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SOME THREEYEAROLDS IN FRANCE FRANCEFrench French sportsmen have advanced a step towards the classic events of the threeyearolds of 1013 Sundays program at Loiigohamps was of sullicient interest to secure a gooil attendance notwithstand ¬ ing very indifferent weather It was known that Viscount dHarcourt who 1ms been buying marcs for ills stud since 1SSS without securing any classic event although in 1S05 it was thought that Cher ¬ bourg after winning the Prix dti Nabob bad an ex ¬ cellent chance of securing the Derby and Grand Prize of Paris It is a matter of history how that gallant horse died on tile battlefield a victim to that cardiac malady which stopped liini when victory was within his grasp at Chantilly and Lougchamps There was no harder worker than his trainer James Cunnington nor could he have shown greater de ¬ votion to his patron when indifferent health com ¬ pelled him to resign than by nominating as his suc ¬ cessor Charles Bartholomew the former manager and trainer of that mammoth stable at Chamant formed by M Albert Menler with over two hundred horses in work It seems like a fairy tale inore especially wheu most of the time of the responsible trainer was absorbed by conferences as to engage ¬ ments and iiossible runners for each event tliatc Bartholomew through tact autf judgment should have carried on for many years without imposing a severe loss on the stable whose owner held pride of place on more than one occasion on the list of winning owners Now after all those ups and downs inseparable from the breaking up of such an enormous establishment the turn of Hie wheel has placed in bis hands the winner of the Prix des Cars Ecouen which looks like a Derby winner winnerEcouens Ecouens lirst appearance last September when the son of St Frusquin was sent out for the Prix Sablonviile made a most favorable Impression He had everything a trainer could wish fos good legs line hocks his sire appeared to have given him his best points He ran rather green until he showed what lie was made of in the Grand Criterluni but his trainer has paid him every attention during winter lie has not been hurried and when un sheethed in the paddock yesterday he was sur ¬ rounded by a ring of sportsmen who could see for themselves that the trainer had remembered that another six weeks will elapse before his Chantilly engagement He has plenty of time to give him ail the work he may require to show his very best in the Prix du Jockey Club He favors bis sire considerably and has all tho bone that could be re ¬ quired He is well grown with clean hocks and middle piece muscular quarters and in fact made those who looked him over regret that his owner and breeder had not included in his engagements a liability for the English blue riband He is a big horse and the summary condition in which he had been sent out for his lirst gallop in public orer a course rtndored heavy by rain which had fallen all night and had continued throughout the morning Imposed a trying task on him when meeting Opott which had had the best attention Elijah Curiniugtoti could give giveThe The son of St Frnsquin allowed the pace to be set by his opponents and ONeill waited until the turn for home where he secured a good place and let his horse run home without asking him a ques ¬ tion The victory of Ecouen proved him certainly the most authorized candidate for Derby honors we have seen as yet in public and enabled many to draw a comparison between him and Mr A Bel ¬ monts Vulcain VI whose majestic proportions in the paddock arrested the eye as he was led round the ring The son of Rock Sand and Lady of the Vale is one of the pair with Nimbus destined to cross the Channel for the Epsom Derby Mr A Belniouts colt is in the hands of R Carter senior who was the mascot of the stable of M Caill ault whose name he placed on the scroll of fame with Roxelane in 1S07 as the winner of the Oaks with Perth as the winner of the Derby two years later and then twiee with Perth and Chcri as win ¬ ner of the Grand Prix de Paris while Macdonald secured for him the Prix du Conseil Municipal and Qtierido the Prix du President de la Rcpubllque Mr A Belmont was anxious to avail himself of the services of R Carter junior as soon as lie was at liberty and to him has been confided the task of preparing Vulcain VI for the Prix du Jockey Club as well as for the English Derby The son of Rock Sand is imposing in appearance but although he is not one of those heavenborn colts with whom no fault could be found he was sent to the post in an impeccable condition every muscle standing out one of the besttopped horses on the course The same question was asked as in Ihe ease of Ecouen as to how lie would act on the heavy ground with the Boulogne Hill to get down Ho was also entrusted to ONeill who is far and away the most careful of those who have crossed the Atlantic to ride here The victory was conclusive for again allowing the field to pace him ho joined in at the straight run in and cantered home witli his head in his breast Those breastThose who saw Nimbus doing his work on Friday could hardly have recognized the son of Elf anil Neplite which won so brilliantly the Prix de Villler at Chantilly as a twoyearold Ho has grown and developed and throws back for stamina and speed to liis grandsire Flying Fox inheriting the smooth pleasant style of action which has characterized so many of his descendants while Elf will have given him all tho stamina lie may require for running sue eossfully over the trying Epsom course Nimbus will be seen out in public all being well on Sunday next in the Prix Greffulhe where he will meet Pere Marquette the winner of the Prix Hocqiiart and then probably he will be reserved for the double event of Epsom and Chaulilly George Ciinnington senior will be welcomed again to the race course after his long wrestle witli his old enemy gout and perhaps the success of the colt now the apple of his eye may procure him a long truce from the starvation and toastandwater diet which if mem ¬ ory serves aright hardly fits in with tho ideas of a devoted disciple of old Izaak Blarney Ecouen and Vulcain VI will meet at the post for the French Guineas In Paris on the ISth insr and then Mr Belmonts eolt will have the finishing touches put to him for his journey to Epsom Rumor says that Mr A Belmont who acquired a large tract of pasture laud in the fertile province of Normandy near Foucarmont to form the Villiers Stud has sold the seventeen yearlings bred there by the siro Ethilhcrt for 31000 to Mr Charles Kohler who intends sending them to the United States for sale by public auction The Jockey remarks that such a proceeding would be a serious disappointment to French owners if it Implied the withdrawal of a popular owner and breeder but that possibly it may IK regarded as a simple encouragement to those about to commence racing across the Atlantic Paris Letter of May 5 to London Sportsman
