SPORTING.

> — SPEARMINT'S VICTORY IN FRANCE. CARBINE'S SON'S SECOND BIG WIN. The following particulars of the performance of Carbine's great son have been received by the mail : — Grand Prix de Paris, of £8,000 ; for three-year-olds. One mile seven furlongs. Major E. Loder's Spearmint, by Carbine— Maid of the Mint, (B. Dillon) ... 1 M. J. Joubert's Brisecoeur, by Brio— Christiane (A. Carter) 2 M. R. de Monbel's Storm, by Ermak— Stormy Petrel), (G. Parfrement) ... 3 Also ran : Maintenon, Flying Star, Malua, Fellah, Naryaez, Querido, Tyrol, Procope, Shadow 11., Montileu. Pari-mutuel betting— lo to* 9 on Spearmint, 100 to 1 agst Brisecoeur, 100 to 1 Storm. Places — 10 to 8 on Spearmint, 16 to 1 agst Brisecoeur, 20 to 1 Storm. There was the usual hush of expectancy when the thirteen horses lined up behind the starting gate, which for the Grand Prix is right opposite the lower stands. While Mr Figes was waiting until the thirteen runners got into lino one could realise the enormous assemblage, and the cosmopolitan nature of those present was evidenced by the babel of many tongues— for once French not seeming to predominate ; but this was possibly the experience of personal environment. At last ! " Parti !" Off 1 Such a race for the first turn, which is only about a hundred and fifty yards from the Grand Prix starting gate ! Rounding this happily means so much. Woodland on Maintenon, and Dillon on Spearmint had the foot of the others, and those who had backed the pair heaved a sigh of relief. Dillon was chancing nothing, and evidently had instructions to rely on Spearmint's known speed and stamina. He, therefore, let him gallop . along on the rails just ahead of his field, the others being fairly well bunched together. Along the back stretch they went, the tremendous stride of the son of the mighty Australian horse Carbine telling its tale as one after the other dropped out. Where was Maintenon? Still there ; but in another fifty yards he was laboring, and the movement of his jockey's arms told its- tale. Maintenon was beaten. Out with him — there were others. Still sweeping along, they approached the turn down the hill to the Tattenham Corner at Longchamp. As easily as possible Spearmint came down the slightly* bent hill to the straight. Round it he had a comfortable lead ; where was the troublo to come from. Dillon stuck to his task, not looking round to be told what was near him— he could hear it. Up went a shout from the tribunes : " C'est Brisecoeur gui gagne t" and there was the outsider in full pursuit, running on as gamely as couM be wished. His hoofs were too near Dillon, who began riding. The strong shoulders of the Irish lad and his fitness left nothing to be desired. He was urging on the beau* tiful colt, and Spearmint, as if he could say he was not going back without avenging his stable companion Pretty Polly, responded as only a great horse can. Stride for stride now— but Spearmint's is longer than Crisecoeur's, and amid such a shout as could be heard in the heart of Paris, the grand bay with the white blaze and the one white stocking, had wont-by haif a length. It was over ! Spearmint had won ; Frenchmen had a chance of reciprocating the warm cheers given for M. Blanc when Val dOr took the Eclipse States at Sandown Park, last July. Be it said fevr their sportsmanship that they were enthusiastic to ft degree,' if not boisterous, but this is explicable by the fact that none of the fancied French candidates obtained a place — the losses were stupendous. Sharpe, Mr Gilpin's head lad, who was responsible for the great success of Spearmint's journey, and who has never left the colt night or [day, wls was the first to go out and attach the leading rein to "Tom" — as he calls him — and Major Loder was soon there, his face denoting his pleasurable emotion, and his face as radiant as on the occasion of any of Pretty Polly's victories. Crowding around him were the aristocrats amon£ French owners, warmly patting his back, shaking his disengaged hand, while perfect strangers to him bowed and murmured their felicitations. It was a great occasion, and one to dwell in one's memory long after Spearmint has ended his racing career. No English horse had won the Grand Prix since 1886, when Minting, the grandsire of Spearmint, was successful. Only two other English Derby winners- — Cremorne and Kisber —had previously secured the principal French "classic" race. Gladiateur, the winner of both events in 1865, of course was a French owued and bred colt. Such marvels as Blair Athol, Doncaster, and St. Blaise— all successes at Epsom— failed at Longchamp. Merry Hampton was the last to try unsucessfully. This was in 1887. Foreign buyers, especially those acting for the Argentine, would pay any price for Spearmint, but no offer would be entertained; Spearmint's stock are a national necessity— to England.