110 HORSE-RACING IX FRANCE 



HOW over, and already, in 1859, M. Anmont had shown 

 that he was in his old ' form ' by winning the Grand 

 Criteriuni at Paris with the two-year- old Mon Etoile, 

 who seemed to have de Vavenir. The bright pros- 

 pects, however, vanished at his death, which occurred 

 early in the year, before the season opened ; and though 

 his son, M. Paul Aiimont, immediately stepped into his 

 place, Mon Etoile was disqualified through her nomina- 

 tor's death for the French Derby and other engage- 

 ments in the great ' Poules ' at Pciris. 



On French soil Geologic began the campaign of 

 1860 by proving that, notwithstanding her sorry exhi- 

 bition in the Cambridgeshire of 1859, she was the best 

 animal of lier year : she won the Prix du Cadran in a 

 common canter against Black Prince and Nuncia, and 

 she scored a victory once every succeeding Sunday 

 during the Paris Spring Meeting, beating on May 3 the 

 indefatigable Mademoiselle de Ciiantilly, who had lately 

 returned home from an unsuccessful competition for the 

 City and Suburban. At this Paris meeting Count F. de 

 Lagrange's Pierrefonds won the Prix de la Ville from 

 Madame Latache de Fay's Beauvais (who turned the 

 tables upon him in the French Derby) ; and Baron N. 

 de Eothschild won the Poule d'Essai as well as another 

 race with Gustave (beating Pierrefonds, Pretendant, 

 &c.), insomuch that sanguine Frenchmen began to have 

 visions of another Baroncino and another Goodwood 

 Cup. At Chantilly the French Oaks was won by Baron 

 Niviere's Surprise (who was to be the dam of Sornette, 

 by liight), and the French Derby, as already men- 

 tioned, by Beauvais. The fact, however, deserves a 

 second mention, because it was the first and only time 

 the French Derby was won by Madame de Fay, who 

 struggled so ' widowfully ' to do the deed which had 



