When such an event happens the sporting press ex- 

 plains it in one word, " Aptitude," and the word is right ; 

 but in certain minds it would seem that aptitude to run 

 a distance is incompatible with quality, and that is false. 

 A mediocre animal with aptitude, that is to say, with the 

 proper model and the proper mechanism will, over long 

 distances, beat ill-constructed animals of high quality; 

 this does not prevent high quality's existing side by 

 side with aptitude, and that was the general rule twenty 

 years ago. It is enough to look over the list of winners 

 of the Prix Gladiateur (3 miles and 7 furlongs) to find 

 the names of Surprise, Mon-Etoile, Souvenir, Noelie, 

 Gladiateur, Vertugadin, Trocadero, Don-Carlos, Dutch- 

 Skater, Nougat, Mondaine, Verneuil, Clementine, Mad- 

 emoiselle-de-Senlis, Upas, Tenebreuse, all of them re- 

 markable animals. Since 1890, the high quality of the 

 winners has not been maintained so continuously. It is 

 certain that Carmaux, Mirabeau, Patriarche, Mademoi- 

 selle-de-Longchamps, Rabat- Joie, and even Aquarium 

 owe their success to their mechanism rather than to their 

 quality; but Omnium II., Maximum, Clyde et Punta- 

 Gorda were animals of a high order. 



The Prix Gladiateur had, therefore, the greatest sig- 

 nificance at the time when a great majority of horses 

 were built as stayers, and it crowned the career of those 

 most remarkable for their quality. To-day it has lost its 

 meaning, because for a generation the best race horses 

 have been so constructed that it is impossible for them 

 at a long distance to beat a mediocre animal which has 

 in his favor only a good mechanism. 



Is It not natural that we should deplore such a result? 

 The admirable horse which we had thirty years ago, so 

 well made for improving our breeds of horse for mili- 

 tary service — since he had all the good points which the 

 most exacting rider could demand — so full of real qual- 



