ARABIAN AND ENGLISH RACERS. Zo 



It may, however, be stated, on the best Indian 

 authorities on this subject, that the best Arab, on 

 his own ground, has not a shadow of a chance 

 against an imported Enghsh racer, in any thing 

 like a good form. The celebrated race on the Cal- 

 cutta course, between Pyramus and Recruit — the 

 former the best Arab of his year, the latter a 

 second-rate English race-horse by Whalebone, the 

 property of the Marquis of Exeter — settled this 

 point, inasmuch as allowance was made for the 

 comparatively diminutive size of the Arab, it being 

 what is termed a give-and-take match, or weight 

 for inches, in which Recruit carried 10 stone 12 

 pounds, and Pyramus only 8 stone 3 pounds, an 

 extra allowance of 7 pounds having been given to 

 him as an Arab. 



" Pyramus,'' says the reporter of this race, " is 

 as good an Arab (he had previously beaten all the 

 best Arabs in Calcutta for the gold cup) as has 

 appeared for many years. His condition was un- 

 deniable ; the distance was all in his favour ; and 

 he was ridden with superior judgment ; so that the 

 result of his match with Recruit may be considered 

 to have established this as an axiom, that no allow- 

 ance of weiofht within the bounds of moderation 

 can bring the best Arab, even in the climate most 

 congenial to him, upon a par with an English 

 thorough-bred horse of moderate goodness. In 

 addition to all these circumstances in favour of 

 Pyramus, it must be remembered that Recruit 

 only landed on the 28th of May, (the race was 

 run in January,) after a voyage of five months." 



