Archer (horse)
Encyclopedia
Archer was an Australia
n Thoroughbred
racehorse who won the first and the second Melbourne Cup
s in 1861 and 1862. He won both Cups easily, and is one of only five horses to win the Melbourne Cup twice or more; he is one of only four horses to win two successive Cups.
); his dam, Maid of the Oaks (dam of Mariner and William Tell (1855)) was by Vagabond (GB) (by Cain). Archer's sire and dam had been owned by Thomas Molyneux "Tom" Royds (1824–1852) of Ballalaba, Jembaicumbene, New South Wales
. Royds formed a breeding partnership with his uncle-in-law Andrew Badgery (c.1804–1857), keeping their many horses on the Andrew Badgery managed Exeter Farm in Jembaicumbene. For £51, Royds purchased the mare Maid Of The Oaks at the dispersal of Charles Smith's Clifton Stud in 1845. Royds also imported the stallion Sailor By The Sea, and in February 1847 the stallion William Tell. Archer’s full-sister, Our Nell, won three races in four days at the Goulburn races (1855) and other races at city tracks.
in New South Wales
. In recent years evidence has been discovered that Archer may not have been foaled on the Exeter Farm owned by Roberts but on Royd's previous cattle farm Ballabala, owned by Hassall. This is supported by Richard William Royds' (1922-?) (one of William Edward Royd's grandsons) writing in 1983 that Archer was foaled at Ballabala; this view is supported by his widow and adopted son. All other references state that Archer was foaled at Exeter Farm, including Richard's older brother John Patrick Molyneux Royds (1920-?) in an interview published in 1969. It is also on Exeter Farm that other horses from the breeding partnership of Hassall and Roberts were foaled, including Archer's half-brother Mariner in 1854 (by Sailor By The Sea out of Maid Of The Oaks) and his full-brother William Tell in 1855 (by William Tell (GB) out of Maid Of The Oaks.
Royds died at age 27 in an accident in early 1852. Two years later, his widow Elizabeth Jane "Betsy" Royds (née Roberts) (1824–1875) married Rowland H. Hassall (1820–1904) of Durham Hall in Jembaicumben who, under the laws of the time, obtained all of Betsy's possessions at their marriage. Even though Royds' will gave him no right to do so, Hassall began selling off the Royds horses at Exeter Farm. Betsy persuaded Hassell to keep the imported stallion William Tell and six broodmares (one of which wasMaid Of The Oaks). Her brother Thomas John "Tom" Roberts (1831–1899) had inherited Exeter Farm, and as executor of Royds' estate was trying to protect the interests of his nephews; he would care for the horses. As part of the agreement, the progeny (including Archer) from the breeding program using the six mares bred to William Tell and other stallions were recorded in the stud books under the breeding partnership name of (RH) Hassell and (TJ) Roberts. The names of the two boys to whom the horses had been bequeathed, Edmund Molyneux Royds (1847–1912) (no issue) and William Edward Royds (1849–1910), were not mentioned. When the boys sued their stepfather in the 1870s their interests were finally recognised, and the breeding partnership was renamed Hassell, Roberts and Royds.
Newspaper archives of the day state that Archer travelled south from Sydney
to Port Melbourne on the steamboat
the City of Sydney with two of his trainer Etienne de Mestre
’s other horses Exeter and Inheritor, leaving on 18 September and arriving at Port Melbourne on 21 September. Prior to the Melbourne
trip, the horses had arrived in Sydney by steamer from Greenwell Point (near Nowra) on 9 September. Passengers on the City of Sydney included de Mestre and Archer's jockey, John Cutts
. Archer travelled by steamboat from Sydney to Melbourne all three times that he raced in Victoria (in 1861, 1862 and 1863). Before railway facilities linked Melbourne to the other states, the only way to transport horses from state to state was by boat. In 1876 de Mestre's entry in the Melbourne Cup, Robin Hood, and ten other horses were lost at sea when the City Of Melbourne was struck by a severe storm off the coast at Jervis Bay
.
A steamboat was also the vehicle that de Mestre used to get his horses (including Archer) to Sydney. His horses usually boarded a steamer at Adam's Whalf {near Terara) but due to floods in early 1860 impeding navigation, from 1860 to 1863 the horses walked eight miles (13 km) to Berry's Whalf at Greenwell Point. When horses could not be transported by steamboat, and where railway lines did not exist, trainers needed to have their horses walked and/or ridden to their destinations. In order to race at Windsor
Archer would have been sent by steamship or rail from Sydney to Parramatta and overland the last 21 miles (34 km), and in order to race at Maitland
Archer would have been sent by steamship to Newcastle
and overland the last 20 miles (32 km). The longest distance that Archer would have walked or been ridden was 155 miles (250 km) from the end of the railway line in Campbelltown
to Jembaicumbene when he retired from racing in 1864.
Another Archer story is that his jockey for the first two Melbourne Cups, John Cutts
(c. 1829–1872), was an Aborigine
. Johnny Cutts was (according to legend) born in the area around Nowra, and one of many Aboriginal men who replaced white stockmen who walked off the land to join the gold rush. In truth Johnny Cutts rode for many trainers in his long career as a jockey, was not from the Nowra area, and was never based there. Cutts' brother-in-law Walter Bradbury, however, lived at Terara (since he worked for de Mestre) and helped to train Archer. John Cutts Dillon was the son of a Sydney clerk and one of the best-known, best-liked and most-respected jockeys in New South Wales.
. De Mestre (who would go on to train four Melbourne Cup winners and win five Melbourne Cups) was the son of Sydney
businessman Prosper de Mestre
(1789–1844). Although Archer raced in Etienne de Mestre's name, Archer was not legally owned by de Mestre. De Mestre leased some of his horses from Hassall and Roberts for training and racing purposes including Mariner (Archer's older half-brother), Archer and Tim Whiffler (with whom he won the 1867 Melbourne Cup). As a lessee, de Mestre "owned" (was fully responsible for) the horses during their leases.
Archer was three years old when de Mestre began his training at Terara (near Nowra) in May 1860. Nicknamed “The Bull” by locals, Archer was considered large for a three-year-old; he stood 16.3 hands with powerful hindquarters, a deep girth, well-sprung ribs and a good head and neck. His idiosyncrasies included his curious rolling gait when galloping, and the fact that he galloped with his tongue lolling out of his mouth. He was a long-striding horse, who could cover 140 feet (42.7 m) in 16 strides. Archer’s large frame told on his legs, and he was frequently lame. Archer was lightly regarded after he ran badly in his first two races at Randwick
in late May 1860. However, at the spring meeting later that year and the autumn meeting of 1861 he was undefeated in seven New South Wales races.
The inaugural two-mile Melbourne Cup on 7 November 1861 at Flemington was an eventful affair. Three of the seventeen starters fell during the race (two of them died); two jockeys sustained broken bones; one horse bolted off the course, but the race continued. At the final turn the favourite, Mormon, made his run but Archer caught and passed him. Before a crowd of about 4,000, Archer (a Sydney outsider, who was injured during training a few days before the race and attracted slight betting interest) defeated Mormon by six lengths in a time of 3:52.0 – the slowest time in Melbourne Cup history. Archer also defeated Mormon at Randwick in May over 2½ miles in the Australia Plate. In the first Melbourne Cup Archer won for de Mestre his prize was the sweepstake, 710 gold sovereigns (1 sovereign = £1), and a trophy (a hand-beaten gold watch). Before the race Archer was dismissed by the bookies, but after de Mestre of Terara made his wager Archer’s odds shortened and he started as the 6-1 second favourite. The winning bets on Archer took money from Melbourne, "refuelling interstate rivalry" and adding to the excitement of the Cup. The next day, Archer won another two-mile race at Flemington (the Melbourne Town Plate) with the same time.
In May 1862 Archer won the three-mile AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes
, and on 7 June 1862 Archer and Exeter were shipped back to Melbourne for the second Melbourne Cup. Archer was the Cup favourite; to prepare for the race, he was sent by railway from Melbourne to Geelong. In his first race in five months, Archer ran third on 1 October in the fifth three-mile Champion Sweepstakes.
Six weeks later (on 13 November 1862) Archer won his second Melbourne Cup carrying – 142 pounds (64.4 kg) – at 2–1 odds in a time of 3:47.0. The race, held before a crowd of about 7,000 (nearly double the previous year's crowd), had 20 starters – the largest field of horses ever to start in Australia at that time. Again it was an exciting race; Cutts initially reined Archer back so that he was running last by several lengths, and appeared to be out of the running. He then gradually passed his opponents until reaching the leaders, when the long-striding horse galloped into first place. Archer won by eight lengths, with Mormon again running second. His winning margin is the Melbourne Cup record, unmatched until 1969 by Rain Lover. With a larger field meaning a larger sweepstake, Archer won 810 gold sovereigns and a trophy (a hand-beaten gold watch). Winning the Melbourne Cup two years in a row was a feat not repeated until Peter Pan won the race twice more than 70 years later. Two days later, Archer won the one-mile All-Aged Stakes at Flemington. Archer, Exeter and de Mestre arrived back in Sydney on the steamer Wonga Wonga on 29 November. The following week they caught another steamer to Wollongong, and traveled overland the 50 miles (80 km) to Terara.
A technicality resulted in Archer's being denied a third try at the Melbourne Cup. His telegraphed acceptance to race failed to arrive in time (delivery was delayed due to a public holiday in Melbourne), and Archer was refused permission to enter the race. Nominations for the 1863 Melbourne Cup had to be lodged with the Victorian Turf Club by Wednesday, 29 April, accompanied by five gold sovereigns. De Mestre had nominated two of his horses, Archer and Haidee. Weights were declared and published in Bell's Life in Sydney on Saturday, 9 May. Archer was to carry 11st 4 lb (71.82 kg, or 158 lb) - which, if he had raced, would have been the heaviest handicap in the history of the Melbourne Cup. Under the care of groom and trainer Tom Lamond Archer and Haidee steamed to Melbourne, leaving Sydney on the City Of Melbourne Tuesday, 16 June. Acceptance, with an additional five-sovereign payment, had to be lodged with the VTC by 8pm Wednesday, 1 July; de Mestre (still in Sydney) had overlooked the deadline. Reminded on the morning of 1 July by Sam Jenner of George Kirk & Co. of the deadline, de Mestre requested a telegram be sent to the Melbourne office of George Kirk & Co. asking them to accept on his behalf. De Mestre took the telegram to the telegraph office himself, and it was received in the Melbourne Telegraph Office at 1 pm. Wednesday, 1 July was a public holiday in Melbourne, and the telegram was not delivered to the George Kirk & Co. offices until 7:30 pm. The next morning George Kirk handed the telegram to the stewards at the Turf Club, who decided it was too late. This decision caused controversy amongst Archer's Sydney supporters, who had expected him to win. Pressure by Victorian owners made no difference to the VTC, which stood its ground. To protest this decision and show solidarity, the interstate entrants boycotted the third Cup. Unknown at the time, however, was that due to injury Archer would have been unlikely to race. The third Melbourne Cup ran with only seven Victoria horses, the smallest number in its history.
On 21 July de Mestre took the steamer City of Melbourne to Melbourne to oversee the training of his horses for the seventh Champion Sweepstakes at Ballarat on 1 October. Once again John Cutts was engaged to ride Archer, and he steamed to Melbourne on 4 August aboard the Rangatira. De Mestre's horses were sent from Melbourne to Ballarat by railway. During his training Archer was ill, lame and required veterinary care, and did not race well. His supporters angrily asked why de Mestre had not scratched him from the race. In reply, Rowland Hassall issued a statement that none of de Mestre's horses were public property. On 10 October, it was announced that Archer had "gone in one of his legs" after the race; the next day, he was scratched from all his Victoria engagements.
Brought to Sydney to prepare for the September Metropolitan Cup at Randwick Racecourse
, Archer was seriously injured a month before the race during a veterinary treatment on 10 August 1864. He survived, and resumed training as soon as possible; however, he was ultimately scratched from the race. At the conclusion of the Randwick meeting, Archer was retired and returned to his owners Hassell and Roberts on Exeter Farm at Jembaicumbene
, near where he had been foaled. This involved a rail trip from Sydney to Campbelltown, and an overland trip of 155 miles (250 km).
s = gold sovereign
1s = £1
1 mile = 1.6 km
at a fee of 10 guineas per mare (one of the highest stud fees of the time), but his progeny did not win a stakes race. He remained at Exeter Farm until his death at age 16 on 22 December 1872. He had wandered into a field of green barley, the consumption of which gave him a fatal inflammation of the lungs. Archer's jockey, John Cutts, had died three months earlier in September 1872.
Victorian craftswoman Therese Haynes was so enamoured of Archer that late in his life, she made a horseshoe ornament from his tail hair. She coiled the hair to create a horseshoe-shaped plaque, placed it in a silver setting and mounted it on red satin. Preserving relics from celebrities – a category that in Australia has often included horses – was a strong Victorian-era pastime. Today this piece of memorabilia can be found at the Australian Racing Museum
in Melbourne.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse who won the first and the second Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
s in 1861 and 1862. He won both Cups easily, and is one of only five horses to win the Melbourne Cup twice or more; he is one of only four horses to win two successive Cups.
Breeding
Archer was sired by the successful imported sire William Tell (GB) (1843, by TouchstoneTouchstone (horse)
Touchstone was a good British bred Thoroughbred racehorse and a Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland on four occasions. He was owned and bred by Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster....
); his dam, Maid of the Oaks (dam of Mariner and William Tell (1855)) was by Vagabond (GB) (by Cain). Archer's sire and dam had been owned by Thomas Molyneux "Tom" Royds (1824–1852) of Ballalaba, Jembaicumbene, New South Wales
Jembaicumbene, New South Wales
Jembaicumbene is a town in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, located 5 miles out along the Braidwood - Majors Creek Road...
. Royds formed a breeding partnership with his uncle-in-law Andrew Badgery (c.1804–1857), keeping their many horses on the Andrew Badgery managed Exeter Farm in Jembaicumbene. For £51, Royds purchased the mare Maid Of The Oaks at the dispersal of Charles Smith's Clifton Stud in 1845. Royds also imported the stallion Sailor By The Sea, and in February 1847 the stallion William Tell. Archer’s full-sister, Our Nell, won three races in four days at the Goulburn races (1855) and other races at city tracks.
Early life
Archer was probably foaled in 1856 at Exeter Farm in Jembaicumbene, near BraidwoodBraidwood, New South Wales
Braidwood is a town in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, in Palerang Shire. It is located on the busy Kings Highway linking Canberra to Batemans Bay on the coast. It is about 200 kilometres south west of Sydney and about 60 kilometres inland from the coast...
in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. In recent years evidence has been discovered that Archer may not have been foaled on the Exeter Farm owned by Roberts but on Royd's previous cattle farm Ballabala, owned by Hassall. This is supported by Richard William Royds' (1922-?) (one of William Edward Royd's grandsons) writing in 1983 that Archer was foaled at Ballabala; this view is supported by his widow and adopted son. All other references state that Archer was foaled at Exeter Farm, including Richard's older brother John Patrick Molyneux Royds (1920-?) in an interview published in 1969. It is also on Exeter Farm that other horses from the breeding partnership of Hassall and Roberts were foaled, including Archer's half-brother Mariner in 1854 (by Sailor By The Sea out of Maid Of The Oaks) and his full-brother William Tell in 1855 (by William Tell (GB) out of Maid Of The Oaks.
Royds died at age 27 in an accident in early 1852. Two years later, his widow Elizabeth Jane "Betsy" Royds (née Roberts) (1824–1875) married Rowland H. Hassall (1820–1904) of Durham Hall in Jembaicumben who, under the laws of the time, obtained all of Betsy's possessions at their marriage. Even though Royds' will gave him no right to do so, Hassall began selling off the Royds horses at Exeter Farm. Betsy persuaded Hassell to keep the imported stallion William Tell and six broodmares (one of which wasMaid Of The Oaks). Her brother Thomas John "Tom" Roberts (1831–1899) had inherited Exeter Farm, and as executor of Royds' estate was trying to protect the interests of his nephews; he would care for the horses. As part of the agreement, the progeny (including Archer) from the breeding program using the six mares bred to William Tell and other stallions were recorded in the stud books under the breeding partnership name of (RH) Hassell and (TJ) Roberts. The names of the two boys to whom the horses had been bequeathed, Edmund Molyneux Royds (1847–1912) (no issue) and William Edward Royds (1849–1910), were not mentioned. When the boys sued their stepfather in the 1870s their interests were finally recognised, and the breeding partnership was renamed Hassell, Roberts and Royds.
Newspaper archives of the day state that Archer travelled south from Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
to Port Melbourne on the steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
the City of Sydney with two of his trainer Etienne de Mestre
Etienne L. de Mestre
Etienne de Mestre , a 19th century trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses, was Australia's first outstanding racehorse trainer. In his 30 year career he experienced all the highs and the lows of the turf in a career which ended with him dependent on donations from racing friends.With the five wins de...
’s other horses Exeter and Inheritor, leaving on 18 September and arriving at Port Melbourne on 21 September. Prior to the Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
trip, the horses had arrived in Sydney by steamer from Greenwell Point (near Nowra) on 9 September. Passengers on the City of Sydney included de Mestre and Archer's jockey, John Cutts
John Cutts (jockey)
John "Johnny" Cutts was the jockey who at the age of 32 rode Archer, the winner of the first Melbourne Cup in 1861. The next day Johnny rode Archer to win another long distance race, the Melbourne Town Plate. In May 1862 he rode Archer to win the AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and returned to...
. Archer travelled by steamboat from Sydney to Melbourne all three times that he raced in Victoria (in 1861, 1862 and 1863). Before railway facilities linked Melbourne to the other states, the only way to transport horses from state to state was by boat. In 1876 de Mestre's entry in the Melbourne Cup, Robin Hood, and ten other horses were lost at sea when the City Of Melbourne was struck by a severe storm off the coast at Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay is a large bay bounded by the state of New South Wales, the Jervis Bay Territory, and a detached enclave of the Australian Capital Territory. HMAS Creswell is located between Jervis Bay Village and Greenpatch in the Jervis Bay Territory.-History:...
.
A steamboat was also the vehicle that de Mestre used to get his horses (including Archer) to Sydney. His horses usually boarded a steamer at Adam's Whalf {near Terara) but due to floods in early 1860 impeding navigation, from 1860 to 1863 the horses walked eight miles (13 km) to Berry's Whalf at Greenwell Point. When horses could not be transported by steamboat, and where railway lines did not exist, trainers needed to have their horses walked and/or ridden to their destinations. In order to race at Windsor
Windsor, New South Wales
Windsor is a town in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Windsor is located in the local government area of the City of Hawkesbury. It sits on the Hawkesbury River, on the north-western outskirts of the Sydney metropolitan area. At the 2006 census, Windsor had a population of...
Archer would have been sent by steamship or rail from Sydney to Parramatta and overland the last 21 miles (34 km), and in order to race at Maitland
Maitland, New South Wales
Maitland is a city in the Lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council, situated on the Hunter River approximately by road north of Sydney and north-west of Newcastle...
Archer would have been sent by steamship to Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
and overland the last 20 miles (32 km). The longest distance that Archer would have walked or been ridden was 155 miles (250 km) from the end of the railway line in Campbelltown
Campbelltown, New South Wales
Campbelltown is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Campbelltown is located 51 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Campbelltown.- History :Campbelltown...
to Jembaicumbene when he retired from racing in 1864.
Another Archer story is that his jockey for the first two Melbourne Cups, John Cutts
John Cutts (jockey)
John "Johnny" Cutts was the jockey who at the age of 32 rode Archer, the winner of the first Melbourne Cup in 1861. The next day Johnny rode Archer to win another long distance race, the Melbourne Town Plate. In May 1862 he rode Archer to win the AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and returned to...
(c. 1829–1872), was an Aborigine
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
. Johnny Cutts was (according to legend) born in the area around Nowra, and one of many Aboriginal men who replaced white stockmen who walked off the land to join the gold rush. In truth Johnny Cutts rode for many trainers in his long career as a jockey, was not from the Nowra area, and was never based there. Cutts' brother-in-law Walter Bradbury, however, lived at Terara (since he worked for de Mestre) and helped to train Archer. John Cutts Dillon was the son of a Sydney clerk and one of the best-known, best-liked and most-respected jockeys in New South Wales.
Racing career
In 1860 Archer was bought and trained by business associate and school friend of Tom Roberts Etienne de Mestre (1832–1916), from Terara near Nowra, New South WalesNowra, New South Wales
Nowra is a city in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. Located SSW and approximately by road south of the state capital of Sydney, it has an estimated population together with its twin-town of Bomaderry of 34,479. It is also the seat and commercial centre of the City of Shoalhaven...
. De Mestre (who would go on to train four Melbourne Cup winners and win five Melbourne Cups) was the son of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
businessman Prosper de Mestre
Prosper de Mestre
Prosper de Mestre was a prominent businessman in Sydney from 1818 until near his death in 1844. He was French born, but also a "citizen of the world", who played an important role in the development of commerce and banking in the English Colony of New South Wales. He became a successful merchant...
(1789–1844). Although Archer raced in Etienne de Mestre's name, Archer was not legally owned by de Mestre. De Mestre leased some of his horses from Hassall and Roberts for training and racing purposes including Mariner (Archer's older half-brother), Archer and Tim Whiffler (with whom he won the 1867 Melbourne Cup). As a lessee, de Mestre "owned" (was fully responsible for) the horses during their leases.
Archer was three years old when de Mestre began his training at Terara (near Nowra) in May 1860. Nicknamed “The Bull” by locals, Archer was considered large for a three-year-old; he stood 16.3 hands with powerful hindquarters, a deep girth, well-sprung ribs and a good head and neck. His idiosyncrasies included his curious rolling gait when galloping, and the fact that he galloped with his tongue lolling out of his mouth. He was a long-striding horse, who could cover 140 feet (42.7 m) in 16 strides. Archer’s large frame told on his legs, and he was frequently lame. Archer was lightly regarded after he ran badly in his first two races at Randwick
Randwick Racecourse
Royal Randwick Racecourse is a racecourse for horseracing in the Eastern Suburbs in Sydney, New South Wales. Randwick Racecourse, is operated by the Australian Jockey Club and known to many Sydney racegoers as headquarters...
in late May 1860. However, at the spring meeting later that year and the autumn meeting of 1861 he was undefeated in seven New South Wales races.
The inaugural two-mile Melbourne Cup on 7 November 1861 at Flemington was an eventful affair. Three of the seventeen starters fell during the race (two of them died); two jockeys sustained broken bones; one horse bolted off the course, but the race continued. At the final turn the favourite, Mormon, made his run but Archer caught and passed him. Before a crowd of about 4,000, Archer (a Sydney outsider, who was injured during training a few days before the race and attracted slight betting interest) defeated Mormon by six lengths in a time of 3:52.0 – the slowest time in Melbourne Cup history. Archer also defeated Mormon at Randwick in May over 2½ miles in the Australia Plate. In the first Melbourne Cup Archer won for de Mestre his prize was the sweepstake, 710 gold sovereigns (1 sovereign = £1), and a trophy (a hand-beaten gold watch). Before the race Archer was dismissed by the bookies, but after de Mestre of Terara made his wager Archer’s odds shortened and he started as the 6-1 second favourite. The winning bets on Archer took money from Melbourne, "refuelling interstate rivalry" and adding to the excitement of the Cup. The next day, Archer won another two-mile race at Flemington (the Melbourne Town Plate) with the same time.
In May 1862 Archer won the three-mile AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes
AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes
The AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run at Weight for Age, over a distance of 2,000 metres in April or May at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, and on 7 June 1862 Archer and Exeter were shipped back to Melbourne for the second Melbourne Cup. Archer was the Cup favourite; to prepare for the race, he was sent by railway from Melbourne to Geelong. In his first race in five months, Archer ran third on 1 October in the fifth three-mile Champion Sweepstakes.
Six weeks later (on 13 November 1862) Archer won his second Melbourne Cup carrying – 142 pounds (64.4 kg) – at 2–1 odds in a time of 3:47.0. The race, held before a crowd of about 7,000 (nearly double the previous year's crowd), had 20 starters – the largest field of horses ever to start in Australia at that time. Again it was an exciting race; Cutts initially reined Archer back so that he was running last by several lengths, and appeared to be out of the running. He then gradually passed his opponents until reaching the leaders, when the long-striding horse galloped into first place. Archer won by eight lengths, with Mormon again running second. His winning margin is the Melbourne Cup record, unmatched until 1969 by Rain Lover. With a larger field meaning a larger sweepstake, Archer won 810 gold sovereigns and a trophy (a hand-beaten gold watch). Winning the Melbourne Cup two years in a row was a feat not repeated until Peter Pan won the race twice more than 70 years later. Two days later, Archer won the one-mile All-Aged Stakes at Flemington. Archer, Exeter and de Mestre arrived back in Sydney on the steamer Wonga Wonga on 29 November. The following week they caught another steamer to Wollongong, and traveled overland the 50 miles (80 km) to Terara.
A technicality resulted in Archer's being denied a third try at the Melbourne Cup. His telegraphed acceptance to race failed to arrive in time (delivery was delayed due to a public holiday in Melbourne), and Archer was refused permission to enter the race. Nominations for the 1863 Melbourne Cup had to be lodged with the Victorian Turf Club by Wednesday, 29 April, accompanied by five gold sovereigns. De Mestre had nominated two of his horses, Archer and Haidee. Weights were declared and published in Bell's Life in Sydney on Saturday, 9 May. Archer was to carry 11st 4 lb (71.82 kg, or 158 lb) - which, if he had raced, would have been the heaviest handicap in the history of the Melbourne Cup. Under the care of groom and trainer Tom Lamond Archer and Haidee steamed to Melbourne, leaving Sydney on the City Of Melbourne Tuesday, 16 June. Acceptance, with an additional five-sovereign payment, had to be lodged with the VTC by 8pm Wednesday, 1 July; de Mestre (still in Sydney) had overlooked the deadline. Reminded on the morning of 1 July by Sam Jenner of George Kirk & Co. of the deadline, de Mestre requested a telegram be sent to the Melbourne office of George Kirk & Co. asking them to accept on his behalf. De Mestre took the telegram to the telegraph office himself, and it was received in the Melbourne Telegraph Office at 1 pm. Wednesday, 1 July was a public holiday in Melbourne, and the telegram was not delivered to the George Kirk & Co. offices until 7:30 pm. The next morning George Kirk handed the telegram to the stewards at the Turf Club, who decided it was too late. This decision caused controversy amongst Archer's Sydney supporters, who had expected him to win. Pressure by Victorian owners made no difference to the VTC, which stood its ground. To protest this decision and show solidarity, the interstate entrants boycotted the third Cup. Unknown at the time, however, was that due to injury Archer would have been unlikely to race. The third Melbourne Cup ran with only seven Victoria horses, the smallest number in its history.
On 21 July de Mestre took the steamer City of Melbourne to Melbourne to oversee the training of his horses for the seventh Champion Sweepstakes at Ballarat on 1 October. Once again John Cutts was engaged to ride Archer, and he steamed to Melbourne on 4 August aboard the Rangatira. De Mestre's horses were sent from Melbourne to Ballarat by railway. During his training Archer was ill, lame and required veterinary care, and did not race well. His supporters angrily asked why de Mestre had not scratched him from the race. In reply, Rowland Hassall issued a statement that none of de Mestre's horses were public property. On 10 October, it was announced that Archer had "gone in one of his legs" after the race; the next day, he was scratched from all his Victoria engagements.
Brought to Sydney to prepare for the September Metropolitan Cup at Randwick Racecourse
Randwick Racecourse
Royal Randwick Racecourse is a racecourse for horseracing in the Eastern Suburbs in Sydney, New South Wales. Randwick Racecourse, is operated by the Australian Jockey Club and known to many Sydney racegoers as headquarters...
, Archer was seriously injured a month before the race during a veterinary treatment on 10 August 1864. He survived, and resumed training as soon as possible; however, he was ultimately scratched from the race. At the conclusion of the Randwick meeting, Archer was retired and returned to his owners Hassell and Roberts on Exeter Farm at Jembaicumbene
Jembaicumbene, New South Wales
Jembaicumbene is a town in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, located 5 miles out along the Braidwood - Majors Creek Road...
, near where he had been foaled. This involved a rail trip from Sydney to Campbelltown, and an overland trip of 155 miles (250 km).
Archer’s Melbourne Cup record
- Winner of the first two Melbourne Cups (1861, 1862)
- For more than a century, only two horses won the Melbourne Cup twice: Archer (1861, 1862) and Peter Pan (1932, 1934).
- Slowest winning time – 3.52.0 (1861)
- First winner to carry a weight of (1862)
- Winners by the largest margin – 8 lengths (1862, tied by Rain Lover in 1968)
- First non-favourite to win (1861)
- First favourite to win (1862)
- First past winner to be denied a starting place (1863)
Race record
u/k = unknowns = gold sovereign
1s = £1
1 mile = 1.6 km
| Age | Date | Track | Race | Distance (miles) |
Jockey | Handicap | Field (No. horses) |
Place | Time | Prize Money |
+ Sweepstake | Archer’s winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3yo | 29.05.1860 | Randwick | Tattersall’s Free Handicap |
1 ¾ | John Cutts | (46.82 kg) |
13 | Unplaced | u/k | u/k | u/k | Nil |
| " | 31.05.1860 | Randwick | Randwick Plate | 1 ½ | John Cutts | u/k | u/k | Unplaced | u/k | u/k | u/k | Nil |
| 4yo | 06.09.1860 | Randwick | Metropolitan Maiden Plate |
1 ¾ | John Cutts | u/k | 6 | 1st | u/k | 150s | 5s x ? nominations ?s x ? acceptances ?s x ? starters |
u/k |
| " | 08.09.1860 | Randwick | Randwick Plate | 1 ½ | John Cutts | (59.55 kg) |
2 | 1st | u/k | 100s | u/k | u/k |
| " | 25.09.1860 | Windsor | Hawkesbury Maiden Plate |
1 ¾ | John Cutts | u/k | 5 | 1st | u/k | u/k | u/k | u/k |
| " | 27.09.1860 | Windsor | Stewards Purse | 1 ¼ | John Cutts | (59.09 kg) |
2 | 1st | u/k | u/k | u/k | u/k |
| " | 02.05.1861 | Randwick | Australian Plate | 2 ½ | John Cutts | u/k | u/k | 1st | u/k | u/k | u/k | u/k |
| " | 04.05.1861 | Randwick | Randwick Plate | 1 ½ | John Cutts | u/k | u/k | 1st | u/k | 100s | u/k | u/k |
| " | 04.06.1861 | Maitland | Maitland Town Plate |
2 ½ | Etienne de Mestre |
u/k | 2 | 1st | u/k | u/k | u/k | u/k |
| 5yo | 07.11.1861 | Flemington | Melbourne Cup | 2 | John Cutts | (60.45 kg) |
17 | 1st | 3.52.0 | 200s | 5s x 57 nominations +5s x ? acceptances +10s x 17 starters |
710s + gold watch |
| " | 08.11.1861 | Flemington | Melbourne Town Plate |
2 | John Cutts | (63.18 kg) |
5 | 1st | 3.52.0 | 100s | u/k | u/k |
| " | 26.04.1862 | Randwick | Randwick Grand Handicap |
2 ½ | John Cutts | u/k | 13 | 3rd | u/k | 250s | 5s x ? nominations + 5s x ? acceptances + 10s x 13 starters |
u/k |
| " | 03.05.1862 | Randwick | AJC Queen’s Plate | 3 | John Cutts | (63.64 kg) |
u/k | 1st | u/k | u/k | u/k | u/k |
| 6yo | 01.10.1862 | Geelong | Fifth Champion Sweepstakes |
3 | John Cutts | (64.09 kg) |
9 | 3rd | u/k | u/k | u/k | u/k |
| " | 13.11.1862 | Flemington | Melbourne Cup | 2 | John Cutts | (64.55 kg) |
20 | 1st | 3.47.0 | 200s | 5s x ? nominations + 5s x ? acceptances + 10s x 20 starters |
810s + gold watch |
| " | 15.11.1862 | Flemington | All-Aged Stakes | 1 | John Cutts | (65.45 kg) |
u/k | 1st | 1.50.0 | u/k | u/k | u/k |
| 7yo | 01.10.1863 | Ballarat | Seventh Champion Sweepstakes |
3 | John Cutts | u/k | 5 | 3rd | u/k | 1000s | 20s x 5 starters + ? nominations & acceptances |
u/k |
| " | 3.11.1863 | Flemington | Melbourne Cup | 2 | (71.82 kg) |
Scratched |
Stud record
Archer was retired to studHorse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
at a fee of 10 guineas per mare (one of the highest stud fees of the time), but his progeny did not win a stakes race. He remained at Exeter Farm until his death at age 16 on 22 December 1872. He had wandered into a field of green barley, the consumption of which gave him a fatal inflammation of the lungs. Archer's jockey, John Cutts, had died three months earlier in September 1872.
Victorian craftswoman Therese Haynes was so enamoured of Archer that late in his life, she made a horseshoe ornament from his tail hair. She coiled the hair to create a horseshoe-shaped plaque, placed it in a silver setting and mounted it on red satin. Preserving relics from celebrities – a category that in Australia has often included horses – was a strong Victorian-era pastime. Today this piece of memorabilia can be found at the Australian Racing Museum
Australian Racing Museum
The Australian Racing Museum is a horse racing museum in Melbourne, Australia dedicated to Thoroughbred horses, jockeys and trainers.It was first set up at Caulfield Racecourse in 1981 and closed on 30 August 2003. It then moved to Federation Square on Flinders Street. In October 2010 the museum...
in Melbourne.
Major Reference
- The Masters Touch, Racing with Etienne de Mestre, Winner of 5 Melbourne Cups by Keith W. Paterson, Published by Keith W. Paterson [Nowra] (2008) (ISBN 978-0-646-50028-7)