26 REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 



Mr. Gough, was Commissioner of Patna, and father of Sir Charles 

 and Sir Hugh Gough. Although only two came out for the 

 Durbangah Cup, yet the race round the course caused a lot of 

 excitement, as the contest lay between the two supposed best 

 horses of the year, Babylonian and Valentine, both English 

 and ridden by English professionals, but Irving completely 

 out-rode Marwood, and kidding him right through the race, 

 landed Babylonian an easy winner. Mr. Studd's Edward 

 Morgan then made strong running in the Untrained Horse 

 Stakes, and never being headed from start to finish, won 

 easily ; no more racing that day. Studd had bought Edward 

 Morgan from Pusa for Rs. 400 as a trapper ; he used to pull 

 like a demon, and once cleared out on the Serryah road with 

 Studd, Paddy Cox, and Minden Wilson all hanging on to the 

 double reins. He got worm in the eye, and cute old Studd 

 thinking he'd go " Kumree", sold him to Simmy (H. B. Simson) 

 who made a pot of money with him, much to Studd's disgust. 

 Thursday's proceedings opened with a purse of 35 gold mohurs 

 for English maidens, R.C.; only Mr. Monghyr's Martaban, and 

 Mr. Cough's Diana stripped for it, and to the astonishment 

 of onlookers, instead of the stable jockey Marwood, Irving, an out- 

 sider, was put up on the mare, whom the public had made a hot 

 favorite at the previous night's lotteries. In the race Irving 

 was supposed to have either pulled the mare, or to have 

 ridden execrably. The following account of the race shows 

 what public opinion was : " Betting at starting 2 to i on 

 Diana, who got away first, and led to the Welter post 

 where she seemed most unaccountably to slacken her pace, 

 and on the gelding passing her, she bolted into the neighbour- 

 ing field ; on which Martaban was cantered for the next three- 

 quarters of a mile, the mare being brought back again was 

 set going as fast as she could, and on nearing the distance 

 got within three lengths of Martaban. Irving then most 

 injudiciously flogged and spurred her for the next fifty yards, 



