George Gooch. 89 



had got a bad start, half way up the hill, and, having 

 always the best of it, won cleverly at the finish. The 

 result w^as a heavy blow to Mr. Lethorn and Dignum, 

 who reproached old George for unwonted sleepiness 

 at the post to which I went down, for Caliph wanted 

 some one at his head, at times, to get him under way. 

 Had I not been there to have given Williams a hand, 

 the result might have been different, for the old horse 

 was inclined to be as fractious as Abdool Rahman, who 

 was a little too much for Gooc'.i. 



George Gooch was one of the few men we meet with 

 in a lifetime who are real geniuses. He learned to ride 

 in an English training stable, and came out to India 

 more than thirty years ago. The first big race he won 

 in the East was the Calcutta Derby of 1853, on Nero. 

 As he was always able to ride 7 st. 10 lbs. without 

 wasting, and was a consummate judge of pace, he had 

 as many mounts as he cared to take. At the com- 

 mencement of his career he made a lot of money, and 

 was at one time a partner in a large Calcutta commis- 

 sion and livery stable. He married, but was unhappy 

 in his domestic arrangements ; and then cver}'thing 

 went wrong with him. Poor George, being confiding 

 jn his disposition and free with his rupees, found com- 



