After being sold for a world record price as a yearling in 1890, she was undefeated as a two-year-old in 1891, winning races against her own sex and defeating some of the year's leading colts.

She went on to become the dominant British three-year-old of 1892, claiming the Fillies’ Triple Crown by winning the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, the Oaks at Epsom and the St Leger at Doncaster.

La Fleche (French for The Arrow), a brown mare standing just under 16 hands high[2] was bred by the Royal Studs at Hampton Court and was foaled on 10 March 1889.

[3] She was bought by Lord Marcus Beresford on behalf of the financier Baron Maurice de Hirsch[4] for a sum of 5,500 guineas, outbidding the Duke of Portland and John Porter[5] and breaking the record for a yearling sold at auction, which had stood since 1876.

Her dam, Quiver produced La Fleche's full-sister Memoir, who won the Epsom Oaks and the St Leger as well as the influential broodmares Maid Marian and Satchel.

[12] On 29 July, La Fleche was sent to Goodwood for the five furlong Lavant Stakes in which she met Priestess, another filly whose sale price (£4,000) had attracted comment.

[13] La Fleche tracked Priestess, who set a strong pace, before moving ahead in the final furlong to win "very cleverly" by a length.

[18] Confidence in the filly grew steadily over the winter and early spring,[19] and by late April she had supplanted Orme as Derby favourite.

In the final furlong however, she was closely pressed by The Smew, a filly she had dealt with easily in the 1000 Guineas, and Barrett had to ride a vigorous finish[30] to win the race by a short head.

[26] On 29 July at Goodwood, La Fleche won the Nassau Stakes in which, despite looking less than fully fit,[31] she quickened impressively to bear Broad Corrie by a length and a half.

Orme, who had returned from his problems to win the Eclipse Stakes started favourite, with La Fleche, ridden on this occasion by John Watts, strongly supported at 7/2.

[39] At the end of the season La Fleche, and all of Maurice de Hirsch's other horses were moved from the yard of John Porter to that of Richard Marsh.

The move followed a disagreement between Hirsch's racing manager, Marcus Beresford, and another of Porter's important patrons, the Duke of Westminster[40] In early 1893, La Fleche was reported to be wonderfully "fresh and well" although she showed no signs of having grown.

[42] Two weeks later at Goodwood, Orme again proved superior, beating the filly by a neck in the Gordon Stakes, despite veering sharply left inside the last furlong.

On 10 November she ran in the Liverpool Autumn Cup, carrying a weight of 132 pounds and won in impressive style by one and a quarter lengths from The Prisoner.

Before the start of the 1894 season, La Fleche was covered by the Gold Cup winner Morion, and raced in foal (pregnant) for the rest of the year.

As the owners of Isinglass had turned down a challenge to run his horse against La Fleche,[50] they were the only two runners and the mare, ridden by Watts started at odds of 1/3.

[51] As the mare galloped up the hill with her ears pricked, she was given an enthusiastic reception from the Newmarket crowd who knew they were witnessing her final race.

Sir Tatton Sykes, who was reportedly horrified by the price, initially refused to acknowledge the mare's arrival, and left her in a railway box for two weeks before he was persuaded to accept the deal.