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The first racing recorded in France was In 1651, In gardens
at the Muette In Paris. No organized meeting took place until
1776 when races were arranged on the Plalne des Sablons,
the site of the present Longchamp, which In 1857, was rented
by the Societe d'Encouragement who built the famous course,
and Napoleon III went from Paris by boat on the Seine to
Inaugurate It the same year. The French rules on racing were
drawn up In 1780; these, during the Revolution, had been
completely forgotten. Napoleon I revived racing In 1805, but
had a wrong opinion of the thoroughbred, for he officially pro
claimed that the half-bred was Its superior; weight was allotted
according to the horse's height and not for age or merit.
In 1806 a Grand Prix was Instituted and called successively
Prix Royal, Grand Prix Royal, Grand Prix National, Grand Prix
Imperial, Grand Prix de I'Empereur and since 1869 Prix Gla-
dlateur: therefore, the oldest race In France. The most famous
French race Is the Grand Prix de Paris; It was for several years
the richest race In the world. In 1908 It was worth to Mr.
W. K. Vanderbllt, owner of "Northeast", over 400,000 gold
francs. Run at Longchamp on the last Sunday In June over 1
mile 7 furlongs. It was created In 1863 and won that year
by "The Ranger ", an English horse. In front of the famous
French filly "La Toucques ", the only filly to have won both
French Oaks and Derby. 14 English horses have won the Grand
Prix; "Galloper Light", "Comrade" and "Lemonora" are the
winners since the resumption of that race after the world war.
Mr. Edmond Blanc, brother of Camllle Blanc, of Monte Carlo
fame, who raced very successfully for over forty years, won the
Grand Prix on no fewer than seven occasions and In 1903 his
colts "Quo Vadls ","Calus"and "Vinlclus"filled the first
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