96 THE ENGLISH TURF 



clere trial, started a hot favourite. He ran just a trifle green, 

 but won cleverly, being followed past the post by Musa, 

 who was destined to win the Oaks a year later. At this 

 period of his career Flying Fox was a light-framed, wiry 

 colt, who carried far less substance than many of Bend 

 Or's descendants. His limbs, however, were perfection, 

 and his action, when extended, remarkably fine. When 

 galloping he swept over the ground with a smooth, far- 

 reaching stride, and the regularity of a machine, and when 

 full pressure was turned on he gave one the idea of being 

 a much bigger horse than he really was. In his slow 

 paces he was not seen to such advantage, and on his way 

 to the post he was inclined to potter along until his jockey 

 took him by the head and asked him to gallop. 



The Ascot performance created a most favourable im- 

 pression, which was in no way lessened when the colt 

 cantered away from No Trumps in the Stockbridge Foal 

 Stakes, with nearly a stone the worst of the weights ; but 

 at Kempton Park, early in October, Flying Fox sustained the 

 first of the only two defeats he met with during his racing 

 career, and I have always been strongly of opinion that, 

 in this race at least, he should not have been beaten. The 

 contest was the Imperial Produce Stakes, which, in 1898, 

 was about the most valuable two-year-old prize of the 

 year. Flying Fox put up the full penalty, and was beaten 

 a head by St. Gris, to whom he was presenting 5 Ibs. The 

 pair finished very wide of each other, and I believe it is 

 a fact that M. Cannon who was on the stand side and 

 nearest the judge's box thought he had won, whilst the 

 deceased noble owner of Flying Fox entertained no doubt 

 at all upon the point. The jockey afterwards stated that 

 he could have got more out of his horse had he thought it 

 necessary, but being of opinion that he was a good head in 

 front during the last fifty yards of the race, he did not push 

 his mount as he might otherwise have done. St. Gris was, 

 however, a good horse at the time, and even if the form was 

 right it was no great slur on the Fox's escutcheon to be 

 beaten a head by him when giving 5 Ibs. 



This Kempton race was run on a Friday, and exactly a 



