racing, which was within the 

 reach of all, with the remarkable result that the Shanghai 

 sportsmen are able to have three days' racing of eight events 

 a day, with large fields, and without a single handicap or 

 selling race. The fact that the secretary receives for each 

 meeting entries for about two hundred ponies, about three- 

 fourths of which are griffens, satisfactorily accounts for this 

 most desirable state of things. 



The mention of Buckstone's name reminds me of his great 

 rival Tim Whiffler, who was trained by William Martin, with 

 whom, while we strolled over Newmarket Heath, I have had, 

 more than once, a talk about Tim, whose defeat, with Sam 

 Rogers up, by Buckstone was a terrible disappointment to 

 the Fitzroy House trainer. Rogers did not ride to orders ; 

 but lay out of his ground, instead of making the running, as 

 he ought to have done, and as he was told to do, with this mar- 

 vellous stayer. Edwin Martin, the trainer, was riding another 

 horse in the race, and, having been early beaten, entreated 

 Rogers, as he dropt back, to put on more steam ; but all to no 

 avail. The Martins are confident that the race was ' all 

 wrong,' and that Tim Whiffier was much the better horse. 



Mr J. D. Humphreys is a Hong Kong sportsman whom I 

 greatly admire. He loves to play the great game, and to 

 back his opinion in thousands, not of ' chopped ' Mexican 

 dollars ; but of golden sovereigns. He is a genuine, big- 



