142 HORSE-RACING IN FRANCE 



for four-year-olds and upwards) was won by the Duke 

 de Morny with Noehe (five years), beating Dollar and 

 Orphelin among others. At Baden the Continental St. 

 Leger had been won by Count F. de Lagrange with 

 Fillede I'Air, beating her only opponent, Yennout, again ; 

 but, en revanche, the Grand Prix at Baden had been 

 won easily by Vermont, beating Dollar and Fille de 

 I'Air (second and third) among others ; so that, on the 

 whole, the honours of the season (in France) may be 

 said to have remained with M. H. Delamarre, run hard 

 by Count F. de Lagrange, with M. A. Lupin, the Duke 

 de Morny, and Baron N. de Eothschild ' close up.' 



Li England neither Vermont nor Bois-Roussel put 

 in an appearance, and of the other French ' cracks ' 

 Fille de I'Air was the only one that did anything ' par- 

 ticular ; ' and she did something very ' particular ' in- 

 deed, so that she was called ' the French Crucifix.' She 

 started first favourite for the Two Thousand at New- 

 market and was not placed, whereupon she took a trip 

 to France and got beaten for the French Two Thousand 

 (Poule d'Essai) also, but won the French Oaks easily, 

 and, as if her health had been improved by a taste of 

 her native air, she returned and won the Oaks at Epsom, 

 causing a disgraceful riot. There was ' scandal against 

 Queen Elizabeth : ' it was murmured that Fille de I'Air 

 was ' very elder than her looks,' and at length her 

 mouth, to the indignation of her owner — who, however, 

 was willing enough to have it done — was examined, but 

 there was ' nothing in it.' 



This opportunity may be taken of regretting that 

 among Englishmen, who are so boastful of their ' fair 

 play,' this sort of suspicion, when a foreigner wins an 

 English race of importance and exhibits decided supe- 

 riority, should be so common ; it was so afterwards 



