88 Indian Racing Reminiscences. 



Among the many speedy animals which were as- 

 sembled at Dehra, none was more worthy of notice 

 than Mr. Lethorn's Arab pony Abdool Rahman, late 

 Little Hercules. He was a dark bay with black points, 

 standing 13.2 easy, and was the incarnation of quality 

 and beauty. He had, about three weeks before, won 

 a 13^ mile handicap up the hill at Poonah in 2 min. 

 55 sec, carrying 8 st. 10 lbs ! and was to oppose Caliph 

 in the mile Galloway race. We backed, with the en- 

 thusiasm of young hands, our matchless grey, and 

 heeded not the pleased looks and ill-concealed elation 

 of those who, having received the straight tip from 

 Poonah, laid against us as if it was all over, bar shout- 

 ing. To us Caliph was a religion, a god — at least he 

 often proved a saviour from ruin when, beguiled by 

 the hope that tells a flattering tale, we backed the 

 MTong horse. Caliph on these occasions came for- 

 ward and did some great performance which filled our 

 emptied pockets. Mr. Lethorn's pony and Caliph 

 were to meet in the one-mile Galloway race at Dehra, 

 George Gooch steered the former, while Williams, our 

 jockey, rode the latter. The race ma}' be quickly 

 described. Our grey Arab jumped off with the lead 

 along with King David, was caught by Gooch, who 



