REMINISCENCES OF SONEPOKEV 265 



ing and passing horses, and on several days not even re- 

 turning to camp for breakfast. As usual the dealers for the 

 first two or three days were impossible in their prices, but on 

 the last two days 40 or 50 decent horses were secured by the 

 Major for moderate figures. The majority of horses brought 

 that year by the dealers were absurdly young, few being over 

 two and a half years oldj and many of them showed wretched 

 so-called Norfolk trotter blood, with hideous heads, coarse 

 necks, big barrels and poor legs, they were an excellent 

 satire on the mismanagement of Government studs. Ponies 

 sold as dear as horses, and anything with galloping points 

 brought big figures. The dealers- to a man acknowledged that 

 horse-breeding would soon be a thing of the past in Northern 

 India, for, as they sensibly said, it is cheaper for them to breed 

 ponies than horses, as they eat less and fetch as good or 

 better prices. Elephants were comparatively cheap, two very 

 fine ones were secured for Julpai planters, by Mr. Simson. 

 The Stewards were ably assisted by Major Beaver, and that 

 the handicapping was good, was shown by the fact that only 

 two horses out of all those treated cried noncontent. The 

 finishes were, most of them, close, and the proverbial blanket 

 would have covered the lot in many of them. Ryder, the 

 only professional present after Robertson's accident on the 

 second day, won most of the races he was successful in by 

 sheer riding, and, although only two competed for the Dur- 

 bangah Cup, the race from pillar to post was . fought inch by 

 inch between Mr. Rowland and Captain Carandini, the gallant 

 Hussar only just getting home on the: post. The only easily 

 won event of the meeting was the Trades' Plate, Harlequin 

 being much too good for the field. The. biggest upset of the 

 meeting was the Merchants' Cup, looked on as a moral for 

 Mr. Charles' handsome Arab, Young Chorister, who was made 

 a hot favorite at the lotteries; the rest; starting almost un- 

 backed,, but in. the. morning the race resolved itself ,into r a 



