130 HORSE-RACING IN FR.'^NCE 



Stamford purchased Armagnac (who ran in the EngHsh 

 lord's name for the French Derby), Brick, and Le 

 Marechal, all together, for 150,000 francs (6,000/.) 



About this time it was rumoured abroad that the 

 ' Big Stable ' was about to break up, and that all their 

 horses might be had ' in a lump ' for 800,000 francs 

 (32,000/.) The break-up took place and the horses 

 were sold, but not ' in a lump.' The chief ' lots ' went 

 as follows : — 



The French Government took Gouvieux (aged) for 

 about 200/., and Marignan (three years) for about 1,000/., 

 and hired Palestro (four years) for a term, thus obtaining 

 the first of his services before he was sold to the Prus- 

 sians. Mr. Henry Jennings took Falendre (three years, 

 ex-Magenta, and afterwards L'Africain, very well known 

 in England by that name as a steeple-chaser ; died in 

 1866), Mademoiselle Duchesnois (yearling), and Donjon 

 (two years, exported to Belgium in 1866), for an average 

 of 100/. apiece. Count Lehndorf, Baron d'Auriol, and 

 M. Lunel purchased one or two each. The Duke de 

 Morny bought Gedeon (by Monarque, a yearling, winner 

 in 1864 of the Prix de Longchamps, &c. &c., and 

 known as a two-year-old in England). M. H. Delamarre 

 got Fidelite (by Monarque, a yearhng) pretty cheap 

 for 120/. Lord Stamford gave 1,000/. for Gemma (by 

 Womersley, three years), who ran Bathilde and Limosina 

 very close for the Cambridgeshire that same year. 

 Finlande (ex-Faustine, four years) was witlidrawn in 

 favour of Baron Niviere (her breeder), and did not for 

 some years afterwards become the property of M. A. 

 Lupin, to whom she was one day to be so valuable a 

 brood mare, the dam of St. Cyr and Fontainebleau. 

 Count F. de Lagrange took Hospodar at the hardly remu- 

 nerative price (as it turned out) of 5,000/., Compiegne 



