FROM HOWL FOR ' RECIPROCITY ' TO PRESENT DAY 245 



Clairon, and Count P. tie Meeus's Swift, winners of three 

 principal ' Criteriunis ' and of the Prix de Deux Ans 

 at Deauville. 



The Grand Prix de Paris of 1878 was disastrous for 

 the French, who had seven representatives out of the 

 eight starters, inckiding Insulaire, the favourite at 

 7 to 4 on ; but the race was won by Prince Soltykoff 

 with by no means a first-rate horse, Thurio, the only 

 English candidate. Count F. de Lagrange was second, 

 third, and fourth with Insulaire, Inval, and Clementine ; 

 and altogether, in their contests with the English, the 

 year 1878 was about the most unlucky, if not the most 

 disastrous, the French had ever known. As will appear 

 presently in more detail, they ran second for the Two 

 Thousand, the Derby, and the Grand Prix, third for 

 the One Thousand and the Oaks, and fourth for the St. 

 Leger ; else, as they w^on the Ascot Cup, the Alexandra 

 Plate, and many other races for horses of all ages, they 

 might have had the most splendid season that ever 

 they had known on English ground, including even 

 ' Gladiateur's year.' 



Well, of the ' cracks ' mentioned there ran in 

 England Insulaire (three years, a very hardy but un- 

 fortunate horse, a worthy son of Dutch Skater, second 

 to Pilgrimage and beating Sefton for the Two Thousand, 

 second to Sefton for the Derby, won the Ascot Derby 

 of 625/., beating Jannette ; unplaced for the Eous 

 Memorial, won by Petrarch, at Ascot ; beaten by 

 Clocher for the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, unplaced 

 for the St. Leger, walked over for the Don Stakes of 

 100/., second to Sefton for the Newmarket St. Leger, 

 unplaced — hke Sefton — for the Cesarewitch, second for 

 the Free Handicap Sweepstakes at the Houghton 

 Meeting, and second to Silvio for the Jockey Club Cup), 



