Thormanby (horse)
Thormanby | |
---|---|
Chestnut | |
Breeder | Benjamin Plummer |
Owner | James Merry |
Trainer | Mathew Dawson |
Record | 24: 14–4–4 |
Major wins | |
Gimcrack Stakes (1859) Epsom Derby (1860) Ascot Gold Cup (1861) | |
Awards | |
Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland (1869) |
Thormanby (1857–1875) was a British
After winning nine races, including the Gimcrack Stakes at York as a two-year-old in 1859 he won The Derby on his first start of 1860. Although he failed to reproduce his best form in the autumn of his three-year-old season, he returned in 1861 to win his first four races including the Ascot Gold Cup.
At the end of the 1861 season, he was retired to stud where he sired the winners of many important races. His grandson, Bend Or, became the direct male ancestor of most modern Thoroughbred racehorses.
Background
Thormanby was a lean, wiry, rather plain-looking chestnut horse
Thormanby's dam was the outstanding race mare Alice Hawthorn, who won fifty-two races including the
Racing career
1859: two-year-old season
Thormanby, like many of Dawson's horses, was highly tried as a two-year-old, running fourteen times. In spring he won minor races at Northampton, York and Chester and finished third to Lupellus at Epsom. The Field described him as "by far the best" of the early two-year-olds.[6]
At
In Autumn, Thormanby was sent to race at Newmarket, where he ran three times. He finished third in the Eglington Stakes and then won the Prendergast Stakes. On his final start of the year, he recorded his second important win, beating seven rivals to win the valuable Criterion Stakes by a length.[8]
1860: three-year-old season
Thormanby did not run as a three-year-old before the Derby. In spring, a colt named "The Wizard" won the 2000 Guineas in impressive style[2] and was made favourite for the Derby. Thormanby, however, had been performing exceptionally well in training, notably when giving thirteen pounds and a decisive beating to a good colt called Northern Light.[9] When Dawson was told that The Wizard had proved himself to be a "tremendous horse", he replied, "Who's afraid?" Dawson did, in fact, fear that attempts would be made to deliberately injure or "nobble" Thormanby and took steps to protect him, including switching his jockeys' racing colours at the last moment to confuse any potential assailants.[9]
At Epsom on 23 May, Thormanby impressed observers when he appeared in the paddock before the Derby: his coat was "like a mirror" and as he galloped to the start, he "hardly seemed to touch the ground."
Thormanby was rested after the Derby before returning in September for the St Leger for which he started 9/4 favourite in a field of fourteen. Thormanby held third place turning into the straight but faded in the closing stages and finished fifth, four lengths behind the winner St Albans. Two days later Thormanby reappeared in the Doncaster Cup over two and a half miles. He was held up in the early stages before making a strong challenge in the straight, but was beaten three lengths by Sabreur, to whom he was conceding seven pounds.[13] He was then sent to Newmarket where he was beaten two lengths by The Wizard at level weights in the Grand Duke Michael Stakes on 25 September.[14] On his final run of the year he finished second in a sweepstakes at Newmarket.
1861: four-year-old season
Thormanby's four-year-old season began at Newmarket in April, when he won the Claret Stakes, finishing thirty lengths clear of his two rivals. At the next Newmarket meeting Thormanby claimed two prizes without having to run in a competitive race. No horse appeared to oppose him and he was allowed to "walk over" in both events.[8]
At Royal Ascot in June, Thormanby contested the two and a half mile
Assessment
In May 1886 The Sporting Times carried out a poll of one hundred racing experts to create a ranking of the best British racehorses of the 19th century. Thormanby was ranked seventeenth, having been placed in the top ten by sixteen of the contributors. He was the third highest British horse the 1860s behind Gladiateur and West Australian.[16]
At the end of his racing career, The Field described Thormanby as
... the champion of his order, the best horse in the world...[1]
Stud career
Thormanby stood as a stallion at Croft stud, near Darlington, Park Paddocks at Newmarket and the Moorlands stud near York.[8] He was a successful stallion, siring the 2000 Guineas winners Atlantic and Charibert and being the Champion sire of 1869. He is present in the pedigrees of almost all modern Thoroughbreds through his daughter, Rouge Rose, who produced the Derby Winner Bend Or.[17][18] Thormanby sired almost a hundred winners before dying suddenly at the age of eighteen in 1875.[1] Thormanby's tail was mounted and fashioned into a whisk which was hung in the hall of Mathew Dawson's Heath House at Newmarket.[19]
Pedigree
Sire Windhound (GB) 1847 |
Pantaloon 1824 |
Castrel | Buzzard |
---|---|---|---|
Alexander mare | |||
Idalia | Peruvin | ||
Musidora | |||
Phryne 1840 |
Touchstone | Camel | |
Banter | |||
Decoy | Filho da Puta | ||
Finesse | |||
Dam Alice Hawthorn (GB) 1838 |
Muley Moloch 1830 |
Muley | Orville |
Eleanor | |||
Nancy | Dick Andrews | ||
Spitfire | |||
Rebecca 1831 |
Lottery | Tramp | |
Mandane | |||
Cervantes mare | Cervantes | ||
Anticipation (Family: 4)[20] |
References
- ^ a b c "DEATH OF THORMANBY". Otago Witness. 8 May 1875. Retrieved 2012-01-07 – via Papers Past.
- ^ a b "RACECOURSE AND PADDOCK". Otago Witness. 9 October 1890. Retrieved 2012-01-07 – via Papers Past.
- ^ ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
- ^ "Melbourne Offspring". Pedigreequery.com. Retrieved 2012-01-07.
- ^ Patricia Erigero. "Alice Hawthorn". Tbheritage.com. Retrieved 2013-01-11.
- ^ a b "THE DERBY". Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle. 1 September 1860. Retrieved 2012-01-07 – via Papers Past.
- ^ William, Ruff (1860). RUFF'S GUIDE TO THE TURF FOR 1860. Retrieved 2012-01-07 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c "Thormanby". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-01-07.
- ^ a b "THORMANBY (1860)". Star. 25 January 1895. Retrieved 2012-01-07 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "MR. JAMES MERRY, M.P." Baily's Magazine. 13 Jul 1861. Retrieved 2012-01-07 – via Trove.
- ^ a b "ENGLISH SPORTING NEWS". Lyttelton Times. 1 September 1860. Retrieved 2012-01-07 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "THE DERBY DAY". Colonist. 24 August 1860. Retrieved 2012-01-07 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "Sporting. DONCASTER RACES". Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle. 8 December 1860. Retrieved 2012-01-07 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "22 Dec 1860 – Newmarket First October Meeting. TUESDAY, SEPTEM". Bell's Life in Sydney and Sporting Chronicle. 22 December 1860. Retrieved 2012-01-07 – via Trove.
- ^ "Sporting". Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle. 7 September 1861. Retrieved 2012-01-07 – via Papers Past.
- ISBN 0-85112-902-1.
- ^ a b Patricia Erigero. "Thormanby". Tbheritage.com. Retrieved 2012-01-07.
- ^ "Bend Or Sire Line". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
- ^ All the year round. 2009-09-14. Retrieved 2012-01-07 – via Google Books.
- ^ Patricia Erigero. "4 Layton Barb Mare". Tbheritage.com. Retrieved 2012-01-07.