122 HORSE-RACING IN FRANCE 



graced ; indeed, according to liis ' compatriots ' he 

 ought to have won, so that, as he was not by any means 

 the best horse of his year in France, onr Derby of 1861 

 should have been at the mercy of the French (especially 

 when Dundee was left with only three legs to run upon) 

 had they but entered the ' right un.' Here is what a 

 ' compatriot ' has written on tlie subject — 



Royallieu was going very well half a mile from home when 

 he came in contact with Atherstone, nearly fell, and cannoned 

 against Dundee. . . . Royal lieu came in scarcely more than two 

 lengths heliind the winner. He had recovered his lost ground 

 in a wonderful manner, and there is reason to helieve that, but 

 for the accident, he would have been placed among the first 

 three. This was a result all the more honourable for French 

 breeding in that the son of Eusebia (Royallieu) was certainly 

 not the best horse of the year. 



Even in the English accounts Eoyallieu is made 

 out to have finished level with KlarikofT (that good but 

 unfortunate horse, always being ' messed about,' and at 

 last l)urnt to deatli in his travelling van), 'close up' 

 with Aurelian, who was but a neck behind Diophantus, 

 who was a mere head behind Dundee, who was just a 

 length behind Kettledrum. Clearly, then, the French 

 were 'burning,' getting near the coveted prize. But 

 they were not to ' find ' yet awhile, and the ' trick,' 

 when done, was not to be done by the ' Dig Stable.' 



Before quitting the year 18G1 let a tribute be paid to 

 the memory of that wonderful French gelding Cosmo- 

 polite, who ran (six j^ears old) no fewer than nineteen 

 times (counting ' the flat' only) in England alone this year, 

 and who is said never to have started until he was five 

 years old, in consequence of an accident lie met with in 

 the stables of the well-known and highly respected Vis- 

 count Paul Darn (vice-president and afterwards president 



