General " Monty". TuRNBULL. 189 



Hermit was defeated at Mysore by Dr. Campbell's 

 Grey Leg, who was one of the best Arabs that ever ran 

 on the Bombay side. He was ridden by Jack Irving, 

 and Grey Leg by Bill Brewty, who used to own that 

 pretty house on the Old Sandpit Lane in Newmarket, 

 now occupied by Jeffries. The result was so astounding 

 to the Calcutta people that they looked askance on 

 Jack when he returned from his trip. But I believe 

 the truth is that Hermit was not " fit." He had been 

 sent in charge of a man who knew little about race- 

 horses, and who did not attend to his training. As I 

 am writing I have before me a letter from Brewty, who 

 has returned to India, telling me that, on his honour, 

 the race was a fair and square one. Irving, too, whom 

 I have known for several years, has often spoken to me 

 about it, and has assured me, with almost tears in his 

 eyes, that this defeat was the bitterest he had ever 

 experienced, both for his own sake and that of Colonel 

 TurnbuU's grand horse, for he and Brewty were the two 

 great rival jockeys of that time. 



The Arab Opal, so called from his colour, belonged 

 to Mrs. Turnbull, and was taken by her to England, 

 where he won first prize in the Arab Class at the 

 Islington Show in 1862, On one occasion, when 



