The Express.
London, England, 1868-06-08 00:00:00

THE GRAND PRIX DE PARIS.

(vain s. anuunroxparr.)
PARIS, 81:INDAT Emmet.
The greatest fete for French sporting men and
for the Parisian world in general is unquestionably
the day on which the Grand Prix de Paris is run
for in the Bois de Bonlogne. On the Saturday
night preceding the race, between the hours of 9
and 12, the English bookmakers, who have crossed
the Channel to turn over a " cool " thousand or
two, make up their books at the Salon des Courses;
shopmen and clerks invest their five-franc pima;
at the " Sporting Office " on the Boulevard dos
Italiens, in much the same manner as an English-
man, ignoring the French language, would
order his dinner from the bill of fare at a
restaurant where none of the waiters speak Eng-
lish ; and grooms and coachmen quarrel over their
pots of beer, and give their opinion about " that
'ere hoes," in some low publiehouse in the neigh-
bourhood of the Champs Elyst-es.
On Sunday about mid-day cabriolets, stanhopcs,
and drags may be aeon to draw up at the principal
hotels and clubs ; spicy little coupes and victories,
with natty little coachmen in blue and gold, white
buckskin breeches and top boots, with bouquets
of roses fastened in the front of their coats,
dash out of the Cliaussee d'Antin and the Rue
Leffitte, and follow the Boulevards in the direction
of the "Bois." From the Faubourg St. Germain,
over the Pont de la Conoorde, comes the heavy
pair horse baronche, and the old-fashioned
brougham, whilst down the Rue Royale from the
Boulevard Malesherbes, and out of thc streets rtm-
thug into the Champs Elysees, the belles
of the season are borne along in C-spring
berouches said victories d is demi-Daumont.
Up the Champ. Elyek.e, down the aristo-
cratic Avenue de l'lmperatriee, and along the
shady avenues of the " Bois," gol the drags,
barouches, landaus, and stanhopes of the grand
monde intermixed with the victories and coupes of
the demi. The voiture a huit rmorts of some
duchess who inhabits an hotel in the Champs
Elysees, follows the little coupe of the demi-
mondaine, who lives on an retread in the Chaussee
d'Antin or the Rue Blanche ; the shopman, out for
a holiday, canters along on his livery-stable hack,
by the side of a little viscount who never pays
lees than 5,000 francs a piece for his horses, and who
trace. his descent in a direct line from some Nor-
man baron of the 11th century. In the midst of
this mass of carriages is the bourgeois, with his
wife and family, all crammed into a single horse
cab, drawn by one of those remarkably lean grey
horses so common on the Parisian macadam. His
skin seems to have become so hard that the lash,
which is continually coming down upon his book,
I appears to make no impression on him whatever,
unless it is that he nervously switches his tail
from right to left, as if to drive away a
By that is tormenting him. Along the Allis
de Longchampe, and across the Avenue de la
Reine Marguerite, and in a few minutes they
will arrive at the cascade. The bourgeois and the
dead-rnondaine drive on to the ground and take up
their positions in the midst of the " Paige.," the
" Sporting offices " and the vehicles of the
Browns and the bonnie. " from London," which
come down in swarms on a day like this ; while
the exquisite. drive round to the back of the
tribunes and block up the adjoining avenues
with their carriages. Here are long trains
trailing in the dust and bonnets hardly larger
than a penny bun, which dainty little angers
have been working at all night ; anfures die Marie
Antoinette, executed by the Empress's hair-dresser,
and wigs in the fashionable oolour, which Bgadsaie's
femme de chambre requested should be sent
home not later than 10 o'clock this morn-
ing, In order that this capricious beauty,
might be seen at the roses with twenty or
thirty pounds' worth of flaxen ringlets hang-
ing down her back. There, too, one recog-
nise. the work of the great Dusantoy, who, be-
sides being tailor to his Majesty Napoleon HI. and
claiming to be " cost builder " to half the
crowned heads in Europe, was but a short time
since the proprietor of a daily political newspaper.
Had he been es successful in journalism as
he is in tailoring he world probably have
continued by giving a political cut to the
various articles of clothing that left his

e•tablislunent ; thus we should have
the legitimist by the cut of hi.
Bonapartist by the fit of his tr.)vt.o-ri. arid tlji
shape of the coat and the number of its butt„„
would have denoted the stawith
swarm of dandies Milt at h.itigelinnqi,
they had just come out of so ninny imn.14,,E.:
with the skirts of their cots :in inch ishort-r•
they were a fortnight ago at Chantilly, and i:„
lower portion of their face concealed by
midable stand-up collar. while at
raising bootmalcer has supplied Home
of them with lavender kid hoots tipped with 1,1,4
Cupidon, tho pet of the Jockey Club, w.i 4 6ri
grass in a pair-hors brougham ; she wa;
.1
in a black silk dress trimmed with white su I
was playing with a very fine black pug !biz, lit.
first three rat es excited little intereat. ur IL', Prit
d'Armononville, Neothenno, belon gin t t h.. •
Bethune-Sully, was first. In the Prix
Pavilions, Perette. belonging to M. M
first. The Prix de la Ville de Paris ws, w,,ll LT
the Duke of TTaniilton'fl Crhital f ,pi
race. The Emperor, the Prince Inipenal. th •
PrincemMuthildo occupied the imperi.d ,t.
tended by a number of ladies and R..1161,1..11.
amongst whom were the General Fleury and ti, •
Baron Ifausinnann. Seven horses startvd
Grand Prix de Paris. When The Earl
appearance he WIN saluted as a earthor... ,;,..
ignorant spectators. Little did they think th .t
could win in a canter. Just before
two little incidents afforded considerable
meat; the ono consisted of a little fight
opposite the imperial stand, and the otii,t •,
the breaking of the cord at the buttoin
hill, and the consequent covering of the 4'9%7, in
the crowd. At last the bell rang, and
made their appearance.
The betting on the course on the Grand
Paris was :

6 to 4 on The Ear!
10 to 1 Art 141APA4in
4 tot Vale Hopi
4 to 1 Dirilusko
60 to 1 Sedan
3to 1 - Suzerain

60 to 1 Sanianapalo.

They all got off together the finis. tim, "Nian
taking the lead, followed clovly by Nc!.1;1).
akin, and The Earl. They occupied the 91::: • ;Iv
on passing tho windmill, but at the ih,
boy in yellow came to the inlnt tend t..sk
the lead until they had pesied th,.
On coming down the hill, and on turning tie, ie.
corner, they were all dose together. Fiore N,•::.1.;!;)
wee called upon, and for a few moment.: an.nr.•::3
to the call, but The Earl, separating. hiukkili from
the others, came to the front and won by a h.ngth
with the most perfect easP. At 9 f.'W tect from
winning-post, Neluako Iraq lie .ten by gluon:tin.
who was second by about a Week, and Sedan cam,
in fourth, and a disappointod ea,
heard to remark :—" Tu reimport" encore, oe
parade Albion Seer -r-r-r :"