i88 Indian Racing Reminiscences. 



on racing terms, and finally bought him. After nearly 

 two years' trouble he got him sound and entered him for 

 the Calcutta Derby — a race for maiden Arabs, 2 miles. 

 For this event his owner stood to win over ^^3000 on 

 him, but the grey could only run second to Rocket. 

 Six days after that Hermit had his revenge by defeating 

 his former conqueror, after a dead heat with him in the 

 Great Welter. This was the commencement of a long 

 series of victories with but few reverses. Some of the 

 ablest judges who knew him have always maintained that 

 he was the best Arab they have ever seen in India, as 

 we may well believe from his giving Ellerton, a good 

 Waler, 7 lbs. and a beating for the Calcutta Stakes, 

 2 miles in 3 min. 5 i sees. Probably his best perform- 

 ance was that for the Trades Cup, 2 miles, 13th 

 February, 1862, when he ran a desperate race with the 

 English mare Voltige, and was beaten by two lengths 

 in the extraordinary time of 3 min. 46 sees. Mr. 

 Chaplin, who was in India at the time and saw this 

 race, declared that it was, on the part of the Arab, the 

 gamest struggle he had ever witnessed, and that he 

 would call a colt after him. The name of the Derby 

 winner of 1868, and sire of Shotover, Peter, Thebais, 

 and many others, was the result of this promise. 



