La Sagesse (horse)

[4] Her dam, St Mary was a daughter of Adelaide, the foundation mare of Thoroughbred family 9-h.[5] La Sagesse was a very precocious filly who won her first four races in the spring of 1894.

After settling just behind the leaders she stayed on well in the last quarter mile but was unable to match the acceleration of Alfred W. Cox's Galeottia and finished second, three lengths behind the winner, with Lord Rosebery's Gas (a half-sister to Ladas) in third.

With Loates again in the saddle she started the 5/1 second favourite behind Garter Queen, while the other thirteen runners included Galeottia, Gas, Ella Tweed (Brocklesby Stakes), Float and Saintly.

La Sagesse was not among the early leaders as the outsider Silver Hill set a steady pace before giving way to Galeottia who opened up a clear advantage which she maintained into the straight.

[12] At Royal Ascot on 19 June La Sagesse was dropped back in distance and started favourite for the one-mile Coronation Stakes despite carrying top weight of 129 pounds.

[14] On 22 April 1896 La Sagesse began her third campaign in the £2000 City and Suburban Handicap over ten furlongs at Epsom in which she carried 113 pounds and finished unplaced behind the six-year-old Worcester.

Ridden by Sam Loates she took the lead entering the final furlong and held off the late challenge of the five-year-old mare Ghislaine to win by a short head.

[19] La Sagesse remained in training as a five-year-old mare and began her season by finishing unplaced behind Winkfield's Pride in the Lincolnshire Handicap at Lincoln Racecourse on 23 March.