LA TOUCQUES, VEKMOUT, FILLE DE L'AIE, GLADIATEUR l-:i9 



We now come to Fille cle I'Air, a marvel, at two 

 years of age (in 1863), and, as will be seen hereafter, 

 a greater marvel at three. In her case too, as in the 

 case of Franc Picard (ex-Babouino) and of Palestro 

 (ex-Coquet), a change of name seems to have had the 

 very happiest effect, for she was originally called Capn- 

 cine II., after a noted mare (winner of the Criterium at 

 two years of age, &c.) bred by M. Benoist, who also is 

 said to have bred Fille de I'Air (ex-Capucine IL), and she 

 was the last foal of her dam Pauline, who was trained a 

 little but never ran. She became the sole property of 

 Count F. de Lagrange, as has been observed, at the 

 break-up of the ' Big Stable ' and the consequent sale, for 

 about 340/, The rule prohibiting two-year-olds from 

 running in France before August 1 would have been a 

 bad thing for her and her owner had it applied to Eng- 

 land ; for she began her performances on May 19 at 

 Epsom, where she at once began to ' illustrate ' her sire, 

 Faugh-a-Ballagh, by winning the Woodcote Stakes of 

 665/. After this she won the Molecomb Stakes of 650/. 

 (beating Scottish Chief), the Brighton Biennial (w.o.) 

 of 230/., a sweepstakes of 270/. at Newmarket First 

 October, and as a ' bonne bouche ' the Criterion Stakes 

 {a la Hospodar the preceding year) of 1,120/. at the 

 Houghton (beating Prince Arthur, ' the beautiful ' Ely, 

 Coastguard, and others). Here were five events out of 

 nine won, to the tune of 2,935/. — ' wealth beyond the 

 dreams of aVarice ' to a French two-year- old as yet, 

 and a ' record ' almost more creditable than Hospodar's 

 ' unbeaten certificate ' of the year before. ; for in the 

 races, in which she was beaten Fille de I'Air had 

 invariably been ' placed ' (whether giving away weight 

 or not) third for the Two-year-old Stakes at Epsom, 

 second to Ely for the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster, 



