REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 3* 



peted, but the excitement over it was great, as not only 

 was Mr. McLeod's Arab Chancery much fancied and ad- 

 mired, but the rival breeders of Meg Merrillies, and Helen, 

 were equally confident of their candidates' capacity to win. 

 Meg, bred by Mr. Wallace at Monghyr, was by Crassus, and 

 therefore a half sister to the famous Grace Lee, and was a 

 big roomy leggy mare. Helen, bred at Barrh, by Mr. Vincent, 

 an equally good sportsman, whose son Glass Vincent follows 

 sportingly his sire's example, was also by Crassus, but very 

 different in looks from the coarser Meg, being all quality ; 

 a dainty little bit of stuff and a beautiful mover was Helen, 

 her dam an Arab mare, once the property of Runjeet Singh. 

 The country-breds let the Arab force the pace up to the mile 

 post, when they collared him, and a terrific race ensued, 

 the sisters gamely contesting every inch, though the stupid 

 Abdool was galloping on the extreme outside ; Irving' s, 

 superior and stronger riding wore down Abdool at the finish 

 but he only squeezed home by a head, midst deafening cheers. 

 Abdool came in for some bitter remarks from the bystand- 

 ers as he rode the game little chestunt three year-old filly 

 back into the paddock, but they were scarcely fair, for all 

 native jockeys are liable to lose their heads in a close con- 

 test, when pitted against a crack European professional, and 

 Peter Irving was all that. The Galloway Stakes brought five 

 local gees to the post, and Mr. McLeod had the satisfaction 

 of an easy win with his Arab, Chocolate, and then Mr. Here- 

 wald pulled off the Hack Stakes with a nicelooking country- 

 bred called Nell Gwynne, Mr. Lambert second on the Chupra 

 mare Maggie Lauder. Mr. Herewaldwas Mr. Herewald Wake, 

 the Civilian who held Arrah House in the Mutiny, he was said 

 to be a lineal descendant of the ancient hero of the same name. 

 This ended a really good day's sport. The weather lovely, and 

 prizes pretty evenly distributed, they would have been more so 

 had Abdool ridden Helen with judgment. Teddy Oakes who 



