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Home , Dutch Oven, Mathew Dawson, Yorkshire Oaks

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16 Monday, May 28, 2012 racingpost.com BLOODSTOCKWORLD

The third in a monthly series celebrating the achievements of ten breeders who have enjoyed outstanding success and played crucial roles in the development of the in the course of the last 200 years This month’s subject is Viscount Falmouth, who raised the winners of 19 Classics in 22 years from Mereworth Castle and formed a powerful alliance with Mat Dawson and in the late 19th century

ENT is not a county that we readily recognise as a K prominent centre of ‘His integrity as an owner thoroughbred breeding these days, but in the second half of the 19th century two studs in the Maidstone area flourished famously. One was Leybourne Grange, where was matched only by his Sir Joseph Hawley bred two of his Derby heroes, while at nearby Mereworth Castle Lord Falmouth raised winners of 19 Classics in 22 years. Evelyn Boscawen, eldest son extraordinary gifts as a breeder’ of a country clergyman, was 26 when he married Mary Stapleton, a baroness in her were won by fillies. who was Spinaway’s daughter own right, in July 1845. That Falmouth had his 16th and and Queen Bertha’s union brought him an interest last Classic winner as an granddaughter, duly won the in Mereworth, and seven years TONY MORRIS’S owner when , a son of 1,000 Guineas and Oaks. She later, through the death of an Derby victor , scored a was saddled for her unmarried cousin, he narrow victory in the 2,000 Newmarket Classic victory by himself elevated to the peerage BREEDING GREATS Guineas of 1883. That result Tom Cannon, but he could as the 6th Viscount Falmouth. meant that Galliard started hardly be credited as her It was not until 1857 that he favourite to provide the trainer; the filly had never became involved with the turf. provided an even more matings, in extending his in which stable jockey Tom Falmouth colours with their seen his Danebury stable, and He adopted the nom de course remarkable Classic treble with advantage. French rode the more fancied third Derby win, but he she had done all her work in of Mr T Valentine, becoming a Gertrude’s son Charibert Cantiniere, a regally bred Silver Ring. finished only third behind St Dawson’s care. patron of John Scott’s collecting the 2,000 Guineas mare by multiple French, still in his 20s, died Blaise and Highland Chief, the Another who featured in the formidable Whitewall stable at and the Adventurer filly Wheel sire who descended at the end of August that year, latter trained by Archer’s auction was , who Malton, and in 1862 he had Of Fortune, another out of on the dam’s side from a sister a tragic event that proved the brother, Charles. joined Jimmy Jewitt’s his first notable success as an Queen Bertha, establishing to Derby and St Leger hero catalyst for the rapid rise to Rumour had it – wrongly in Newmarket string and who owner, when Hurricane, a filly herself as the best of either , achieved little in the fame of Dawson’s stable all likelihood – that Archer was became a dead-heater in the he had bought as a yearling, sex, taking 1,000 Guineas, ownership of Lord Ailesbury. apprentice, Fred Archer. The keener to see success for his 1884 Derby, carrying the won the 1,000 Guineas. Oaks and For Falmouth she produced, in Falmouth-Dawson-Archer team brother than for his employer, colours of Sir John Willoughby. By that time the Falmouth before breaking down in the successive years, a champion was to dominate the racing and when Falmouth made a Falmouth was rarely seen on breeding operation was under scene for the next decade. Great Yorkshire Stakes for the juvenile filly in Bal Gal and a sudden decision to sell all his a racecourse after that. He had way and 1863 provided the only loss of her career. St Leger winner in Dutch bloodstock the following bred the winners of 19 first home-bred Classic success. ECILIA’S dam Siberia , almost . spring, the outcome of that Classics, a feat that matched Queen Bertha, out of a mare had also been a 1,000 certainly the brightest star Archer, having won the 1882 Classic was freely cited as a the record of the 4th Duke of acquired from Guineas winner, among all the Mereworth- Oaks on Geheimniss for possible reason. Grafton and has been equalled Blenkiron’s Middle Park Stud C underlining the fact breds, was also lauded by another stable, wanted to ride since only by the 17th Earl of – also in Kent – had ended her that Falmouth’s game Archer as the best horse he her again at Doncaster, but N FACT, Falmouth never Derby. He remains the only first season with an impressive plan was to stock the had ridden – albeit before he Falmouth was paying a felt a need to justify his breeder to have produced at eight-length victory over colts Mereworth paddocks with the rode St Simon and . substantial retainer for the action publicly, and kept least three winners of every at Newmarket, but her early best-bred mares he could It would be a mistake to champion jockey’s services and I mum. He was 65 years Classic. work at three suggested that acquire and cover them with assume that Falmouth was insisted on keeping him to his old, not in the best of The 6th Viscount Falmouth her Oaks entry was over proven sires. Indeed, some of operating in an uncompetitive bargain. health and maybe it seemed was universally popular on the ambitious. This was said to be his select broodmare band era. The plain fact was that he Archer and the punting the appropriate time to get turf. He invariably ran his the only occasion when her – never large in numbers had gained an edge over his public gave out. The sale of his horses in – were already those of his horses straight, had no interest owner, now racing under his rivals by developing a superior no chance, but she won training took place on the eve own breeding. in betting and his integrity as own name, had a bet, and it broodmare band, and then at 40-1 in that unique of the 1884 Guineas meeting. an owner was matched only by was a loser – an even sixpence , steered to victory succeeded, by dint of judicious season when all the Classics , a filly with his trainer’s wife that his by 17-year-old Archer in the the general acceptance of his filly would not win. He paid 2,000 Guineas of 1874, was a extraordinary gifts as a up gladly when 40-1 Queen daughter of Hurricane by FALMOUTH’S SENSATIONS NOTABLE HORSES HE BRED breeder, achieved with a small Bertha scooped the £4,845 Derby and Gold Cup hero broodmare band. Wouldn’t prize in a tight finish. . In the following ??b f Queen Bertha (1860, Kingston - Flax, anyone have done equally well Queen Bertha was the last of year he won both distaff by ). Champion 3-y-o filly; Oaks S. with his mares? Perhaps. But it was a fact the record 40 Classic winners Classics with Spinaway, Queen ??ch f (1867, Saunterer - Bess Lyon, sent out by John Scott, and the Bertha’s daughter by dual- by Longbow). Oaks S. that once those routinely productive families left Falmouth string was then Classic victor Macaroni. ??b f Gertrude (1867, Saunterer - Queen Bertha, based with , Guineas-placed Lady by Kingston). Yorkshire Oaks. Mereworth, almost nothing Coventry, bought from his happened. Yes, Busybody had a the leading Newmarket trainer. ??b c (1867, King Tom - Woodcraft, fine son in unbeaten Meddler, In 1870 Mereworth-breds trainer, became the dam of by Voltigeur). Derby S. achieved the rare double of Lady Golightly, Falmouth’s Harvester and St Gatien dead-heating who twice became champion ??b f Cecilia (1870, - Siberia, by sire in North America, but the victories in both Derby and Yorkshire Oaks heroine of Muscovite). 1,000 Guineas. in the 1884 Derby Oaks, though only Kingcraft’s 1877, the year in which rest of it fizzled out. Even the ??ch c Atlantic (1871, Thormanby - Hurricane, ??b f Wheel Of Fortune (1876, Adventurer became another dual Classic great Wheel Of Fortune, who win came in the Falmouth by Wild Dayrell). 2,000 Guineas. - Queen Bertha, by Kingston). Champion 3-y-o; colours. hero for the formidable owner- 1,000 Guineas, Oaks S ., Yorkshire Oaks. lived to the advanced age of The successful filly, Gamos, trainer-jockey combination in ??b f Spinaway (1872, Macaroni - Queen Bertha, 27, contributed nothing that by Kingston). Champion 3-y-o filly; 1,000 Guineas, ??br f Bal Gal (1878, Adventurer - Cantiniere, the Derby and St Leger, and mattered to the breed. had been sold cheaply out of Oaks S., Yorkshire Oaks. by Stockwell). Champion 2-y-o filly. the stud, her breeder perhaps that feat was achieved for a Falmouth, who died in 1889, ??b f Lady Golightly (1874, King Tom ??br f Dutch Oven (1879, Dutch Skater thinking he had one better in third time in four years when may well have influenced the - Lady Coventry, by Thormanby). Yorkshire Oaks. - Cantiniere, by Stockwell). St Leger S. Gertrude, who finished only collected Oaks and strategy of Federico Tesio, one fourth at Epsom, but did St Leger victories along with ??b c Silvio (1874, Blair Athol - Silverhair, ??br c Galliard (1880, Galopin - Mavis, of the greatest 20th century by Kingston). Champion 3-y-o; Derby S., St Leger S. by Macaroni). 2,000 Guineas. reverse the form in the wins in the Yorkshire Oaks and breeders. He let his best colts Yorkshire Oaks. . ??b f Jannette (1875, - Chevisaunce, ??b f Busybody (1881, Petrarch - Spinaway, go elsewhere for stud duty and Falmouth’s next Classic By now it was impossible to by Stockwell). Champion 3-y-o filly; Oaks S., by Macaroni). Champion filly at 2 and 3 years; concentrated on the use of St Leger S., Yorkshire Oaks, Champion S. 1,000 Guineas, Oaks S. winner was Cecilia, supposedly ignore any runner in the black, outside stallions. The policy second-best of his contenders white sleeves and red cap in ??ch c Charibert (1876, Thormanby – Gertrude, ??br c Harvester (1881, Sterling - Wheat-ear, paid off with exceptional for the 1,000 Guineas of 1873, the top races, and 1879 by Saunterer). 2,000 Guineas. by Young Melbourne). Derby S. [dead-heat]. results.