30 REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE, 



collected the record subscription, Ten thousand rupees, and 

 he handed over the till to his successor with Rs. 3,000 cash. 

 It was Mr. Vincent who first appointed Behary Singh, who, 

 up to the time that he was deprived of the lease of the 

 ghats by Mr. O'Donnell, two years ago, was one of the most 

 notable figures of Sonepore. Mr. Vincent made him chokeydar 

 of the course on Rs. 3 a month, 



Mr. Fraser McDonell took up the reins for 1855, and it is 

 wonderful to see that, after such a succession of fiascoes, donors 

 could still be found to come forward with handsome prizes ; 

 prospects looked much more promising for this year. Mr. 

 Wallace had entered a strong string headed by the old 

 platers Rejected, and Grace Lee, and an English maiden 

 Legerdemain ; Mr. McLeod had four, and the Confederates 

 Lord Ulick Browne and Frank Vincent five. Mr. McLeod 

 had bought Diana, who was reported to have improved 

 considerably in temper. Simmy had once more changed Ed- 

 ward Morgan's name, this time to The Duke of Sonepore. 

 Mr. Wallace was training this year at Sonepore, and had 

 engaged Peter Irving to ride. Professionals turned up in force, 

 and besides Irving, we find Hartley, Curran, a soldier of the 

 Dinapore Garrison, whose discharge Mr. McLeod had 

 purchased, and Barnes, a crusty misshapen little man, figuring, 

 and in addition to the old G.R.s, Tom Gibbon and a local 

 soldier Jack Lambert, then handsome young bucks, gave 

 the girls in the grand stand a taste of their quality. The 

 Bettiah Cup, as usual, opened the meeting, Legerdemain 

 being opposed by the Confederates' Hero, and Mr. McLeod' s 

 Firetail, the latter fired her native jockey over her head, going 

 down to the post, and cantered off the course, not appear- 

 ing again ; Meer Khan escaped with a broken collar-bone. 

 The race was a hollow affair, Irving winning on Legerde- 

 main easily. Then came the Doomraon Cup, round the 

 course, for which again the three big stables alone com- 



