go Indian Racing Reminiscences. 



panions who led him astray, and with whom he sought 

 consolation to drown his cares. He soon lost every 

 penny he had, and, for the last fifteen years or so, has 

 lived from " hand to mouth," quite contented if, after 

 a spree, he can scrape together a few coppers a day 

 on which to live. Yet, in all his want and misery, old 

 George, when well enough to ride, is still the cool,, 

 finished jockey, and has always been the same 

 " straight," honest fellow in his calling that he was 

 when he left the old country, over thirty years ago. 



Shortly before this Dehra meeting, Dignum, who was 

 training Mr. Lethorn's horses, picked Gooch up and 

 gave him employment under himself: an arrangement 

 at which the old boy somewhat chafed, as in former 

 days their positions, in Colonel Robarts' great stable,, 

 were just the reverse. Dignum, being somewhat too 

 heavy himself, got Gooch to ride most of the training 

 gallops. As old George's scat on horseback was not 

 quite to his employer's liking, Dignum used to "check"' 

 him, as soldiers call it, for bumping in the saddle. This, 

 slur on his riding rankled in the mind of the York- 

 shireman, especially as it was made b}' an Australian 

 who had never been on the Newmarket Heath, let alone- 

 the Doncaster Town Moor. Then, again, Gooch's win 



