GRAND FLANEUR, THE DNDEFEATED.

Otago Witness, Issue 2408, 26 April 1900, Page 40

GRAND FLANEUR, THE DNDEFEATED.

A Sydney cablegram reports the death of this horse, celebrated as a racer, renowned as a sire. It is strange that Grand Flaneur should have pegged out on the very week of his home at Chipping Norton being broken up; yes such is the fact, and this issue contains both reports — Flaneur's death and the auction of the stud of which he has been the head serang. Of the two events, Grand Flaneur's death is the more interesting, if not the more important. He was on? of the colonies' great horses. The honour of breeding the chammon belongs to the Hon. E. 3v. Cox, .of New." South Wales. It was in 1877 that' the youngster was born, got by Yattendon out of the English mare First Lady, by St. Albane — Lady Patroness, by Orlando — Lady Palmerston, by Melbourne. Grand Flaneur raced from first to last in the colours of tho Hon. W. A. Long. The youngster's first appearance was delayed (as in the case of GarMne) till the midsummer, it being at the V.R.C. meeting of January, 1830, that he ran his only race as a two-year-old. This was in the Normanby Stakee, for which he was ridden by Yeomans, and went out at 7to 1, Palmyra being the favourite. As a matter of fact, this filly disgraced herself by finishing -amongst the last three in a bigfield. The race proved to be a pretty easy thing for 1 Grand Flaneur, who was followed home by Trevellyan and Good Morning. That was on the day that First King won his second Chamoiou, beating Wellington and Petrea for place?. Returning to the Sydney side, Grand Flaneur was kept off the tracks till thr following September, when he started at 2 to 1 in the A.J.C. Derby, and Tom Hales got him home half a length in front of Trevellyan, Sapphire a neck away. The hopes of Grand Flaneur proving a smasher were hardly maintained by this race. True, he won. but the critics didn't like the others mentioned being so close to him in a pretty hard finish. The explanation, supplied afterwards, W a=; that Mr Long's colt was, on the day, a little off colour. In the Mares' Produce Stakes at the same meeting, Grand Flaneur went out at 7 to 4- on. and won by a length and a-half from Creßwick, Zulu (who afterwards won tha Melbourne Cup) a bad third. As this field was not high class, the critic j again suggested that the son of First lody would have to wait till ho had won tho V.X.C. Derby before the" would ac-roc a? to hi'; being tVe daddy of his age. The pvirlerco thus asked for was duly forthcoming. For the V.R.C. Derby backers slightly preferred Progress, whose price was 11 to 8, while 6to 4 was on offer Gmiid Flaneur. The two had th° contest practice ]lv to themselves, and S<\ Albnns, th« rider of Progress, tiring before his cok wns done with. Grand Flaneur' won rather eapilv by a length, Mulatto a dozen lengths away third. I have preserved the descrintion of Mi' Long's colt given at this ■^tao-e by the Australian. "A bright bnv, nilh white hind feet, standing about 15.2hds. He has a neat, bloodliko head, set on to a muscular neck ; t>ood shoulders [remember the nih'ole on hi& shouldprs in last wee V'<? Witness] ; plenty of heart room ; powerful vibs; remarkably loner and muocular quarceu-. We have much better-boned horses ; but, though he seems to suffer from p ppcnliar lameness*, he quickly throws it off after a Qjllop, and begins pound again in an hour or two." In the Melbourne Cup the colt carried 6.10, and was ridden pgain by Hales, whilst his opponent Progress was ridden by St. Albans at 5.10. The latter, made favourite at 3 to 1, had to accept defeat once moie, this time by a length and a-half. wbiM Lord Bingley (syrs, 7.5, Pigott) finished third. Grand Flaneur, who started at 1 to 1, won easily by a length. In tho Marcs' Produce Stakes, starting at 5 to 2 on, Grand Flaneur carried a 51b penalty, and easily beat Progress by a length, Mulatto being third. He wont back to Flomington for the New Year's Day meeting, and, starting in the Champion Race at odda of 5 to 2 and 3 to 1 on.

beat Progress easily by two lengths, Sweetmeat, Wellington, and Trevellyan being the other starters. At Melbourne in the following March only two started for the Leger, aud form once more proved true, Grand Flaneur (3 to 1 on) doing Progress easily by a length and a-half. Next day there was the sensational scratching of Grand Flanour at the last moment for the Australian Cup, in which he was weighted at B.l2— an act that led to a great display of indignation on the part of .the public, they even going so far as to cry out that they would lynch the owner. Grand Flaneur's only other appearance at the meeting was in the Town Plate, for which, carrying 8.10, he beat Sweetmeat 9.7 an. I Progress 8.3, starting- at 3 to 1 on^ • and winning easily by a length. This was the end of the colt as a racer. It was computed that over the nine events which he won Mr Long netted £7939 in stakes and £20,000 in bets, and the colt, on retiring'from the turf, held the special honour, distinguishing- 'himself from all the other great horses, of being absolutely unbeaten. Somehow or other I have never thought Grand Flaneur quite the equal of tho very best, such as Chester, Abercorn, and Carbine — hi? shirking of the Australian Cup and other big handihaps (excepting the Melbourne Cup, in which he held a light weight) leading to the idea that he was not a very daring challenger, while he also raced for only" a limited period — abor.t 15 months. Yet there is no doubt he was a, thoroughly good and very brilliant celt. And as a sir© he has been a distinguished success. Bravo, Dainty, Penance, Patron, Patroness, Chesham, and Frisco — these are the names of some of the racehorses .bsgotten by the son of First Lady, and 1 will extend the list later on. His blood has also appeared in New Zealand, for Indolence, oiio of his daughters, is the dam of Far Niente, who has won four races right off the reel this autumn.