THE GREAT FLYING FOX and the HARAS DE JARDY Written for the Kentucky Farmer and Breeder by Dr
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THE KENTUCKY FARMER AND BREEDER FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 1906. THE GREAT FLYING FOX AND THE HARAS DE JARDY Written for The Kentucky Farmer and Breeder by Dr. M. M. Leach. M. EDMOND BLANC, MASTER OF THE HARAS DE JARDY, MME. BLANC, AND TRAINER ROBERT DENMAN. Just at the present time I suppose nine Bought by M. Blanc. original purchase price paid by his plucky that day. Again high hopes were enter- out of ten of all those at all interested in Had the Duke of Westminster lived we owner. tained by M. Blanc and Robert Denman, blood stock matters when asked the ques- should more than likely have seen Fly- Ever since the first of the get of Flying his trainer, that one of the sons of Flying tion, "What is the greatest living: stud ing Fox trying for Gold Cup honors. But Fox appeared on the French turf they Fox would carry off the spoils on Don-cast- er horse?" would unhesitatingly answer, Fly- it was not to be. M. Blanc bought him have carried all before them, and had it Town Moor, but here again sate ing Fox. And indeed very sound argu- and retired him to the stud without any not been for a visitation of that curse to decreed otherwise. An unaccommodating ment can be advanced to back up this further racing. Thirty-nin- e thousand horse flesh, influenza, no doubt he would English Channel prohibited the transfer opinion. Ever since M. Blanc installed the three hundred and seventy-fiv- e pounds, or, have the Derby and possibly the St. Leger of the Frenchmen to the shores of Albion. may son of Orme and Vampire at the Haras de roughly, $196,875, is indeed a tremendous to his credit as well. Only last season All in all, the sons of Flying Fox be Jardy he has completely smothered all price to pay for any horse, and a record Jardy sailed by a small margin to beat said to have experienced more than their French opposition and his get have won share of ill luck when attempting English great renown on the English turf as well. classic honors. Flying Fox, as almost every one knows, a a was bred by the first Duke of Westmin- Last Year Not So Good. ster at Eaton Hall. The mating of Vam- Last season, due probably to the rav- pire to Orme, so we are told by the best ages of the influenza, we did not hear of the English turf writers, was due to qu'te so much of the doings of the Flying no well thought out plan, but was merely Fox No son of his stood a matter of chance, Vampire being of sue out ahead of all the others as is usually an uncontrollable temperament that it w j the case. I sincerely trust that the influ- deemed unwise to take her away frGm enza is responsible for this and that it is home. Orme, the sire, was also at one not the family sailing of the Doncaster time supposed to be afflicted with a mad line of putting in their best efforts during ness. Nevertheless, the result of the the first sew years of their stud life. Is union between these two eauine lunatics it is only the influenza that has tempora- turned out to be one of the ten horses to rily placed these young Flying Foxes carry off. England's triple turf crown. hors de combat, then all will be well, for No wonder then, when we consider his it is very desirable that some son of Fly- parentage, that Flying Fox during his ing Fox should win an English classic, racing days exhibited something of a the chain having been only broken by his mulish disposition. This trait, however, sire, Orme, since the days of The Baron. he fortunately does not transmit to his Some day, not a very remote one, I trust, offspring, whose tempers are said to be all we shall hear of some enterprising Amer- that can be desired. ican turfman purchasing a son of this mighty stallion to do stud duty in the United States, and we here can well real- As a Race Horse. ize what patronage would be accorded a Only once in his ld days was well bred son of his who had any racing always plenty of Flying Fox defeated. This seat was ac- FLYING FOX RUNNI NG IN HIS PADDOCK. merit at all. There is complished by the American-bre- d Cai- room for good stallions of this particular - over of kind with which man in the Middle Park Plate when Sloan, one, too, I have always understood to Cicero in- England's greatest classic, and line here, but the it years surfeited we then at the zenith of his same, rode the be, but this was the amount laid down it was at the time generally admitted by we have of late been surely enough to spare. s American, and it was possibly due as for Flying Fox by M. Blanc when he be- England's sporting press Jardy was have and that M. also much as anything else to Sloan's efforts came his owner, and even at this huge by no means at his best on Derby day. Besides Flying Fox, Blanc has the de Jardy the sen- that the defeat of Flying Fox was brought figure Flying Fox was a good business in- Just prior to the race he had been cough- installed at Haras Cambridgeshire of 1896, about. However, the following season vestment, provided the horse was proper- ing, and on his return to France was sational winner Flying son of Winkfield, by Fox had ample revenge on his ly insured, as was pointed out by the stricken down with pneumonia, but de- Winkfleld's Pride, Barcaldine. Finas-seu- r, conqueror, for Caiman could get no bet- Special Commissioner of Sportsman spite all Cicero had to do his to the great Irish horse the this best Derby Grand ter than second to him both in the Two of gave Cic- this year's French and at the time the sale. So it has in beat him at Epsom. Val d'Or by Thousand Guineas and the St. Leger. out. The amount won by ero comparatively easy beating in the Prix winner, was by him and bred fact turned the a account marked Possibly Flying Fox may not have been get of Flying Fox in stakes, sums rich Eclipse Stakes a along in M. Blanc, who, on of the the little later Flying Fox colts, sold quite at his best on Derby day. He won they have sold to year, small of 3 superiority of the for be used for stud the and the concession this, the race right enough, but only aster the duty and his own sees besides must by lbs. that he received would not, from all him as a yearling. Rather cruel luck unfortunate Frenchman, Holocauste, had this time have got back more than the accounts, have brought the two together but M. Blanc has at least the satisfaction fallen and broken his leg just when it of being his breeder and Finasseur is a appeared as though he had an excellent rare good advertisement for his sire, chance of winning outright. So good a rhose daughters should in time make judge of racing as Mr. George Voorhies, mates for the premier Flying who was spending that summer in En- Fox. gland, has assured me more than once s that in his opinion Holocauste had a bit Open Air Treatment. the best of the tussle when the regrettable The illustration of Flying Fox galloping accident occurred. Moreover,' Mr. Voor- wildly around his paddock shows that hies had a splendid view of the race, hav- those in charge of M Blanc's establish- ing secured early in the day a seat on ment believe in horses getting plenty of top of the big stand, from which coign exercise at their own sweet will and do of vantage, armed with a pair of powerful not follow the pernicious practice of field glasses, he was well able to see lunging them, so largely followed else- everything that occurred in the race, where Another good picture is that of particularly that part of it where Holo- a side view of the horse, but the one I causte sell. And again Mr. Voorhies al- really like best is where he is being led ways stoutly maintains that speed rather from you, showing well the swinging walk, than endurance was Flying Fox's forte great power of his back and loins and On the other hand his trainer, the veter- length of hip and thigh. There is, in an John Porter, reckoned him as good as fact, to me something very impressive in the best, and he ought to be a pretty this view and I am much more of a good judge, for he trained his grandsire. Flying Fox adherent since I have seen it the horse of the century, Ormonde. But Pictures of horses standing still are all with all due deference to Porter's opinion, very well in their way, but must ever give it can not be said that Flying Fox cover- them more or less of a wooden appearance ed himself with glory in the Derby He and it is only when in motion that you might have been a bit off, but the oppo- get any idea of how a horse's muscles sition, outside of Holocauste, was very play, the poise of the head, his walk, or weak.