178 REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 



which he would have been even as a tinkling cymbal, for 

 when he wasn't working it, he was playing on the pianoforte. 

 He was attended by his trusty Lieutenant, Mr. Fiddes Rowe, 

 just returned from the Burma Campaign. 



Fields were larger than at the meeting of 1885, owing to 

 the presence of a few more horses from the Jaintpore stable 

 than had attended for two years ; the Lall Serryah stable was, 

 of course, a host in itself, and these two contributed most of 

 the entries. 



There were three starters only for the first race for all 

 maidens of the day, and Victor, an English colt, imported by 

 Gwatkin and sold to Mr. George Sherman, was installed 

 favorite, on the strength apparently of having been three 

 times defeated at Lucknow. The race was run just to suit his 

 supposed turn of speed, which, however, turned out to be a 

 myth, for he was never in the hunt with a couple of hacks, 

 and the winner turned up in Robin from the Lall Serryah 

 stable, who just managed to get home a head in front of 

 Sweet Home, an Irish mare of Rowland's, who would, however, 

 have won in another six strides. 



A stupid pony race followed, in which Edith sternchased 

 Rowland for half a mile ; then old Bluebell appeared as usual 

 in a selling race and simply romped home in front of Jack in 

 the Green, Dream, Badger and Song, the latter, however, pul- 

 ling up lame after going a hundred yards. A thirteen-hand 

 maiden pony race wound up the morning's proceedings, and 

 fell to the Chupra stable, as these races generally did in those 

 days, for good old Bob always had a dark pony or two. 



A change came over the spirit of the lotteries on the 

 second day's racing, merely because there happened to be a 

 race which was not considered a certainty for one horse. The 

 result was that men fought for dice boxes and clamoured for 

 more lotteries, which proved that if Sonepore could only hold 

 out any inducement to outside stables, their owners could at 



