GLADIATEUR 



Gladiateur, Gontran, Le JNIandarin, and ^Vrgences, 

 and these four were tried at Chantilly in the presence 

 of the Count, who, as was his custom on these 

 occasions, had a bet of a new hat with his trainer on 

 the result, and selected Gladiateur, whilst Jennings 

 had Le Mandarin. In the result the latter won, 

 with Gladiateur second, Gontran third, Argences 

 fourth, and the "schoolmaster" last. Count La- 

 grange was not, however, to be shaken in his belief 

 that Gladiateur was really the best of the lot, and 

 remarked, as he settled his liabihty, "Wait till I 

 get a jockey on mine, and you'll see." The owner 

 certainly had plenty of future opportunities of 

 saying, " I told you so," to his trainer, with regard 

 to this particular trial, which did not pan out at all 

 correctly, for, leaving Gladiateur out of the question, 

 Gontran, Le JNIandarin, and Argences were first, 

 second, and third in the French Derby, finishing in 

 the order in which I have written their names. 



Gladiateur's two -year -old career was a brief 

 one, and gave small promise of what was to follow. 

 Being such a big backward colt, besides giving 

 his trainer endless trouble owing to intermittent 

 lameness, his debut was delayed until the Clearwell 

 Stakes at the Newmarket Second October, when he 

 was backed down to 7 to 4 in a field of thirteen, 

 and won by a length from Captain White's Joker, 

 a fairly useful colt. Still he had nothing much 

 behind him, and Ostreger, by far the best of them, 

 besides having to put up a 6 lb. penalty, never came 

 to anythiiig like full bloom until much later in life. 

 By this victory Gladiateur incurred a penalty for 

 the Prendergast Stakes, run on the last day of the 

 meeting, and was again made a warm favourite. 

 Jennings maintains that he would have won easily 

 enough if Edwards, who rode him in all his two- 

 year-old engagements, had not lain so far out of his 



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