^THE FRENCH YEAR,' 1865. 151 



foreshadowed another Derby and St. Leger triumph 

 for Count de Lacrrancfe. ' Had not Chamant broken 

 down,' said Lord Falmouth, when Silvio won for him 

 his second Derby, ' Archer would not this year have 

 ridden his first Derby winner.' The Count also won 

 the St. Leger with his horse Rayon d'Or — which 

 many persons said ought also to have won the Two 

 Thousand and Derby. 



That the French horse had a year in hand when ho 

 gained the Derby was, with many persons, a solemn 

 belief, and the owner of Regalia (Mr. Graham), both 

 before and after the St. Leger was run, demanded an 

 examination of the horse's mouth ; but the stewards 

 of the meeting declined to accede to the request, 

 ' unless Mr. Graham would state in writinof his cfrounds 

 for supposiug the horse was not of the right age.' There 

 can be no doubt that in thus disputing the age of Gladia- 

 teur an indignity was put on his owner. As a public 

 writer of the period said, in commenting upon the race 

 for the Derby, ' there can be no question that by far the 

 best horse won ; and the imputation of the winner 

 having ayear in hand is only the idle gossip of those who 

 are ignorant of the fact that it is necessary to register the 

 birth of every foal bred in France, with its distinguish- 

 inor marks, to entitle it to run for the Government and 

 other prizes. ' 



When Gladiateur won the St. Leger, all Yorkshire 

 roared approval; the shouts sent up by the 'tykes' 

 were deafening indeed, and had Count de Lagrange 

 valued the approval of the tens of thousands who 

 welcomed the victory of the Frenchman at Doncaster, 

 he might have gone home a happy man ; but he took 



