THE HOUSE OF ROTHSCHILD 



did Huxtable upon this occasion. The moment 

 the flag fell he sent Flageolet along at a crack- 

 ing pace, and soon held a lead of fully a hundred 

 yards. For some time this did not in the least 

 disconcert the supporters of Favonius, who cheer- 

 fully remarked, "He's bound to come back to 

 them directly." No horse, however, could have 

 shown less disposition to " come back " than did 

 Flageolet, and although " won by thirty lengths " 

 is the curt record of the race in the Calendar, I 

 fancy that those lengths were very long ones. I 

 have not dwelt upon this event at such length with 

 any idea of depreciating the form of Favonius, who 

 was doubtless quite unfit to run, for, as I have 

 previously mentioned, it required such an immense 

 amount of work to bring him really up to concert 

 pitch that his few indifferent performances are 

 easily explained. Robert the Devil was another 

 horse of very much the same class in this respect. 

 The fact that Favonius was twice tried to be 16 lb. 

 in front of Hannah is quite sufficient proof of his 

 exceptional quality, and he stands out as the most 

 prominent figure in what will always be known as 

 " the Baron's Year." 



When the trio which had achieved such great 

 things for Baron Meyer de Rothschild had finished 

 their active careers, his great luck appeared to be 

 worn out, and nothing of much note took their 

 places. I may therefore safely pass on to Baron 

 Lionel, who ran his horses in the assumed name 

 of "Mr. Acton." He enjoyed a fair share of suc- 

 cess, though the only one of his stud with which 

 I need deal here was Sir Bevys. He was a brown 

 colt by Favonius out of Lady Langden, and was, 

 therefore, a half-brother to Hampton. Like his far 

 more famous relative he was quite moderate as a 

 two -year -old, his only victory at that age being 



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