FROM THE ' TURN OF THE TIDE' TO THE ' DECIIKANCE ' 173 



go back to the spring of 1870 ; before there was any 

 stoppa_g;e of horse-racing in France, or any talk of 

 ' decheance.' M. Dehitre, be it remarked by the way, 

 had won 200,000 francs before he had to put his horses 

 in a place of security. 



The French ' cracks,' then, that ran in France in 

 1870 were Bigarreau (three years, winner of the French 

 Derby) ; Sornette (three years, winner of the French 

 Oaks and of the Grand Prix de Paris, as well as of 

 what is now tlie Grande Poule des Produits) ; Boulogne 

 (four years, winner of the Prix du Cadran) ; Mortemer 

 (five years, winner of the Coupe at Paris) ; Dutcli 

 Skater (four years, winner of the Grand Prix at Deau- 

 ville) ; Bachelette (tliree years, winner of tlie Poule des 

 Produits) ; Trocadero (six years, winner of wliat is now 

 the Prix Eainbow for the second year in succession^ ; 

 Valois (three years, winner of tlie Poule d'Essai) ; and, 

 among the two-year- olds, Eole IL (winner of what is 

 now the Prix de Deux Ans at Deauville). Tlie very 

 best of the French two-year-olds. General (son of 

 Monarque and Tolla, and prominent among the favour- 

 ites for the English Derby of 1871), did not run at all 

 in France. 



Of these ' cracks ' Boulogne, Trocadero, Eole II. , 

 and General ran in the name of Count F. de Lao-rano-e. 

 who was their owner up to the time of the sale of his 

 horses, when Trocadero, withdrawn from traininsp, 

 seemed likely to remain a fixture in England, but, 

 fortunately for French horse-breeding, he was repur- 

 chased in 1871 by M. P. Aumont, of the Victot ' liaras,' 

 and domiciled in France. Of tlie said ' cracks ' the 

 following ran in England : Sornette (won the Fitz- 

 wiUiam Stakes at Doncaster and the Doncaster Cup ; 

 tliird to Prince Henry and her ' compatriot ' Nelu.'r^ko 



