REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 67 



been made equally hot favorites ; and again an outsider in 

 Favorite, got home from Detrimental, who was villainously 

 ridden by Couchman. Shamrock won the Tirhoot Stakes, 

 and again came an upset in the Derby, Colonel Robarts' Cy- 

 clone, who only brought thirty dibs in the lottery, beating 

 Longhope, who fetched Rs. 300, and Akbar, who brought 

 Rs. 360. For the second day Edward Studd (senior) had given 

 a handsome cup value a thousand rupees and for this all the 

 cracks faced the flag. Five, two thousand rupee lotteries, filled 

 on the event, Melbourne, with Challoner up, won easily, Favor- 

 ite second. Jimmy on Hotspur, won the Moorcroft Stakes, and 

 Mr. Stewart's Akbar the Durbangah Cup. The Civilians' Cup 

 on the third day, fell to Melbourne, who had only Detrimental, 

 Rocket, and Driver, to oppose him. In the Sonepore Stakes 

 Handicap, Sunbeam beat the favorite Shamrock, Delphos 

 walked over for the Corinthian, and Blackwatch won the 

 Hajeepore Stakes, Shahzadie, Jack Becher's mare, beat Mr. 

 Beadon's Bullfinch, in a pony race in heats. Jack was too 

 good-natured for words ; an unblushing onlooker, after Jack's 

 pony had won the second heat so easily that it was twenty to 

 one on her, offered to take half of her lottery risk, and Jack 

 actually complied. 



The next morning was big with the fate of Melbourne, 

 and Favorite, the former carrying this time seventeen pounds 

 more than when they last met. Melbourne went for a ridi- 

 culously high price in the lotteries, Rs. 1,300, and was backed 

 at odds against the field. The stable had no money on, but 

 they put Joseph up, Octavia with four stone from the crack, 

 made slow running. Miss Trelawney Wanted the pace made 

 for her, but no one obliged her. Up to the half mile post, they 

 only cantered, but when they began to gallop a.t the quarter milt 

 post, they were racing in earnest, opposite the stand Joseph 

 on Melbourne was half a length behind Favorite, and had to 

 take up his whip, but to no purpose, for the mare won by a 



