The Colonel (horse)
The Colonel | |
---|---|
William IV | |
Trainer | John Scott |
Record | 15:10-3-1 |
Major wins | |
Champagne Stakes (1827) St Leger Stakes (1828) Epsom Craven Stakes (1830, 1831) Great Park Stakes (1830) Northampton Gold Cup (1830) |
The Colonel (1825–1847) was a British-bred
Originally trained in
Background
The Colonel was a "compact"
Racing career
1827: two-year-old season
The Colonel began his racing career in a sweepstakes for two-year-olds at Leeds Racecourse on 27 June. Ridden by Bill Scott, he started favourite in a field of seven runners and "won easy"
1828: three-year-old season
The Colonel made his first appearance of the season in the Derby at
The Colonel returned to Yorkshire and did not run again before challenging for the St Leger at Doncaster in September. John Scott had another contender for the race in the talented but injury-prone colt Velocipede who had not been entered for the Derby. In a trial gallop shortly before the race, Velocipede decisively defeated The Colonel but sustained a leg injury in the process and appeared at Doncaster with his legs heavily bandaged.[11] Another leading fancy for the race was the filly Bessy Bedlam, the only horse to have beaten Velocipede. In a field of nineteen runners, The Colonel, ridden as usual by Bill Scott, started the 3/1 favourite ahead of Velocipede on 7/2. After the chaotic start to the 1827 St Leger the jockeys were warned by the racecourse officials that no misconduct would be tolerated and the race began in a fair and orderly manner. Scott positioned The Colonel in third or fourth place as Velocipede made the running from Bessy Bedlam. The filly was beaten before the straight, and when Velocipede weakened a furlong from the finish The Colonel took the lead pursued by the 35/1 outsider Belinda. In the closing stages The Colonel went clear and won easily by three lengths from Belinda, with Velocipede in third. Despite the apparently decisive nature of the victory, the Sporting Magazine considered the race to be an unsatisfactory one for at least two reasons: the Scotts were criticised for using Velocipede as a pacemaker rather than allowing him to compete on his own merits, and there were strong rumours that Bessy Bedlam had been prevented from showing her best form by some kind of "foul play".[12] Two days after his win in the St Leger, The Colonel was able to claim an uncontroversial victory when he was allowed to walk over in a sweepstakes over the same course and distance.[13]
At the end of the 1828 season, The Colonel was bought for £4,000 by King George IV, who had decided to buy the horse after seeing a painting by John Frederick Herring.[14] Following the King's dispute with the Jockey Club in 1791, his horses seldom competed at Newmarket Racecourse and often raced in the colours of Mr Delme Radcliffe.
1829: four-year-old season
The Colonel's third season was scheduled to begin with a match race against Bessy Bedlam at York Racecourse on 25 May. As The Colonel had already been moved to a stable in the south,[15] he failed to appear for the race, allowing his opponent to claim a prize of 300 sovereigns.[16] His only actual race of the season came the following month when he ran in the Ascot Gold Cup over two and a half miles. The race attracted an exceptionally strong field, including Cadland, Zinganee, Mameluke and The Oaks winner Green Mantle. The Colonel started the 7/2 second favourite but finished unplaced behind Zinganee.[17]
One explanation for The Colonel's poor performance at Ascot was provided by a correspondent of the Sporting Magazine. According to this anecdote The Colonel was removed from his stable on the Sunday before the race by "a drunken fellow", and ridden to an inn several miles away. The man arrived at four o'clock in the morning and repeatedly demanded to be served with a "pot of ale", only relenting and turning back to Ascot when The Colonel was recognised by one of the other guests.[18]
1830: five-year-old season
Before the start of the 1830 season, The Colonel underwent an "actual cautery" on his legs, an operation performed by the King's
Following the death of George IV on 26 June, the ownership of his horses, as well as the crown, passed to his younger brother
1831: six-year-old season
The Colonel began his final season by running again in the Craven Stakes at Epsom. He started even money favourite and repeated his success on 1830 by beating Thomas Houldsworth's mare Fortitude and six others.[27] The Colonel ended his racing career on 31 May in the Oatlands Stakes, a two and a half mile handicap race at Ascot. Carrying top weight of 132 pounds he ran a dead heat with Mouche a four-year-old filly who had finished second in the 1830 Oaks. He started favourite for the run-off, but was easily beaten by the filly, to whom he was conceding 29 pounds.[28] The Colonel finished the deciding heat in considerable distress and pain as a result of aggravating an existing injury to the ligaments of his right hind leg. It took him half an hour to walk the half-mile to his stable,[29] and he never ran again.
Stud career
The Colonel began his career as a breeding stallion at the King's
Pedigree
Sire Whisker (GB) 1812 |
Waxy 1790 |
Potoooooooo | Eclipse |
---|---|---|---|
Sportsmistress | |||
Maria | Herod | ||
Lisette | |||
Penelope 1798 |
Trumpator | Conductor | |
Brunette | |||
Prunella | Highflyer | ||
Promise | |||
Dam Delpini mare (GB) 1802 |
Delpini 1781 |
Highflyer | Herod |
Rachel | |||
Countess | Blank | ||
Rib mare | |||
Tipple Cyder 1788 |
King Fergus | Eclipse | |
Creeping Polly | |||
Sylvia | Young Marske | ||
Ferre (Family:8-k)[4] |
- The Colonel was inbred 3 x 4 to Highflyer, meaning that this stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree. He was also inbred 4 x 4 to both Eclipse and Herod.
References
- ^ a b The Farmer's Magazine. Joseph Rogerson. 1837. p. 429. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
- ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
- ^ Patricia Erigero Thoroughbred Heritage. "Whisker". Tbheritage.com. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
- ^ a b "Thoroughbred Bloodlines – Tipple Cyder – Family 8-k". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
- ^ Sporting magazine (May-Oct. 1827). Pittman. 1827. p. 44. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
- ^ Edward and James Weatherby (1828). Racing calendar. 1827. C & W Reynell. p. 68. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
- ^ Sporting magazine (Nov. 1827-Apr. 1828). M A Pittman. 1828. p. 50. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
- ^ a b Sporting magazine (May-Oct. 1827). Pittman. 1827. p. 395. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
- ^ Edward and James Weatherby (1828). Racing calendar. 1827. C & W Reynell. p. 166. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
- ^ Sporting magazine (May-Oct. 1828). M A Pittman. 1828. p. 78. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
- ^ Once a Week. Bradbury, Evans and co. 1866. p. 320. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
- ^ Sporting magazine (May-Oct. 1828). M A Pittman. 1828. p. 398. Retrieved 2012-11-24.
- ^ Sporting magazine (May-Oct. 1828). M A Pittman. 1828. p. 399. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
- ^ a b Patricia Erigero Thoroughbred Heritage. "Whisker". Tbheritage.com. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
- ^ Sporting magazine (May -Oct. 1829). M A Pittman. 1829. p. 161. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
- ^ Edward and James Weatherby (1830). Racing calendar. 1829. C & W Reynell. p. 51. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
- ^ Edward and James Weatherby (2010-10-03) [1830]. Racing calendar. 1829. C & W Reynell. p. 65. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
- ^ Sporting magazine (May -Oct. 1829). M A Pittman. 1829. p. 424. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
- ^ "Sporting magazine (Nov. 1830-Apr. 1831)". M A Pittman. 1831. p. 65. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
- ^ Sporting magazine (May-Aug. 1830). M A Pittman. 1830. p. 179. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
- ^ Edward and James Weatherby (1831). Racing calendar. 1830. C & W Reynell. p. 50. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
- ^ Edward and James Weatherby (1831). Racing calendar. 1830. C & W Reynell. p. 61. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
- ^ Sporting magazine (May-Aug. 1830). M A Pittman. 1830. p. 43. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
- ^ "Sporting magazine (Nov. 1830-Apr. 1831)". M A Pittman. 1831. p. 246. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
- ^ Edward and James Weatherby (1831). Racing calendar. 1830. C & W Reynell. p. 144. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
- ^ Edward and James Weatherby (1831). Racing calendar. 1830. C & W Reynell. p. 169. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
- ^ Edward and Charles Weatherby (1832). Racing calendar. 1831. C & W Reynell. p. 52. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
- ^ Edward and Charles Weatherby (1832). Racing calendar. 1831. C & W Reynell. p. 60. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
- ^ Sporting magazine (May -Oct. 1831). M A Pittman. 1831. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
- ^ Edward and Charles Weatherby (1832). Racing calendar. 1831. C & W Reynell. p. 579. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
- ^ "The Colonel pedigree". Equineline. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2013-02-15.