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FEW FILLIES IN THE EPSOM DERBY. Now that Fifinella has followed in the footsteps of Signorinetta and Tagalie by winning the Derby -this being the third success on the part of a filly in the brief space of nine years it may be expected that in the next few years more owners of mares will try conclusions in the "Blue Ribbon," instead of holding them in reserve for the Oaks. When the two races were started the Oaks, which is a year the senior, was generally regarded as being quite as important as the Derby, and it was only occasionallv that owners gave battle to the colts. In the early days of the two Epsom classics, moreover, there was no interval, as is nowadays the case, of a clear day between them, the first Derbv that won by Diomed falling on a Thursday, and that years Oaks won by Teetotum on the following afternoon. -The fact remains that during the first fifty years of the Derby no more than sixteen fillies took part in it. Even so, one of those, Sir C. Bunburys Eleanor, distinguished herself by carrying off both Derby and Oaks in 1801 a feat since then accomplished only by such other fillies as Blink Roniiv. Signorinetta and Fifinella. hi Eleanors year, for the first time in the history of the Derby, there were two fillies in the field, the other being the Duke of Graftons Remnant, which finished third in a field of eleven. In 1810 the Duke of Grafton ran two for the Derby, both fancied, for his colt WhalelMtne, which won, was favorite at li to 1, and his filly, Pledge, a good second favorite at 3 to 1. 1ledge, although unplaced to her stable companion, afterwards became the dam of the Derby winner. Teresias. She was one of the numerous successful broodmares produced by the famous Prunella, the founder of one of the most notable branches of the No. 1 family. Curiosity to find out the total number of fillies that have run for the Derby has caused me to delve in the records since the first fifty years of the race.. From 1S30 to the present year inclusive the total number of fillies that have taken part in the big event is forty, making a grand total of only fifty-six fillies in an aggregate of 137 races. In addition to the four winners of the double of the Derby and Oaks two others won the Derby in Shotover and Tagalie. For six fillies out of fifty-six to win the Blue Ribbon is truly an excellent proportion, the more particularly as in at least three of the Derbys the fair sex-was trebly represented. On two occasions fillies were second for the Blue Ribbon, Deception in 183! running up to Bloomsbury and ha Fleche doing ditto in 1S!2 to Sir Hugo. They both afterwards won the Oaks. Yet another filly. Queen Adelaide, finished third to the dead-heaters, her stable companioh, Harvester, and St. Oatien, while Sceptre was fourth. A famous mare which was unplaced in 1805 was Zephyr, which made amends at the stud by becoming the dam of the Derby winner, Favonius. The year the last-named carried off the Blue Ribbon was indeed a marvellously fortunate one for Baron Rothschild, for lie likewise won the One- Thousand, the Oaks, and the St. heger with Hannah and the Coronation Stakes and Cesnrewitch with Corisande. "Vigilant" in London Sportsman.
