[Illustration: PILOTEER WINNING A TROTTING PRIZE] The big Calcutta meeting on December 26th, 1889, saw the beginning of the Presto row, which most racing people will remember. The horse was entered for the Walter Locke Cup, and was expected to win, Dunn riding, but was not even placed! It was suggested that it was the result of getting off badly at the start, the horse swerving round, losing several lengths. This caused some comment and much disappointment, which reached boiling point two days later, when on the 28th Presto again ran with Dunn up for the Kooch Behar Cup, 1¼ miles, winning easily, there never being a moment’s doubt from start to finish that the race was his, even leaving Moorhouse, a very fast horse, and several others hopelessly behind. The public were now thoroughly upset, though on the face of the thing it seemed natural that if the horse lost so many lengths at the start in the race on the 26th, it would quite account for relative positions at the end of the two races. There were, however, those who considered Dunn’s riding was at fault, therefore the Stewards of the Turf Club held an enquiry into it. Mr. Gasper, the clever lawyer who has already been introduced, and from whom Lord William bought Mercury, appeared to uphold the complaint. Whether Dunn was in any way to blame for this different running of Presto I am not able to state, but be that as it may, he stood very little chance in any case with Mr. Gasper up against him, he being the most brilliant criminal lawyer Calcutta had ever seen, and he at any rate believed Dunn to blame, and waxed eloquent in consequence. After a long and tedious investigation, over which there had been some feeling, the Stewards fully exonerated Lord William, and while not stating Dunn pulled, they were of the opinion he deserved censure for bad riding, which had certainly justified the enquiry. The whole affair was much to be regretted, and makes one wonder how a man can be found who cares to have his honour resting in the hands of paid servants like jockeys, trainers, and so forth, when any day what a man prizes more than anything else in the world may be thrown to the winds, through absolutely no fault of his own. The course at Calcutta had been expanded, and the buildings improved, greatly owing to the efforts of the sporting and popular merchant Mr. Charles Moore, who took great interest in racing and the bettering of all its conditions. Following the Calcutta meeting came Tollygunge, where the stable finished the season well, Blitz winning the Belvedere Stakes in January 18th, 1893, Gold Leaf the Sensation Handicap, Traveller the Long Distance Handicap, FitzWilliam the Spring Purse, and Nellie the Pony Chase.