REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 



over the Sonepore Grand Stand, and finding not a single 

 big stable or owner weighing in with entries, Mr. Vincent was 

 sensible enough to re-frame his programme into a sky one, 

 and the time-honored course which had seen the winners of 

 Viceroys' Cups, and Merchants' Plates, competing on it, had 

 now to be content to be degraded into a sort of Margate 

 sands, for hacks and harness horses to perform on. As a 

 race meeting it is not worth chronicling, though the planters 

 and a few local civilians mustered in force, and riding their 

 own crocks, had a high old jollification. Old tiger Cock- 

 burn from Doomra, in the Setamurhi Division, steered his 

 nag in winner of The Pony Stakes, the first pony race that 

 ever dishonored Sonepore. Fraser McDonell, Fred Collingridge, 

 Herewald Wake, Lord Ulick, and Mr. Vincent were among the 

 amateur jocks of the year, so too was H. B. Simson, who 

 rode and raced under the name of Mr. Pitcorthie. He 

 was better known afterwards as "Judex" of the Oriental 

 Sporting Magazine, and latterly of the Asian. The meet 

 started in rain, the first day's racing was run fetlock deep in 

 muck, and the horses paddled rather than galloped. Throughout, 

 the weather was more or less unfavourable, but the visitors put 

 up with it, and at the lotteries one night, and the dances and 

 suppers the next, contrived to make things hum. But oh for the 

 glory departed, and alas for the deterioration of sport. Simmy 

 had bought the one-eyed Edward Morgan, and changed his 

 name to " Here-I-go-with my-eye-out," and on him he won a lot 

 of races, continuing his triumphs with the old horse at Mozuffer- 

 pore and Bhagulpore. Simmy was riding him one day at 

 Mozufferpore and the brute bolted depositing Simmy in a potoato 

 field near Dr. Hindmarsh's present house. Few keener sports- 

 men, or better judges of ahorse, ever lived than Simmy, and we 

 are glad to still see his silver locks and beard, when he makes 

 his yearly visit to Calcutta to see his son. Taking up the Secre- 

 taryship .when the Fund was in debt, Frank Vincent in 1853 



