Ayrshire (horse)
Encyclopedia
Ayrshire was a British Thoroughbred
racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1883 to 1885 he ran sixteen times and won eleven races. After winning five races as a two-year-old he became the leading British three-year-old colt of 1884 when he won the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket
and the Derby
at Epsom
. He failed in his bid to win the English Triple Crown when beaten in the St Leger
at Doncaster
but returned in 1885 for a successful campaign which included a win in the Eclipse Stakes
at Sandown. He was retired to stud at the end of the year and had a modestly successful career as a stallion. He died in 1910.
a Conservative
politician and landowner. Among the Duke’s other horses were the undefeated St. Simon
and the 1889 Derby winner Donovan
. He was sent into training with George Dawson at his Heath House Stable in Newmarket, Suffolk.
Ayrshire's sire, Hampton was an excellent stayer who won both the Goodwood Cup
and the Doncaster Cup
. Hampton was Champion sire in 1887 and sired, in addition to Merry Hampton, the Derby winners Ladas
and Merry Hampton
as well as the influential sires Bay Ronald
and Royal Hampton. Ayrshire’s dam Atalanta, who had once been sold for half a Crown, was a successful racehorse who went on to produce several good winners including the St. James's Palace Stakes
winner Troon.
s at Manchester for which he was made 5/2 favourite. In a “splendid race” run in thick mist Ayrshire finished third, beaten a neck and a head by the filly Briar-root who went on to win the 1000 Guineas in 1884, and an un-named ”Ellangowan colt” (later named Caerlaverock). He was then sent to Royal Ascot for the New Stakes
in which he finished third to the year’s leading two-year-old Friar’s Balsam and the filly Seabreeze.
In the next three months, Ayshire won five successive races. Before the end of June he had won the Bibury Home-bred Foal Plate by three quarters of a length from Challenge, and the the Royal Plate at Windsor
. At Newmarket in July, he started evens favourite for the Chesterfield Stakes, and produced a strong finish to beat Bartizan by half a length and later that month won the “Prince of Wales Stakes” at Goodwood
. At Doncaster in September he won the Champagne Stakes but sustained an injury which kept him off the racecourse for the remainder of the season.
At Epsom on 30 May Ayrshire started 5/6 favourite in a field of nine, in front of a crowd estimated at 150,000. His owner, the Duke of Portland watched the race from the Royal Box in the company of the Prince of Wales. Ayrshire broke quickly but was then held up and settled in fourth by his rider Fred Barrett. Van Dieman’s Land went to the front at half way and held a clear lead turning into the straight as Barrett moved Ayrshire into contention. Two furlongs from the finish, Ayrshire took the lead and went clear from Orbit and Van Dieman’s Land. He quickly went clear and held off the strong late challenge of Crowberry to win by two lengths, despite swerving near the finish. The official time of 2:43 equalled the race record, although the Sporting Life
timed the winner at 2:42.2.
Shortly after the Derby Ayrshire was found to be lame as a result of a splint
and was off the racecourse for more than three months. He started favourite for the St Leger on Sepember 12 against fifteen opponents, with his biggest danger appearing to be Seabreeze, who had won the Epsom Oaks
. Ayrshire raced prominently and was moved up to challenge Seabreeze for the lead early in the straight. He soon weakened however, suggesting a lack of stamina, and dropped back to finish sixth, as the filly won easily. Ten days later Ayrshire ran over the much shorter distance of seven furlongs in the £10,000 Lancashire Plate at Manchester Racecourse. Looking fitter than he had done at Doncaster, he produced a much better effort, leading the field of twenty-four runners until headed by Seabreeze well inside the final furlong. Ayrshire "struggled gamely" but was beaten three quarters of a length in a finish of "intense excitement." Ayrshire reappeared at Newmarket three days later for his final start of the year, and won the Great Foal Plate, beating the Doncaster Cup winner Grafton.
. Ridden by Jack Watts, Ayrshire took the lead turning into the straight as Friar's Balsam dropped away, but he was soon challenged by Seabreeze. The two leaders pulled well clear of the remainder, with Ayrshire holding off the filly's sustained challenge to win comfortably by a length.
On July 19 he faced Seabreeze again in the third running of the £10,000 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, for which he started 4/5 favorite. He won "in a canter" by about two lengths, beating the three-year-olds El Dorado and Seclusion with Seabreeze well beaten. . In the Champion Stakes at Newmarket in October Ayrshire was beaten into third place by the three-year-old Gold in one of the "chief surprises" of the year. It transpired that he had been injured in the race and retired to stud.
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 and sire. In a career that lasted from 1883 to 1885 he ran sixteen times and won eleven races. After winning five races as a two-year-old he became the leading British three-year-old colt of 1884 when he won the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket
Newmarket Racecourse
The town of Newmarket, in Suffolk, England, is the headquarters of British horseracing, home to the largest cluster of training yards in the country and many key horse racing organisations. Newmarket Racecourse has two courses - the Rowley Mile Course and the July Course. Both are wide, galloping...
and the Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
at Epsom
Epsom Downs Racecourse
Epsom Downs is a Grade 1 racecourse near Epsom, Surrey, England. The "downs" referred to in the name are part of the North Downs. The course is best known for hosting the Epsom Derby, the United Kingdom's premier thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old colts and fillies, over a mile and a half...
. He failed in his bid to win the English Triple Crown when beaten in the St Leger
St. Leger Stakes
The St. Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 132 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.Established in 1776, the St. Leger...
at Doncaster
Doncaster Racecourse
Doncaster Racecourse is a racecourse in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It hosts two of Great Britain's 31 Group 1 flat races, the St Leger Stakes and the Racing Post Trophy.- History :...
but returned in 1885 for a successful campaign which included a win in the Eclipse Stakes
Eclipse Stakes
The Eclipse Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 7 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early July.-History:The event is named after Eclipse, a...
at Sandown. He was retired to stud at the end of the year and had a modestly successful career as a stallion. He died in 1910.
Background
Ayrshire was a dark-coated bay, praised for his “beauty” and “symmetry”, bred by his owner William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of PortlandWilliam Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland
William John Arthur Charles James Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland KG, GCVO, PC, TD, DL , known as William Cavendish-Bentinck until 1879, was a British landowner, courtier and Conservative politician...
a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician and landowner. Among the Duke’s other horses were the undefeated St. Simon
St. Simon (horse)
St. Simon was an undefeated British Thoroughbred racehorse and one of the most successful sires in the history of the Thoroughbred. In May 1886 The Sporting Times carried out a poll of one hundred experts to create a ranking of the best British racehorses of the 19th Century. St...
and the 1889 Derby winner Donovan
Donovan (horse)
Donovan was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1947 to 1948 he ran twenty-one times and won eighteen races. He was the leading British two-year-old of 1888 when he won eleven of hifs thirteen starts...
. He was sent into training with George Dawson at his Heath House Stable in Newmarket, Suffolk.
Ayrshire's sire, Hampton was an excellent stayer who won both the Goodwood Cup
Goodwood Cup
The Goodwood Cup is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 2 miles , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late July or early August.-History:...
and the Doncaster Cup
Doncaster Cup
The Doncaster Cup is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 2 miles and 2 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September....
. Hampton was Champion sire in 1887 and sired, in addition to Merry Hampton, the Derby winners Ladas
Ladas (horse)
Ladas was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1893 to 1894 he ran eleven times and won seven races. He was the outstanding British two-year-old of 1893 when he was unbeaten in four starts. In the following year he won the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Derby...
and Merry Hampton
Merry Hampton
Merry Hampton was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1887 to 1888 he ran four times and won once in a career which was restricted by injuries and training difficulties. His sole victory came on his racecourse debut when he won the 1887 Epsom Derby as an 11/1...
as well as the influential sires Bay Ronald
Bay Ronald
Bay Ronald, Foaled 3 May 1893, at Leybourne Grange Stud in Kent, England) was a thoroughbred racehorse that had a huge impact on the breeding of sport horses, mainly through his son Dark Ronald and grandson Teddy, and also carried on his lines in theThoroughbred racing world, through his son Bayardo...
and Royal Hampton. Ayrshire’s dam Atalanta, who had once been sold for half a Crown, was a successful racehorse who went on to produce several good winners including the St. James's Palace Stakes
St. James's Palace Stakes
The St. James's Palace Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
winner Troon.
1887: two-year-old season
Ayrshire made his debut in the £5,000 Whitsuntide Plate over five furlongFurlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
s at Manchester for which he was made 5/2 favourite. In a “splendid race” run in thick mist Ayrshire finished third, beaten a neck and a head by the filly Briar-root who went on to win the 1000 Guineas in 1884, and an un-named ”Ellangowan colt” (later named Caerlaverock). He was then sent to Royal Ascot for the New Stakes
Norfolk Stakes
Norfolk Stakes may refer to:*Norfolk Stakes , a horse race held at Ascot Racecourse.*Norfolk Stakes , a horse race held at Santa Anita Park.*Norfolk Stakes, the original title of the Flying Childers Stakes....
in which he finished third to the year’s leading two-year-old Friar’s Balsam and the filly Seabreeze.
In the next three months, Ayshire won five successive races. Before the end of June he had won the Bibury Home-bred Foal Plate by three quarters of a length from Challenge, and the the Royal Plate at Windsor
Windsor Racecourse
Windsor Racecourse, also known as Royal Windsor Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Windsor, Berkshire, England. It is one of only two figure-of-eight courses in the United Kingdom, the other being at Fontwell Park. It abandoned National Hunt jump racing in December 1998,...
. At Newmarket in July, he started evens favourite for the Chesterfield Stakes, and produced a strong finish to beat Bartizan by half a length and later that month won the “Prince of Wales Stakes” at Goodwood
Goodwood Racecourse
Goodwood Racecourse is a horse-racing track five miles north of Chichester, West Sussex, in England controlled by the family of the Duke of Richmond, whose seat is nearby Goodwood House...
. At Doncaster in September he won the Champagne Stakes but sustained an injury which kept him off the racecourse for the remainder of the season.
1888: three-year-old season
Although Friar’s Balsam perceived as by far the best colt of his generation, Ayrshire who had thrived over the winter was regarded by some observers as a potential Derby winner. Ayrshire began his three-year-old season in the Riddlesworth Stakes at Newmarket, which he won by twenty lengths from his only opponent. In the 2000 Guineas on Ayrshire was started at 8/1 in a field of six but Friar’s Balsam was considered such a certainty that many bookmakers refused to accept bets on the favourite. Friar’s Balsam was, however, suffering from an undetected mouth abscess which burst during the race, causing him to choke on “blood and matter”. Ayrshire, ridden by the fifty-five year old veteran John Osborne, tracked his stable companion Johnny Morgan before moving into the lead a furlong out and winning “in a common canter” by two lengths. Johnny Morgan held off Orbit for second, while Friar’s Balsam finished distressed in fifth. Immediately following the race Ayrshire’s price for the Derby was cut from 7/1 to 6/4.At Epsom on 30 May Ayrshire started 5/6 favourite in a field of nine, in front of a crowd estimated at 150,000. His owner, the Duke of Portland watched the race from the Royal Box in the company of the Prince of Wales. Ayrshire broke quickly but was then held up and settled in fourth by his rider Fred Barrett. Van Dieman’s Land went to the front at half way and held a clear lead turning into the straight as Barrett moved Ayrshire into contention. Two furlongs from the finish, Ayrshire took the lead and went clear from Orbit and Van Dieman’s Land. He quickly went clear and held off the strong late challenge of Crowberry to win by two lengths, despite swerving near the finish. The official time of 2:43 equalled the race record, although the Sporting Life
Sporting Life
Sporting Life may refer to:*A character in Gershwin musical Porgy and Bess*Sportin' Life, an album by Mink DeVille*The Sporting Life , 1918 silent directed by Maurice Tourneur...
timed the winner at 2:42.2.
Shortly after the Derby Ayrshire was found to be lame as a result of a splint
Splints
Splints is an ailment of the horse or pony, characterized by a hard, bony swelling, usually on the inside of a front leg, lying between the splint and cannon bone or on the splint bone itself. It may be "hot," meaning that it occurred recently and is still painful; or "cold," meaning that the...
and was off the racecourse for more than three months. He started favourite for the St Leger on Sepember 12 against fifteen opponents, with his biggest danger appearing to be Seabreeze, who had won the Epsom Oaks
Epsom Oaks
The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early June....
. Ayrshire raced prominently and was moved up to challenge Seabreeze for the lead early in the straight. He soon weakened however, suggesting a lack of stamina, and dropped back to finish sixth, as the filly won easily. Ten days later Ayrshire ran over the much shorter distance of seven furlongs in the £10,000 Lancashire Plate at Manchester Racecourse. Looking fitter than he had done at Doncaster, he produced a much better effort, leading the field of twenty-four runners until headed by Seabreeze well inside the final furlong. Ayrshire "struggled gamely" but was beaten three quarters of a length in a finish of "intense excitement." Ayrshire reappeared at Newmarket three days later for his final start of the year, and won the Great Foal Plate, beating the Doncaster Cup winner Grafton.
1889: four-year-old season
Ayrshire ran only three times in 1889, but won two of the season's most valuable prizes. On his four-year-old debut on 11 May Ayrshire faced a strong field, including Friar's Balsam (who started odds-on favourite) and Seabreeze in the £10,000 Royal Stakes at Kempton ParkKempton Park Racecourse
Kempton Park Racecourse is a horse racing track in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England, which is a western suburb of London 16 miles from the city centre. The site is set in of land....
. Ridden by Jack Watts, Ayrshire took the lead turning into the straight as Friar's Balsam dropped away, but he was soon challenged by Seabreeze. The two leaders pulled well clear of the remainder, with Ayrshire holding off the filly's sustained challenge to win comfortably by a length.
On July 19 he faced Seabreeze again in the third running of the £10,000 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, for which he started 4/5 favorite. He won "in a canter" by about two lengths, beating the three-year-olds El Dorado and Seclusion with Seabreeze well beaten. . In the Champion Stakes at Newmarket in October Ayrshire was beaten into third place by the three-year-old Gold in one of the "chief surprises" of the year. It transpired that he had been injured in the race and retired to stud.