First Racing Partnership--Some Successful Horses--The “White Mutiny”--Military Secretaries Come and Go--Fleur-de-lys’ Affection--Racing--Paperchasing--An Exciting Drive--Ponto’s Admiration for the Fair Sex--Inverarm--How a Sick Soldier Fared--Love of Children--A Children’s Party and How it Ended--The Home for Lost Dogs--Simla Gymkhanas--A Sore Head--A Change of Mounts--Sipi Fair and Marriage Market--What Some of Lord William’s Friends Said--Why he was like King Solomon
Early in 1880 Lord William and his friend, Mr. Monty Stewart, joined hands, forming a racing partnership, and their horse Warrego won the St. Leger at the Umballa meeting. They had also purchased Kate Coventry for 5000 rupees, a big sum for those days. She won the Grand Annual the very next day for them, which was encouraging. At the same meeting Gazelle won the Pony Handicap, Warrego the Trials, and Oliver Twist the Selling Race. On the last day’s racing Oliver Twist rather upset the public’s and everybody else’s calculations by defeating his own stable companion Warrego, who was favourite.
[Illustration: LORD WILLIAM BERESFORD LEADING KATE COVENTRY, RIDDEN BY DEWING. CALCUTTA, 1881]
At Lahore Kate Coventry won the Maiden Chase, Pompey the Dwarf Chase, Lielle the Arab and Country-bred Handicap, Ronaleyn the All-horse Handicap, and Potboy the Pony Handicap, not a bad performance. Lord William now engaged Ryder as his trainer and jockey; he had been successful for Baboo Mohini Mohun Doss of Dacca.
At Dumdum Kate Coventry won the Handicap Chase as well as another race. After this, luck seemed to desert the combined stable, though Kate Coventry still played up nobly, winning the Ballygunge Cup, and Lawyer the Trial Chase Cup. At Deccan, Pot Boy and Lawyer also won a race or two.
Then came the Umballa Autumn Meeting, where their luck was so crushing Lord William vowed he would get rid of the lot of his horses, and advertised the majority for sale. He may have deceived himself through disappointment, but nobody else thought for a moment he would be able to live without racing, in taking which view they were correct, for in July, 1881, he purchased Camballa and Western Princess through the dealer and importer known by the name of Teddy Weekes. Luck seemed once more to be returning, for at the October meeting at Dehra Fleur-de-Lys won over the hurdles, Kate Coventry the Himalayan Chase, and Warrego the Corinthian Stakes, while Probably, a country-bred pony, showed the way in the Gimcrack Stakes. Again at Umballa the good Kate Coventry, Fleur-de-Lys and Probably also each won a race.