Lord William Beresford, V.C., Some Memories of a Famous Sportsman, Soldier and WitMenzies, Stuart, Mrs.
History
Lord William Beresford, V.C., Some Memories of a Famous Sportsman, Soldier and Wit
Menzies, Stuart, Mrs.
Beresford, William Leslie de la Poer, Lord, 1847-1900
For years Lord William declared no Australian horse could touch the
English, but Mercury caused him to change his mind, this horse’s
performances having been almost phenomenal. In consequence of being
bitten with the grey Australian, and not content with having between
twenty and thirty horses already in training, he gave the well-known
Australian dealer, Mr. Weekes, a commission to bring him one or two
of the “real things” from Melbourne.
When the dealer returned from Australia, he brought with him two
horses for Lord William, Myall King and Golden Gate. I do not
remember hearing of the latter doing anything encouraging, and Myall
King made a poor show to begin with, and his new master said a few
things not altogether complimentary to the dealer in connection with
his selection, but before long changed his mind, Myall King becoming
his greatest favourite, winning three Viceroy’s Cups for him, the
first on December 24th, 1887, value 7000 rupees. When Lord William
was leading his horse in after the race, thoroughly pleased and
happy, the excited and delighted Mr. Weekes, who had purchased the
horse for his lordship and who had been brooding over the names he
had been called when first he brought Myall King over, rushed up to
Lord William holding out his hand for joy, saying, “Now do you still
say I am a something something thief?”
“No,” replied Lord Bill, taking the proffered hand; “indeed you are
all something something right.”
“Then you will come and stay with me in Melbourne, won’t you?”
“Of course I will,” said his lordship, only too anxious to move on.
Myall King also won the Durbangah Cup, £150, on the 30th of the same
month.
In the summer of 1887 Lord William bought up the lease of the Dehra
Doon course, over which he spent some time and trouble, getting it
into good order; he kept it up entirely at his own expense until
he left India. He removed all his horses there, also the Viceregal
horses, being a good climate for them.
People in India were beginning to be rather frightened of Lord
William’s string of horses, saying it was no use entering theirs
against him, that they had no chance. I remember hearing a good deal
of this at Lucknow, but it was not quite a fact, as his lordship
found out to his cost occasionally. He certainly had a formidable
string of horses, and he wanted to be on top, where to a certain
extent he was, but in racing there is always the element of chance to
be reckoned with, horses going wrong, jockeys making mistakes, and
no end of other things to be taken into consideration. He sent his
horses to all parts of India for race meetings, even to Poona.
The Spring Meeting at Lucknow of 1888 inaugurated one of his
lordship’s most successful racing years in India. I always feel sorry
he was not able to carry out all his racing single-handed, but he did
it on such a big scale it became more than one pocket could stand,
hence the partnership. The Lucknow races in February brought in 7625
rupees in stakes alone--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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