Quest For Fame the last Derby winner, 1990, before yesterday's winner to be unraced as a 2yo.
A-Z of Horse Racing (Part 2)
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Robert The Devil - second past the post behind the Duke of Westminster's Bend Or in the 1880 Derby.
At the time there was some dispute about whether the winner was Bend Or, or not Bend Or. A groom (who might have had a grudge after being sacked by the Duke) maintained that two foals had been inadvertently switched when leaving the stud. One was Bend Or by Doncaster out of Rouge Rose and the other was Tadcaster by Doncaster out of Clemence.
131 years on scientists have proved that Bend Or could not have been out of Rouge Rose:
It seems therefore that first past the post in the 1880 Derby wasn't Bend Or at all. It was Tadcaster. But since Tadcaster wasn't entered in the race (not in his own name, anyway) the laurels should go to Robert The Devil (who should have won the race on the track but for a piece of poor jockeyship close home).
At the time there was some dispute about whether the winner was Bend Or, or not Bend Or. A groom (who might have had a grudge after being sacked by the Duke) maintained that two foals had been inadvertently switched when leaving the stud. One was Bend Or by Doncaster out of Rouge Rose and the other was Tadcaster by Doncaster out of Clemence.
131 years on scientists have proved that Bend Or could not have been out of Rouge Rose:
Quote:
“It’s time to re-write a million pedigrees! The skeleton’s mitochondrial DNA proved characteristic of the No. 2 family, the assumption being he was the son of Clemence. He could not have been out of Rouge Rose, despite all that circumstantial evidence.”
“It’s time to re-write a million pedigrees! The skeleton’s mitochondrial DNA proved characteristic of the No. 2 family, the assumption being he was the son of Clemence. He could not have been out of Rouge Rose, despite all that circumstantial evidence.”
It seems therefore that first past the post in the 1880 Derby wasn't Bend Or at all. It was Tadcaster. But since Tadcaster wasn't entered in the race (not in his own name, anyway) the laurels should go to Robert The Devil (who should have won the race on the track but for a piece of poor jockeyship close home).
^ I do enjoy these anecdotes BD, very interesting!
Scalper - One who attempts to profit from the differences in odds from book to book by betting both sides of the same game at different prices
Scalper - One who attempts to profit from the differences in odds from book to book by betting both sides of the same game at different prices
Originally Posted by Big Dipper:
“Robert The Devil - second past the post behind the Duke of Westminster's Bend Or in the 1880 Derby.
At the time there was some dispute about whether the winner was Bend Or, or not Bend Or. A groom (who might have had a grudge after being sacked by the Duke) maintained that two foals had been inadvertently switched when leaving the stud. One was Bend Or by Doncaster out of Rouge Rose and the other was Tadcaster by Doncaster out of Clemence.
131 years on scientists have proved that Bend Or could not have been out of Rouge Rose:
It seems therefore that first past the post in the 1880 Derby wasn't Bend Or at all. It was Tadcaster. But since Tadcaster wasn't entered in the race (not in his own name, anyway) the laurels should go to Robert The Devil (who should have won the race on the track but for a piece of poor jockeyship close home).”
“Robert The Devil - second past the post behind the Duke of Westminster's Bend Or in the 1880 Derby.
At the time there was some dispute about whether the winner was Bend Or, or not Bend Or. A groom (who might have had a grudge after being sacked by the Duke) maintained that two foals had been inadvertently switched when leaving the stud. One was Bend Or by Doncaster out of Rouge Rose and the other was Tadcaster by Doncaster out of Clemence.
131 years on scientists have proved that Bend Or could not have been out of Rouge Rose:
It seems therefore that first past the post in the 1880 Derby wasn't Bend Or at all. It was Tadcaster. But since Tadcaster wasn't entered in the race (not in his own name, anyway) the laurels should go to Robert The Devil (who should have won the race on the track but for a piece of poor jockeyship close home).”
A fascinating story though the mystery lingers on as it doesn't conclusively prove the dam was Clemence.
If one wanted to put forward a conspiracy theory perhaps Tadcaster's remains and not Bend Or's ended up in the Natural History Museum. Maybe they should check out the dna of Ormonde sired by Bend Or whose skeleton also resides there.
Until 1999 the method of verifying a British horse's identity was a passport sketch showing colour, distinguishing marks and patterns of hair growth. (When this system was implemented I just don't know.) Then in 1999 a microchipping regime was introduced so by now all racehorses aged 14 and under have a microchip implant.
It's a pity this didn't happen about 120 years earlier so the identity of the 1880 Derby winner would be less controversial. Unless somebody was to mistakenly mix up the microchips and implant the wrong horse, of course.
It's a pity this didn't happen about 120 years earlier so the identity of the 1880 Derby winner would be less controversial. Unless somebody was to mistakenly mix up the microchips and implant the wrong horse, of course.
OXbow - 2013 Preakness Stakes winner. Ridden by Gary Stevens who only came out of a 7 year retirement in January of this year.
Quote:
“Phosphorus - 1837 Derby winner. The only chemical element to win the race.”
“Phosphorus - 1837 Derby winner. The only chemical element to win the race.”
Zinc - 1823 Oaks winner.
This classic also saw Oxygen victorious in 1831 and just for good measure the alloy Bronze obliged in 1806.
Boussac Marcel, hugely successful French breeder and owner, his horses won 12 Prix Du Jockey Clubs and 6 Arcs.
Grimalkin - the only painting of the Godolphin Arabian drawn from life is by the artist David Morier. The picture includes the stable cat Grimalkin, allegedly the horse's best friend.
Several legends have sprung up concerning this cat. One has the Godolphin Arabian killing Grimalkin by accidentally sitting on her. From that point on the grief-stricken horse hated all cats and any that came within range of him risked a good kicking. Another story has the Godolphin Arabian dying and Grimalkin sitting on the carcass while the horse was carried to its grave. Following the burial the cat disappeared. Shortly afterwards she was found dead in a stable, the legend presuming that she died from grief.
Several legends have sprung up concerning this cat. One has the Godolphin Arabian killing Grimalkin by accidentally sitting on her. From that point on the grief-stricken horse hated all cats and any that came within range of him risked a good kicking. Another story has the Godolphin Arabian dying and Grimalkin sitting on the carcass while the horse was carried to its grave. Following the burial the cat disappeared. Shortly afterwards she was found dead in a stable, the legend presuming that she died from grief.
I have no idea why but the 1841 meeting at Stockton featured a race confined to agricultural horses ridden by ships' captains.
Jem, nickname for the 19th C jockey James Robinson who won 24 English classics including nine 2,000 Guineas, a record which remains unequally. He was the first English jockey to ride in the crouching style so familar today.
Ladbrokes - the company name comes from the village of Ladbroke in Warwickshire (about 10m SE of Warwick) where it first started doing business.
NH Flat Race - as far as I'm aware the shortest race run under NH Rules is a 1m 4½f bumper staged at Newbury in January.
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