144 TTORSE-EACEN'G IN FRANCE 



she died in 1878, her first foal having been Eole (foaled 

 ] 868, a ' cripple,' by Gladiateur) and her best, perhaps, 

 Keine (by Monarque), winner of both One Thousand 

 and Oaks in England, but an unsuccessful runner in 

 France, in 1872. 



That Fille de I'Air was a ' puzzler,' subject to strange 

 variations of 'form,' is true; but that should not have 

 astonished the countrymen of Caller Ou. It is common 

 with both colts and fillies, especially with the latter, as 

 the ' compatriots ' of Serenade (winner of the French 

 Oaks in 1848), Predestinee (winner of the Grand Prix 

 at Paris in 1847), Jouvence, and Mon Etoile (both well 

 known in England) are aware. But fashionable jockeys, 

 on whom insolence is apparently considered to sit so 

 well, are sometimes responsible for confirming suspi- 

 cions by the manner in which they receive good-natured 

 comments. ' She looks very different now to what she 

 looked at Newmarket,' said a gentleman to Mr. A. 

 Edwards, the fashionable jockey who rode Fille de I'Air 

 for both Two Thousand and Epsom Oaks, and ' What 

 the hell's that to you ? ' was the insolent response in a 

 tone and with a manner suggestive of ' something not 

 quite straight,' though there was probably nothing more 

 than sheer rudeness meant. 



Of the French ' cracks ' in the ' same year ' with 

 Fille de I'Air it may be mentioned that Vermont became 

 a great French sire, that Bois-Eoussel was purchased for 

 Austria-Hungary (Kisber) in 1865, that Baronello was 

 ' added to the list ' in consequence of the double portion 

 of temper he inherited from his sire (The Baron), that 

 Gedeon became known as a stud horse in England, and 

 that Guillaume le Taciturne did not greatly ' illustrate ' 

 the Martin vast stud (Baron A. Schickler's) in France. 



Dollar, very highly distinguished among the French 



