Siffleuse

La Belle Siffleuse was highly regarded as a juvenile in 1892 but failed to win a race.[6] Her most high-profile contest was the £1,800 Breeders' Foal Stakes over five furlongs at Manchester Racecourse on 9 June when she started at odds of 3/1 and finished third of the nine runners behind Hautbrion and Emita, beaten more than two lengths by the winner.[7]

On 5 May 1893 Siffleuse, ridden by Tommy Loates, started a 33/1 outsider for the 80th running of the 1000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket Racecourse. Dame President, also owned by John Blundell Maple, started the 3/1 favourite while the other fancied runners were Evermore, Silene, the 6th Duke of Portland's The Prize, Lord Rosebery's Tressure and Captain Machell's Halma. Blundell Maple did not "declare to win" with either of his fillies but it was assumed that Siffleuse had been entered to set the pace for Dame President: Percy Peck reportedly told Loates "Your mount will stop after going five furlongs. Of course you must win if you can".[8] Siffleuse started well and led the field up the centre of the course until half way when she was passed by her more fancied stablemate, but despite having fulfilled her apparent role as pacemaker she remained in close contention and engaged in the struggle for second place with Silene and Tressure. Inside the final furlong, however, Dame President, who had looked certain to win, began to tire badly and stopped almost to a walk. Amid "indescribable uproar"[8] Siffleuse produced a strong late rally to regain the advantage in the final strides and win by a head, with Tressure a length and a half back in third place.[9] The result was described as "one of the most prodigious surprises" in the history of British racing.[10]

Siffleuse did not contest the Oaks Stakes and reappeared in the Yorkshire Oaks over one and a half miles in August. Ridden by Watts she started joint favourite alongside Queen of Navarre and won very easily by six lengths.[11] At Doncaster Racecourse in September Siffleuse bypassed the St Leger for the Park Hill Stakes and started second favourite behind Tressure, who had finished runner-up in the Oaks. With Watts again in the saddle she came home second, beaten two lengths by Self Sacrifice,to whom she was conceding seven pounds in weight.[12]

On 4 May 1894, Siffleuse returned to the track for the £3,000 Great Jubilee Handicap over one mile at Kempton Park Racecourse for which she was assigned a weight of 108 pound. Ridden by Walter Bradford, she stated the 6/1 favourite in a 22-runner field but ran unplaced behind Avington.[13] At Epsom Racecourse a month later she was one of the outsiders in an eleven-runner field for the Epsom Plate but exceeded expectations a she finished second to Chin Chin under a weight of 125 pounds.[14]