152 THE BLUE RIBBON OF THE TURF. 



fortune as it came to him— good or bad — witli much 

 equanimity. 



In the Two Thousand Guineas of 1864, Fille de I'Air, 

 which started first favourite at odds of 9 to 4 against 

 her, was the absokite last in the race, to the great won- 

 derment of her backers. To the inexpressible disgust 

 of Edwards, her jockey, the filly was 'out of it the 

 moment the flag fell.' Severe comments were made 

 on the form of the Count's filly : ' For to suppose that 

 Fille de TAir, the best animal of her year in October 

 last, and pronounced to be invincible by her own 

 trainer on the very morning of the present race, has 

 trained off to the veritable rosse her performance to- 

 day indicates, is too ridiculous for a moment's consi- 

 deration. There was a scene at Epsom, when, the filly 

 having won the Oaks, her jockey returned to weigh in, 

 which those who saw will long remember. To the 

 mob, the victory of the Count's mare, after what had 

 taken place in the Guineas, was most unpalatable — 

 but why the ill-natured thousands who groaned and 

 yelled should have selected the rider of the horse as 

 the object of their wrath is difficult to understand, 

 because if there was a,ny " manipulation of the mare " 

 in connection with the race for the Guineas, it is not 

 in the least likely that the jockey would be taken into 

 the confidence of the criminals ; some good judges, 

 indeed, were of opinion that no crime had been com- 

 mitted, but that the mare had for the time lost her 

 form. At some future time we shall probably get to 

 know "all about it" ; but it seems passing strange that 

 such a stake as rewards the winner of the Two Thou- 

 sand Guineas — in this instance £i,400 was the net 



