'Dogmatic, Cantankerous and Perverse, but There's No Denying That He Bred High-Class Stock'
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pp q 16 Monday, April 30, 2012 racingpost.com BLOODSTOCK WORLD The second in a monthly series celebrating the achievements of ten breeders who have enjoyed outstanding success and played crucial roles in the development of the thoroughbred in the course of the last 200 years This month’s subject is the brewing heir William Hall Walker, who put his faith in astrology and despite or, as he would have liked to believe, because of that, bred the granddams of seven important sires ILLIAM HALL WALKER evidently W believed the date of his birth ‘Dogmatic, cantankerous and – Christmas Day 1856 – pre-ordained his success in life. Never mind that he was the son of a wealthy brewer who could afford to send him to Harrow and ensure he would perverse, but there’s no denying never have to earn a living. His rise to prominence, as Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire, Member of Parliament for Widnes, and ultimately a peerage was all about being that he bred high-class stock’ born under a lucky star. He was also a notable achiever on the turf, as owner level – so far below the scale of a mare by Great Sport and breeder, which apparently of his former involvement that whose dam was a modest came about with no thanks to TONY MORRIS’S at his death in 1933 the five winner for Hall Walker; he the advice of William Chismon, mares and three foals he became a major sire in the one of the foremost pedigree owned were sold for the States, his products including authorities of his time, or the BREEDING GREATS pittance of 185gns the lot. three champions in Horse of skills of Harry Sharpe, his Although he ceased to be a the Year Challedon, Bridal outstanding stud groom. The breeder of any consequence in Flower and Gallorette. runners he bred succeeded 1916 Hall Walker was Big Game was bred at the because the stars foretold their Cherry Lass, but she emulated World War I era. Still, his Dewhurst and Champion recognised several decades National Stud in 1939, and triumphs. her as heroine of a 1,000 accomplishments at four made Stakes. later for his enduring influence won the 2,000 Guineas in King Hall Walker was a lifelong Guineas and best of her sex at Hall Walker that season’s Having already disposed of on the breed through his George VI’s colours before a believer in astrology, insisting three. She also helped Hall leading breeder. Minoru to Russia, where the connection with a number of successful career as a stallion. that the date and time of birth Walker to head the winning There was one more Classic dual Classic hero disappeared highly successful stallions. His granddam was Dolabella, were crucial in determining owners’ list in 1907, repeating win to come, and it came as a at the time of the revolution, one of Hall Walker’s 1911 foal LANDFORD, bred by the destinies of both humans his achievement of 1905. shock, 50-1 Night Hawk (out Hall Walker allowed Let Fly to crop for whom the astrologer the National Stud in and horses. Two smart performers of Black Cherry’s daughter depart for Argentina and in predicted ‘not only a successful 1919, was three times He employed an astrologer featured among the foal crop Jean’s Folly) taking the 1913 1916 decided on a complete racing career, but famous to draw up charts of all his of 1905. Royal Realm won the St Leger for the only success of withdrawal from breeding. B champion sire at offspring’. home and once in foals and to divine, from Gimcrack Stakes and his career. The stud that he established As a runner she managed France, with four Derby relating the positions of the continued to compete I have Hall Walker’s copy of at Tully in 1902 and had only a single win from 22 winners to his name; he was a heavenly bodies to the precise prominently until six; White the horoscopes for his foal developed into a showpiece efforts, but the forecast for grandson of Black Cherry. time of their births, their Eagle had three productive crop of 1911, which contains property he offered to the stud success proved more Gondolette, the dam of prospects on the racecourse. seasons, including wins in the a host of bizarre predictions, nation, with all the resident accurate; her daughter Great Sport and Let Fly, was And he routinely fired his National Breeders’ Produce few actually hitting the mark. stock, that included four Myrobella had speed and class, sold to Lord Derby when trainers when their charges did Stakes, the Sussex Stakes and Among the comments about stallions and 43 broodmares. A and it was she who produced carrying Serenissima, who not deliver what the astrologer a couple at Royal Ascot. Carrickfergus was the sale was effected, at the Big Game. became the granddam of predicted. observation: ‘1914, you might government’s own valuation, Princequillo, foaled in 1940, IX OF Hall Walker’s Sickle and Pharamond, both He was, of course, a crank, just as well take his shoes and the National Stud was was a first-rate stayer in the 1906 crop were leased notable sires in America, and in addition to being dogmatic, off and let him run loose in founded. Many years later it US and later a major sire there, cantankerous and perverse, to the King for their the paddock.’ In fact, that had a fresh incarnation as the of Hyperion, a dual Classic Sracing careers, and responsible for 65 individual but there can be no denying winner and six-time champion was the year of his best win, Irish National Stud. stakes-winners. His granddam that he bred high-class stock, among them was sire, important on a global in the St James’s Palace Stakes. In recognition of his gesture was the useless runner Quick however one cares to attribute Minoru, who won on his debut scale. Sickle appeared twice The last prominent Hall Walker was raised to the Thought, a Hall Walker-bred the reasons for it. at Epsom, before finishing close up in the pedigree of runner in Hall Walker’s peerage as the 1st Baron daughter of White Eagle. He also had an enduring second in both the Coventry colours was Let Fly, who Wavertree in 1919, the year in Sea-Bird’s sire Dan Cupid, The likes of White Eagle, impact on the development of and July Stakes. emulated his half-brother which he was also somewhat Pharamond featured in the Great Sport and Royal Realm the breed in more ways than A satisfactory first season Great Sport by reaching a belatedly elected to the Jockey background of Sir Ivor. were never popular with one. Seven grandsons of mares was followed by a triumphant place in the Derby and Club. He later dabbled in Challenger, bred at the other breeders and their for whom he was responsible one at three, when he won six surpassed him by winning the bloodstock at a much reduced National Stud in 1927, was out became important sires; hardly out of seven. He was not the overall record as sires was less significant, it was he who best of his year by a long poor. persuaded the Aga Khan chalk, but Bayardo had yet to But via Hall Walker mares – grandfather of the present attain peak fitness at the time WALKER’S SENSATIONS NOTABLE HORSES HE BRED who generally had little to Aga – to take up racing and of the first two colts’ Classics commend them in their own breeding in Britain. and Minoru took the honours HHbfCherry Lass (1902, Isinglass - Black Cherry, athletic merit featured close Hall Walker’s colours were at both Newmarket and by Bendigo). Champion 3-y-o filly; 1,000 Guineas, up in the pedigrees of carried to victory in the 1896 Epsom. The first – and still Oaks, St James’s Palace S. numerous top-class runners Grand National by The Soarer, only – Derby victory for a colt HHbr c Black Arrow (1903, Count Schomberg - and stallions. but his first notable successes in the reigning monarch’s Black Cherry, by Bendigo). Coventry S., St James’s William Hall Walker as owner and breeder on the colours was greeted with Palace S. might well be characterised Flat resulted from his purchase scenes of unprecedented HHbfWitch Elm (1904, Orme - Cannie Lassie, by as a weirdo for the attention in 1900 of Black Cherry, a euphoria. Ayrshire). Champion 3-y-o filly; 1,000 Guineas. he paid to the horoscopes of daughter of the disappointing The best horse Hall Walker HHbcRoyal Realm (1905, Persimmon - Sand Blast, the foals he bred, but sire Bendigo. ever bred was Prince Palatine, by Sheen). Gimcrack S. astrology played no part in Two years later she foaled in 1908. The colt’s HHch c White Eagle (1905, Gallinule - Merry Gal, King Edward VII looks on admiringly at his modus operandi as a produced Cherry Lass, winner horoscope perhaps failed to by Galopin). National Breeders’ Produce S., his dual Classic winner Minoru breeder. of both filly Classics and the indicate his promise, because Sussex S. That seemed to be HH St James’s Palace Stakes, and he was sold privately as a HHbr c Minoru (1906, Cyllene - Mother Siegel, by br c Night Hawk (1910, Gallinule - Jean’s Folly, principally about mating in the following spring Black yearling for £2,000, and it was Friar’s Balsam). 2,000 Guineas, Derby S. by Ayrshire. St Leger. mares who were inbred to HH Arrow, a dual Royal Ascot in the livery of Thomas HHbcPrince Palatine (1908, Persimmon - Lady bcCarrickfergus (1911, Count Schomberg - an influential sire with winner in the Coventry and Pilkington that he Lightfoot, by Isinglass).