THE 'BIG STABLE' 117 



an appearance.' Especially did tlie victory of Palestro in 

 the Cambridgeshire (for which Count de Lagrange had 

 made so close a bid the year before with Mademoiselle 

 de Chantilly, a head only behind the winner, Weather- 

 bound), having his ' compatriot ' Gabrielle d'Estrees 

 second, in front of the great Asteroid, tickle the Gallic 

 fancy : so that the Administration des Haras by the 

 pen of General Flenry delivered itself of a sermon on 

 horse-breeding, proclaiming that, with the view of pro- 

 ducino; other thorouejlibreds in the likeness of Palestro, 

 the Government had ' founded a model traininc^ school 

 at Le Pin ' (where, as we have seen, there had always 

 been a ' haras ' from the time of Colbert). But ' model 

 institutions ' generally come to grief, and General 

 Fleury's ' foundation ' seems to have been no exception 

 to the rule. 



And now a few words about the most remarkable 

 French horses that appeared on the Turf, whether on 

 the Continent or in EiiMand, in 1861. 



Let us begin with Palestro, who was a sort of Franc 

 Picard of the ' legitimate business.' He was foaled at 

 the stud of a M. Chedeville ; he was a son of that 

 wonderful sire FitzGladiator and of Lady Saddler (who 

 died the very year she foaled him, 1858), herself ' bred 

 in France,' so that he was French every whit. Palestro, 

 like Franc Picard (who was originally called Babou- 

 ino), had his original name ' Coquet ' altered to that 

 which he was to make celebrated ; and, like Franc 

 Picard again, there was not much of a rush to l)uy him 

 at first (for he was purchased as a foal by M. Alexandre 

 Aumont, a consummate judge, for 420 francs, or about 

 10 guineas, reminding us of the more modern Plai- 

 santerie, a winner of the Cambridgeshire, as well as 

 Cesarewitch, purchased for 32 guineas as a yearling). 



