150 HORSE RACING IN FRANCE 



have such horses as The Duke, and Liddington, and 

 Wild Charley either unable to oppose him at all or so 

 deteriorated by various ailments as to be prevented 

 from doing themselves anything like justice. 



However that may have been, there was ample 

 ground for the exultation of a ' compatriot ' who has 

 w^ritten : — 



The 31st of May, 1865, will remain for ever memorable 

 in the Turf annals of the two countries. For the first time 

 their undisputed sceptre [not undisputed, however : let Dangu, 

 Royallieu, and Hospodar bear witness] had been wrested from 

 our neighbours' hands ; for the first time a foreign horse had 

 beaten the pick of the produce of the United Kingdom. The 

 fact made a great noise : it was the culmination of the work 

 undertaken by the Societe d'Encouragement (B^'rench Jockey 

 Club) ; it was the reward of the audacious efforts made by the 

 Count de Lagrange. After the first moment of stupefaction 

 the English themselves could not restrain their admiration for 

 this wonderful animal. ' When Gladiateiir gallojys,^ wrote the 

 English papers, ' tJie other horses seem to stand still.' H.R.H. 

 the Prince of Wales, wishing to give the Count de Lagrange a 

 striking proof of his distinguished sympathy, invited to meet 

 him at a large dinner party the greatest stars of English society. 

 Lord Derby, a descendant of the nobleman who founded the 

 great national race that Gladiateur had just won, congratulated 

 the Count in a speech full of courtesy and good feeling towards 

 France. A still more enthusiastic ovation awaited the great 

 conqueror's fortunate owner on his return to France. The 

 French thoroughbred (' pur sang ') still had a rival, but no longer 

 a master. 



Gladiateur exhibited himself (in his ' war paint ') 

 for the first time to his ' compatriots ' as a can- 

 didate for the international Grand Prix de Paris ; 

 and more than 150,000 persons (mostly ' compatriots ') 

 assembled to pay their respects to him and to impede 

 his passage. His jockey (H. Grimshaw^), Avith a 

 ' coquetry ' highly appreciated by the French, so 



