274 HORSE-RACING IN FRANCE 



at Newmarket Second October and lost ten times), 

 Talmoiise (three years ; won two selling events of 227/. 

 between them out of twelve attempts), and Valseuse 

 (two years ; ran twice and did nothing) — about fifty 

 altogether, whereof those whose names are printed in 

 italics obtained more or less reputation at some time or 

 other in their own country or in England. 



On tlie whole, then, the year 1881 was not a brilliant 

 one for the French ; their liorses bred at home were of 

 little use in England, and, though Dangu had beaten 

 Chamant ' in a trot,' as regards the contest between the 

 two former confederates, Count F. de Lagrange himself 

 stood only tenth among the ' winning owners ' in Eng- 

 land, and M. Lefevre was very near the bottom of ' his 

 class.' Still the French could lay to their souls the 

 flattering unction that not the Union Jack but the Stars 

 and Stripes had been covered with glory ; for the Derby, 

 the St. Leger, the Grand Prix de Paris, the Cesarewitch, 

 the Cambridgeshire, the Prince of Wales's Stakes at 

 Ascot, &c. &c., had been won by ' Americans,' Iroquois 

 and Foxhall. Howbeit neither Mr. Lorillard, owner of 

 Iroquois, nor Mr. J. K. Keene, owner of Foxhall, stood 

 first among ' winning owners ' in England ; the former 

 was second to Mr. W. S. Crawfurd, with 17,913/. to 

 17,919/., beaten by a ' short head,' and the latter (if the 

 value of the Grand Prix, which is not an English race, 

 be deducted) stood below Count F. de Lagrange with 

 4,966/. to the Count's 5,829/. Thus might the French 

 find balm in Gilead ; and they might have found more 

 by observing how ' foreigners ' were beginning to over- 

 run John Bull's racecourses, swarming like grass- 

 hoppers over the English ' turf,' and giving a hint that 

 before long John Bull would have to make up his mind 

 to see his valuable Derby and St. Leger, and other 



