ORME AND LA FLECHE 345 



included Bona Vista and St. Angelo (placed first 

 and second in the Two Thousand), and M. 

 Blanc's Rueil, who, a few days later, was to win 

 the Grand Prix de Paris. At 100 to 9 Rueil 

 started second favourite for the Derby. 



This Derby was a race the recollection of 

 which always arouses within me a feeling of 

 annoyance. La Fleche finished second, beaten 

 three-quarters of a length by Lord Bradford's 

 Sir Hugo, one of the ** outsiders.*' She would, if 

 properly ridden, have won in a canter. Coming 

 down the hill to Tattenham Corner, she was 

 lying eight or ten lengths behind the leaders 

 instead of being at their heels. There must have 

 been something the matter with Barrett (La 

 Fl^che's jockey) that day. It was sheer madness 

 or stupidity on his part to allow her to be so 

 far behind at that stage. After entering the 

 straight Barrett undoubtedly did his utmost to 

 repair his mistake by pushing the filly along with 

 all his persuasive powers, but he was asking her 

 to do an impossibility. The long and the short 

 of it is that the jockey rode a shockingly bad 

 race, and thoroughly deserved all the blame he 

 received. I believe he was chatting with some 

 of the other jockeys in the early part of the 

 race instead of concentrating his attention on 

 the business in hand. Knowing as he did 

 what La Fl^che's abilities were, he despised 

 her opponents. There were at that time 



i 



