REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 



some great event was to take place ; the cannon made even more 

 noise than uaual, and the Band rose to the occasion and 

 played " We all Love Jack " with more sweetness and light 

 than they ever managed before, and all in honor of Blitz ; need- 

 less to say everyone turned up at the race stand with punc- 

 tuality. The first race on the card was for the Bettiah Cup, for 

 countrybreds and Arabs, and four of General Parrott's breed- 

 ing went to the post, Sairey Gamp in receipt of a stone from 

 Harlequin, being favorite, but after a really good race 

 between these two the mare had to put up with a short head 

 defeat ; Young Manchester, as usual, led the field for the first 

 half mile. The Durbangah Cup unfortunately fell through, 

 so the second race was the Merchants' Cup. Shamshad was 

 the first to appear, and a real beauty he looked, good enough 

 to back for one's last dollar, if he had not been followed by 

 Blitz, ridden by Greenhalgh. This was the first opportunity 

 many of the sportsmen present had of interviewing this Or- 

 monde amongst ponies, and though one is always disposed to 

 see beauty in a good horse, there can be no doubt that Blitz 

 was a perfect picture of an Arab racing pony, a gentleman 

 all over from nose to tail. Blitz and Shamshad walked down 

 to the post together, followed by Minette and Ameer, and 

 this was the order they preserved throughout the race, Blitz 

 winning hard held, in the commonest of canters ; he was 

 honored after the race by the Band striking up " See the con- 

 quering hero comes," and by all the ladies coming down to 

 inspect him, and he showed his appreciation of their visit in 

 the most gracious manner, allowing himself to be petted with 

 equanimity. After this came the Selling Race, which was 

 looked upon as a moral for Mr. Canning's Torchlight, who 

 had a great pull in the weights. It would have been a wonder 

 if the handsome old black did not manage to score a win. 

 She did not disappoint her backers, winning fairly easily, but 

 she was not claimed, even at the scarcely exorbitant price of 



