REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 123 



of the Stewards might yet rescue it from extinction, for even 

 supposing the subscriptions of the European visitors should 

 fall short, the fair is invariably frequented by all the wealthy 

 zemindars and bankers of Patna, Mozufferpore and Chupra, 

 and from these gentlemen alone, subscriptions might surely be 

 raised sufficient to meet the probable deficit. 



" The sporting Gya Stewards had managed to raise in a 

 much poorer district, Rs. 5,000, and it will be a great slur on 

 the present management if Sonepore is allowed to fall through 

 simply from insufficient funds. Few native gentlemen care to 

 come forward to offer subscriptions, but they seldom, if ever, 

 refuse when solicited." 



The want of good management spread to Mozufferpore 

 as well, and there seemed no one bold enough to volunteer to 

 act as Secretary ; up to September no programme was issued, 

 and the Asian asked " What are the Mozufferpore Stewards 

 about, that there is no prospectus yet published ? We hope 

 that this meet is not likely to fall through." 



The Asian was, however, wrong in its premises, it was not 

 want of funds, but the poor prospects of the racing that para- 

 lyzed the executive. Outsiders would not enter, and Harry 

 Abbott had advertised all his horses for sale, as the Mozuffer- 

 pore Stewards would not lower their scale to Calcutta weight 

 for age and class, a change for which he had been clamouring 

 for years, but eventually they met his views, peace reigned 

 once more, and he took up the Honorary Secretaryship, which 

 he held almost continuously till he left the district. 



The constant Jaffir was the only outsider who responded 

 to the programme put forth by the Stewards for the Sonepore 

 of 1879, and the racing was virtually a three-cornered duel 

 between the rival local stables of Messrs. John, Cresswell and 

 Abbott, the latter got over his pique and brought a decent lot 

 Talkaway, who had by this time an almost unprecedented re- 

 cord of winning brackets, a neat little filly called Vantage, old 



