REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 173 



the Buggy Stakes was very spirited, Badger being supported 

 freely on the strength of his having beaten Seer and Bluebell 

 on the first day, while the Jaintpore stable manfully stood 

 their master's charger, Jerusalem. The winner, however, turn- 

 ed up in Mr. John's hurdle racer Rona, who was of a slightly 

 better class than her opponents, a fact which had entirely been 

 overlooked by everyone but Jimmy. An objection was lodged 

 against her starting in this race, " for all maiden horses," on 

 the ground that she had won over hurdles, but was, of course, 

 overruled by the Stewards. There is no doubt that the inten- 

 tion of the framers was to exclude winners of every descrip- 

 tion, but anyhow Rona was rightly held eligible. The talent 

 girded up its loins for the next and last encounter of the 

 meeting, a very dangerous one, seeing it was for all ponies 

 bought in the fair. To pick the winner from ten raw country- 

 bred ponies, all pretty much together, and not one standing 

 out pre-eminently from the others, is indeed a tempting of for- 

 tune ; but a race of this kind has peculiar fascinations, and 

 there was more betting on it than on any of the other races. 

 In the uncertainty lay the fascination. Perrett's Maggie, 

 named after one of that youthful trainer's fiancees, and Jimmy's 

 Fairy, were the great tips, but they had to be content with 

 third and second places respectively, though the latter was not 

 placed, as Ryder failed to draw the weight. A very smart 

 little 12-2 mare Jenny Lind, who, after many false starts, with 

 the crack light-weight Richmond up, got first away, and in- 

 creasing her lead from the distance, won with great ease. 



That good countrybred Jessamine was disposed of by 

 Mr. Chapman for Rs. 1,000 to little Richmond, who resold her 

 for Rs. 1,300 two days later, and she joined Billet Doux in 

 Mr. Luttman-Johnson's stable. The pair shortly after the 

 meet started for that ultima thule of ponies Assam. 



The victory of Thunderstorm over the other local maiden 

 countrybreds, and afterwards over the plater, Vice Versa, 



