142 REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 



that used to be, and must be now, so smooth, so elastic, so 

 perfectly proportioned. And how one used to enjoy it! One 

 year long long ago others besides myself must still remember 

 our dancing the last light out. V.C.'s, Commissioners, 

 Generals, or Judges, or none of these, and the wives thereof, 

 they now are, but surely they cannot have forgotten the small 

 but very jolly party that we were in that wet meeting of 

 days long gone by!" 



Later on The Asian wrote editorially : 



" Racing in Behar seems in a bad way, and it has come 

 to this, that either the present welter weights must be aban- 

 doned, or the races must become sky meetings. It is hardly 

 likely that owners will run valuable horses under- weights 

 likely to break them down, and if the reputation of racing 

 in Behar is to be kept up, this must be altered at the principal 

 meetings. Welter weights were all very well when the race 

 meetings were confined to local stables. Now they are opened 

 to everyone ; and if the success of an open meeting is 

 desired, the terms of the races must be such as to suit all. 

 Why not, sportsmen of Behar, conform to modern ideas at 

 Sonepore and Mozufferpore and indulge the propensities of 

 the amateur heavy weights at the minor meetings! " 



But even if the short-sighted policy of the Stewards did 

 much to virtually close Behar meetings to outsiders, we were 

 now on the eve of a cycle of successful meetings, for year 

 by year the three local stables were not only increasing nu- 

 merically, but were improving the quality of the horses, and 

 once more were thoroughbreds to be seen galloping on our 

 courses. Moreover, we had to welcome as additions to our 

 local racing men, the generous young Prince of Durbangah, 

 who had John Irving to train and young Jimmy Robinson 

 to ride for him. His first purchase was the Arab Wabdan, 

 bought from Captain Doyne ; he also bought B. Sharp, who 

 had been performing well in Calcutta, from Gwatkin Williams. 



