JOVIAL AND BATCHELOR. 221 



I went down to Calcutta early in January, 1876, to 

 run Jovial at the Ballygunge Steeplechase Meeting, as 

 the old horse was recovering his form a little and as Mr, 

 George Thomas, his owner, ardently wished to win the 

 Merchants' Cup, value Rs. 1,000 — a handicap for all 

 horses belonging to members of the Ballygunge Steeple- 

 chase Association. This meeting was the best one I 

 have ever seen, over a "flagged course," in India. The 

 Ballygunge Cup was won by Mr. Studd's Not On, well 

 ridden by Mr. Johnson, with Lord William Beresford 

 a good second on Mr. Macleod's Gameboy, a recent 

 importation from Ireland, where he had won some small 

 events. Jovial, with Mr. Short up, also ran, but led his 

 field at such a clinking pace that he was " done with " 

 after the first couple of miles. Mr. Hardy, of the Rifle 

 Brigade, was a bad third on our cast-off Rebecca. 

 Charlton, Princess, and Prizefighter were unplaced. 

 " Mr. Bob " won the Open Steeplechase o-n old Star 

 of the South, who, years before that, had been bought 

 out of a circus, and then commenced a long and suc- 

 cessful career on the flat and across country. The 

 Suburban Cup was won by Mr. Johnson on Mr. Hill's 

 Batchclor, beating Rival, ridden by " Mr. Bob," and five 

 others. This was a fine race all the way between the 



