EPSOM 101 



placed in the St. Leger, who now had a pull in the weights 

 of 1 1 lbs., and who, a fortnight later, was destined to win the 

 Caesarewitch. 



The last chapter in the English history of Flying Fox 

 was the sale at Kingsclere in March, 1900, of the late Duke 

 of Westminster's horses in training. The whole sale was 

 a wonderful one ; nineteen horses in training — of whom four 

 were untried two-year-old geldings that commanded very 

 little money — were sold for a total of 70,440 guineas, or an 

 average of over 3,707 guineas apiece. Flying Fox was of 

 course the hero of the hour, and was put in at a reserve 

 of 30,000 guineas, this reserve being even a higher price 

 than had ever been paid at auction for a thoroughbred 

 before. (Ormonde once changed hands privately for some- 

 thing like ;^30,ooo, but I have never been able to find out 

 the exact amount, the money having been paid in South 

 America, and the sum was inclusive of certain charges.) Un- 

 fortunately there were few English bidders prepared to go 

 to so much money, and the battle for possession was fought 

 out by an American and a French buyer, the Frenchman 

 securing the horse at 37,500 guineas, a sum which, I need 

 hardly say, constituted a record. M. Blanc, the new owner 

 of the 1899 Derby winner, sent Flying Fox to the stud 

 at once, and whether he is to carry on the line of Bend 

 Or as his immediate ancestors have done has yet to be 

 proved. In taking leave of certainly one of the greatest 

 Derby winners of modern times, I am tempted to quote 

 a description of him as he looked on the sale day, which 

 appeared in the Field on the Saturday after the sale, and 

 which tallies with my own ideas of the horse : — 



"Flying Fox monopolised chief attention, and the great horse 

 never looked better in his life. Though the year is yet so young he 

 carried little or no superfluous flesh, and was, indeed, as hard as 

 a cricket ball and as bright as a star. Four better or finer legs we 

 never saw on a thoroughbred; but, considering his size, his hocks 

 are undoubtedly somewhat far from the ground, and his arms rather 

 short. The most wonderful thing about him just now is the 

 muscular development on his shoulder and neck, and here it may 

 be mentioned that Flying Fox never carries any flesh on his flanks. 



