Don John (horse)
Don John | |
---|---|
John Frederick Herring | |
Sire | Waverley |
Grandsire | Whalebone |
Dam | Comus mare |
Damsire | Comus |
Sex | Stallion |
Foaled | 1835 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Colour | Bay |
Breeder | William Garforth or George Stanhope, 6th Earl of Chesterfield |
Owner | George Stanhope, 6th Earl of Chesterfield |
Trainer | John Scott |
Record | 10: 9-1-0 |
Major wins | |
Champagne Stakes (1837) Great St Leger Stakes (1838) Doncaster Cup (1838) Gascoigne Stakes (1838) Heaton Park St Leger (1838) |
Don John (1835–1857) was a British
Background
Don John was a
He was the ninth of thirteen foals produced by Mr Garforth's unnamed Comus mare, whose other progeny included the Northumberland Plate winner Hetman Platoff. He was probably sired by Waverley, although the Comus mare had previously been covered by the stallion Tramp in the year of his conception.[2] Waverley won several major races in Yorkshire including Gold Cups at Newcastle and Pontefract. Apart from Don John, the best of his offspring was The Saddler, a colt that won the Doncaster Cup and was beaten a short-head by Chorister when favourite for the 1831 St Leger.[3]
Racing career
1837: two-year-old season
Until 1913, there was no requirement for British racehorses to have official names,
The colt did not race again until the St Leger meeting at Doncaster in autumn. On 18 September, he started favourite at odds of 6/4 for the Champagne Stakes over the second half of the St Leger course. The still unnamed colt took the lead approaching the final furlong and won by two lengths from five opponents, winning a prize of 750 sovereigns.[6] As part of the race's conditions, Lord Chesterfield was obliged to present six dozen bottles of champagne to the Doncaster Racing Club.[7] Eleven days later, the now officially named Don John appeared at the Heaton Park Racecourse in Manchester. Ridden by Nat Flatman, he won the local Claret Stakes, beating George Osbaldeston's The Fairy Queen over six furlongs.[8]
1838: three-year-old season
On his three-year-old debut, Don John was sent from Yorkshire to Newmarket for a one-mile sweepstakes at the Craven meeting in April. The trip proved lucrative but uninformative as the colt was allowed to walkover for the 700 sovereign prize when his three rivals were withdrawn by their owners.[9]
Don John had never been entered in The Derby[6] and was off the course for five months before returning at Doncaster in September. A field of seven runners, the smallest for thirty-six years, assembled for the Great St Leger Stakes and Don John was made 13/8 favourite ahead of the Derby runner-up Ion. Ridden as usual by Bill Scott, Don John took the lead shortly after the start, quickly took a three length advantage and set a "killing" pace.[10] His rivals were effectively beaten by half way and the favourite won by at least five lengths from Ion, who was in turn six lengths clear of Lanercost in third.[11] The New Sporting Magazine commented that "never was a St. Leger won so easy or so gallantly before".[12] His victory was enthusiastically received the large crowd, and became even more popular when Lord Chesterfield held "open house" at the nearby Salutation Inn, providing free food and drink to anyone who joined the celebration.[13]
Two days later the St Leger winner was matched against older horse in the four-mile Gold Cup, a race in which he was partnered by Flatman as Scott was unable to ride at the specified weight of seven stones. His meeting with the outstanding racemare Bee's-wing created much interest, although there was some disappointment that the leading Irish horse Harkaway failed to appear.[14] Don John tracked Bee's-wing until the final furlong when he took the lead, quickly went clear and won easily from the mare, with The Doctor third and Melbourne last of the four runners. Later the same afternoon, Don John walked over for the Gascoigne Stakes over the St Leger course and distance.[15] Don John again ended his season at Heaton Park in late September where he walked over for the local version of the "St Leger Stakes".[16] During this period, many racecourse, including York and Newmarket named races after the Doncaster classic, leading the original to use the prefix "Great" to distinguish it from its imitators.
1839: four-year-old season
Don John was undefeated in eight races when he appeared at Newmarket for the
Stud record
Don John began his career as a breeding stallion at Tickhill Castle Farm in Yorkshire at fee of fifteen guineas with a "guinea to the groom".[20] By 1843 he was standing at the same fee at Bretby Park, Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire,[21] where he remained for several years, with the price of his services increasing to 20 guineas a mare by 1848.[22] He later moved to George Tattersall's stud at Willesden Paddocks, Kilburn, where he was standing at fifteen guineas in 1853.[23] Don John was sold to Dr. A.B.T. Merritt and exported to Richmond, Virginia in June 1855.[24] In November 1855, Don John won second prize at the Virginia State Fair in the Thoroughbred stallion category, losing to Red Eye by Boston.[25] Don John died in 1857.[26]
Don John's only classic winner was
Pedigree
Sire Waverley (GB) 1817 |
Whalebone 1807 |
Waxy | Potoooooooo |
---|---|---|---|
Maria | |||
Penelope | Trumpator | ||
Prunella | |||
Margaretta 1802 |
Sir Peter Teazle | Highflyer | |
Papillon | |||
Highflyer mare | Highflyer | ||
Nutcracker | |||
Dam Comus mare (GB) 1821 |
Comus 1809 |
Sorcerer | Trumpator |
Young Giantess | |||
Houghton Lass | Sir Peter Teazle | ||
Alexina | |||
Marciana 1809 |
Stamford | Sir Peter Teazle | |
Horatia | |||
Marcia | Coriander | ||
Faith (Family:2-c)[30] |
- Don John was inbred 3 × 4 × 4 to Sir Peter Teazle, meaning that the stallion, appears once in the third and twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree. He was also inbred 4 × 4 to Highflyer.
References
- ^ The New sporting magazine v.15 (1838). Walter Spiers. 1838. p. 274. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
- ^ The General stud book. Vol. 5. C, J & E Weatherby. 1866. p. 29. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
- ^ "Whalebone". Bloodlines.net. n.d. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
- ISBN 0-85112-902-1.
- ^ The New sporting magazine v.13 (1837). Walter Spiers. 1837. p. 31. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
- ^ a b The New sporting magazine v.13 (1837). Walter Spiers. 1837. p. 224. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
- ^ Edward, Charles and James Weatherby (1838). "Racing calendar. 1837". Racing Calendar, Containing an Account of Plates, Matches, and Sweepstakes Run for in Ireland. C & W Reynell: 193. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
- ^ Edward, Charles and James Weatherby (1838). "Racing calendar. 1837". Racing Calendar, Containing an Account of Plates, Matches, and Sweepstakes Run for in Ireland. C & W Reynell: 210. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
- ^ Edward Charles and James Weatherby (1838). "Racing calendar. 1838". Racing Calendar, Containing an Account of Plates, Matches, and Sweepstakes Run for in Ireland. C Reynell: 17. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
- ^ The New sporting magazine v.15 (1838). Walter Spiers. 1838. p. 238. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
- ^ Edward Charles and James Weatherby (1838). "Racing calendar. 1838". Racing Calendar, Containing an Account of Plates, Matches, and Sweepstakes Run for in Ireland. C Reynell: 206. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
- ^ The New sporting magazine v.15 (1838). Walter Spiers. 1838. p. 239. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
- ^ The Sporting magazine 1856. Rogerson and Tuxford. 1856. p. 105. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
- ^ The New sporting magazine v.15 (1838). Walter Spiers. 1838. p. 240. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
- ^ Edward Charles and James Weatherby (1838). "Racing calendar. 1838". Racing Calendar, Containing an Account of Plates, Matches, and Sweepstakes Run for in Ireland. C Reynell: 208. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
- ^ Edward Charles and James Weatherby (1838). "Racing calendar. 1838". Racing Calendar, Containing an Account of Plates, Matches, and Sweepstakes Run for in Ireland. C Reynell: 224. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
- ^ "The New sporting magazine v.17 (1839)". Walter Spiers. 1839. p. 6. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
- ^ "The New sporting magazine v.17 (1839)". Walter Spiers. 1839. p. 10. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
- ^ The New sporting magazine v.17 (1839). Walter Spiers. 1839. p. 395. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
- ^ Charles and James Weatherby (1841). "Racing calendar. 1840". Racing Calendar, Containing an Account of Plates, Matches, and Sweepstakes Run for in Ireland. C Reynell: 654. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
- ^ Charles and James Weatherby (1843). "Racing calendar. 1842". Racing Calendar, Containing an Account of Plates, Matches, and Sweepstakes Run for in Ireland. C Reynell: 597. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
- ^ Charles and James Weatherby (1848). "Racing calendar. 1847". Racing Calendar, Containing an Account of Plates, Matches, and Sweepstakes Run for in Ireland. Reynell and Weight: 398. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
- ^ Charles and James Weatherby (425). "Racing calendar. 1852". Racing Calendar, Containing an Account of Plates, Matches, and Sweepstakes Run for in Ireland. Reynell and Weight: 425. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
- ^ The Major (23 June 1855). "SPORTING EPISTLE FROM "THE MAJOR."". Spirit of the Times; A Chronicle of the Turf, Agriculture, Field Sports, Literature and the Stage.
- ^ "LIST OF PREMIUMS OF THE VIRGINIA STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY". The Daily Dispatch. 3 November 1855.
- ^ Staff (17 February 1857). "The Daily Dispatch". Richmond Dispatch. No. page 2.
- ^ "Bonnie Scotland". Tbheritage.com. n.d. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
- ^ "Thoroughbred Bloodlines – Maid Of Masham – Family 9-e". Bloodlines.net. n.d. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
- ^ "Don John pedigree". Equineline. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
- ^ "Thoroughbred Bloodlines – Atalanta – Family 2-c". Bloodlines.net. n.d. Retrieved 17 April 2013.