14 ^he American "Thoroughbred 



LINE OF ECLIPSE DATE LINE OF MATCHEM DATE 



Royal George by Roy Oak 1837 Abin Conley by Jerry 1836 



Royal Oak by Catton 1833 Ascot by Tomboy 1845 



Sting by Slane 1847 Y. Bedlamite by Bedlamite 1834 



Teetotum by Lottery 1834 Pegasus by Tiresias 1835 



Theodore by Woful 1838 Tourist by Dr. Syntax 1836 



Tyrius by Laurel 1840 



Windcliffe by Waverly 1836 



Worthless by Camel 1846 



Thus it appears that, while the French imported forty-eight stallions of the male 

 line of Eclipse, as against twenty-four of the line of Herod, they only imported five of 

 the Matchem line, something entirely disproportionate, as the Matchem blood always 

 (or nearly so) is remarkable for carrying with it the best bone and the greatest amount 

 of substance. For all that, the French horses show as good bone as any but those bred 

 in Ireland. Those which are italicized became famous as sires in France, or won 

 great races in England before their expatriation. It is due to the Royal family of 

 France to say that they imported Gladiator (the best stallion ever sent to France, at a 

 cost of 62,500 francs, equal to about $12,000 of our money, but Royal Oak (the second 

 best) was the enterprise of a private individual Lord Harry Seymour, the president 

 of the French Jockey Club. 



Lord Harry Seymour was not merely an importer of horses but of men, as well. He 

 brought over that famous trainer, Tom Carter, who afterwards brought over the broth- 

 ers, Henry and Thomas Jennings, the latter of whom subsequently became noted as 

 the trainer of that mightiest of all three-year-olds, Gladiateur (by Monarque) the only 

 horse to win the Two Thousand Guineas, the Derby, the St. Leger and the Grand Prix 

 de Paris, in none of which events was he ever fully extended. Lord Harry, with the 

 assistance of these able trainers, won the Grand Prix de Paris with Miss Annette (by 

 Reveller) in 1835 and with Franck (by Rainbow) in 1837* the latter horse winning also 

 the Prix du Cadran, and the Jockey Club Prix (French Derby) ; and he likewise won 

 the latter race with Lydia (by Rainbow), Vendredi (by Cain) and Poetess (after- 

 wards famous as the dam of Monarque) by Royal Oak. His memory is still kept 

 green by the Prix Seymour, run annually at the Paris Summer meeting. Mons. 

 Rieussec, the second vice-president of the French Jockey Club at that period, had a 

 large stud at Viroflay. He won the Grand Prix of 1834 (which race must not be 

 confounded with the present race of that name established in 1861 by Louis Napol- 

 eon, as it was run at a different distance and under different conditions) with his 

 home-bred horse Felix, by Rainbow. At each spring meeting his fame is perpetuated 

 by the Prix Rieussec and at the fall meetings by the Prix de Viroflay. 



A very different character from these was Mons. Charles Lafitte, the rich banker, 

 who died in 1875, being treasurer of the Jockey Club up to the time of his demise. He 

 married an Englishwoman, Miss Conyngham, and did not race at all until some years 

 after his escape from celibacy when he took the nomme de course of "Major Fridolin." 

 After the Baron de Niviere dissolved partnership with that consummate rascal, the 

 Comte de Lagrange, he and "Major Fridolin" became partners under the name of the 

 "La Morlaye" stable and achieved great coups with such horses as Gontran, Bigarreau. 

 Sornette and Franc-Tireur, the latter being about as good as a timber-topper as was ever 

 bred on the continent. He bought Light (bred in France), by Prime Warden out of 

 Balaclava, from whom he bred both Bigarreau and Sornette, the former winning the 

 French Derby and the latter the French Oaks and the Grand Prix de Paris. Sornette 

 also won the Goodwood Stakes and Doncaster Cup in England. Mons. Lafitte also 

 imported Tournament from England and bred from him Sabre and Tyroliesme, as well 



