Saraband third. Following this victory he ended his first season unbeaten in five races and was quoted at odds of 4/1 for the following year’s Derby. With the other unbeaten colts Ormonde and The Bard in contention the crop of three-year-old for the following season looked to be the strongest for many years. 1886: three-year-old season In early 1886 the betting for the Classics was dominated by Minting and the also undefeated Ormonde, In March Minting was 2/1 favourite for the 2000 Guineas with Ormonde on 5/2, while the colts were 11/2 joint favourites for the Derby. On 28 April Minting started the 11/10 the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. The race was run at an exceptionally strong pace and Minting, ridden by John Watts, tracked the leaders in the early stages before moving up to dispute the lead with Ormonde just after half way. Minting went a neck in front as the two colts drew away from the rest of the field, but Ormonde’s superiority became evident as he pulled away in the closing stages to win by two lengths. There was a gap of ten lengths back to Mephisto in third. Rather than take on Ormonde again in the Derby, Minting’s connections opted to wait for the Grand Prix de Paris on 6 June. This race, run over 3000m at Longchamp, was the most valuable and important race in France. Minting started at odds of 4/6 in a field which included The Oaks winner Miss Jummy and the French colts Sycamore and Upas, who had dead-heated for the Prix du Jockey Club. Ridden by Archer, Minting was held up at the back of the field in the early stages as the outsider Polyeucte opened up a big lead. 400m from the finish, as other runners began to struggle on the heavy ground, Minting began to make rapid progress, catching Polyeucte in the closing stages and winning by two lengths “without the semblance of an effort.” His win was enthusiastically received by the British contingent in the crowd. According to one report, Minting’s win was so easy that Archer had been able to pull him up to a walk at the line. Minting had been strongly fancied since the start of the season for the inaugural running of the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown in July but on the eve of the race he sustained a tendon injury in exercise, which