The first day at Lucknow opened with the two matches between Lord William and Captain Woolmer. In the first Lord William was to ride his English horse Tostig against Capt. Woolmer’s Australian Flashlight, catch weight over 12 stone, distance three furlongs. Flashlight was a curious, rather ungainly looking horse, with an uncomfortable saddle back, being round or roach-backed. Nevertheless, the horse won. In the other match Lord William rode an English horse again, named Simon de Montfort. I am sure his opponent must have felt impressed by this high-sounding title. Capt. Woolmer was on an English mare rejoicing in the common or garden name of Stourbay. Here again Capt. Woolmer won, and Lord Bill had to pay up, the terms having been 5000 rupees a side. The only comfort out of the day’s racing was that Exile won the Martiniere Stakes.
The second day’s racing was better for them. Doris won the Pony Race, Mocassin the Pony Chase, Kirkstall the Goomtee Stakes, Prince Imperial the All-horse Handicap, as well as two other races I am not sure about; so the owners began to preen themselves again. The Civil Service Cup was a disappointment. They had hoped to win it with Negus, but were beaten by a pony named Pekin.
At Meerut Plebein won the Grand National Chase, Prince Imperial the Turf Club Cup, and in March, 1893, at the Patiala meeting little Blitz added the Pony Race to his laurels; Sirus the Asiatic Stakes, and Salford with nothing near him the Grand Annual.
Lord William had added Flashlight to his string. It had worried him very much there being anything that could beat his Tostig, which was considered a really fast horse; he determined if possible to buy Flashlight, and, as we see, he did accomplish the deal.
Riding in the Calcutta Military Paperchase for the cup in 1893, Lord Bill had a nasty fall with Ratafia. No bones were broken this time fortunately, but he had to keep to his bed for several weeks. Though now forty-six years of age, he still rode as hard as ever, still did gymkhana tricks, and skylarked with the best of them, though he had already eight times broken his collarbone, had various concussions of the brain, and hundreds of minor griefs in the way of bumps and bruises, yet his nerve had never failed him.