REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 19 



to the rescue, could induce the weary lot present to toss for 

 tickets, on what looked like another dead certainty for the 

 blooming Collector Saheb. But as the Ettrick Shepherd tells 

 us " The best laid plans of men and mice aft gang agley," 

 and beautifully in this instance, was it illustrated ; for the first 

 time at the meeting did the " semper triumphans " one go 

 wrong. He put up a festive youth who had eaten and drank 

 far too freely at the previous night's supper, with the foregone 

 conclusion that a turkey, ham, brandy and soda combination 

 are not the concomitants to make victory a foregone conclu- 

 sion ; the astute Mr. Fitzpatrick owning a far worse nag than 

 the Australian Firefly, in the Arab Referee, abstained 

 studiously from the craytur overnight, and scored cleverly and, 

 amidst shouts of " Ould Oireland for ever," he passed the post 

 first with a broad smile of delight on his benevolent coun- 

 tenance. This is the cruel record of this never enough to be 

 anathemised day ; for the Civilians' Cup Mr. Holdfast's g. a. h. 

 Blood Royal walked over. The Sonepore Welter fell through, 

 ditto the sweepstakes. A half mile Scurry which brought 

 two starters only, was won by a lame Cabullee horse, ridden 

 by a youth with a loose rein and one stirrup gone, the one 

 excitement being provided by the upset of Firefly by Referee. 

 Still did Mr. Hewett bravely persevere where others would 

 have flung up the sponge in disgust, but the fifth day was 

 merely a repetition of the gormandising, Mr. Holdfast winning 

 the only two races that filled, with Pretender and Blood Royal. 

 The sixth day was equally a failure, one race the Forced 

 Handicap bringing out three starters, all of the poorest quality, 

 again the monopolist winning. And then a weebit of 

 balm to Gilead was accorded by Mr. Hawke'scountry-bred 

 Alice easily defeating a poor field of four, one of Mr. Holdfast's 

 among the number. To show how ,good a position Sone- 

 pore held up to this as a meeting, Mr. Plowden alias 

 Holdfast went down to Calcutta and cleared the board there. 



