Cyllene (horse)
Encyclopedia
Cyllene was a British Thoroughbred
racehorse and sire. In a racing career that lasted from 1897 until 1899, Cyllene won nine of his eleven starts, winning major races and being regarded as the best horse of his generation at two, three and four years of age. In a stud career which began in Britain and ended in Argentina
, Cyllene became an important and influential stallion. He sired four winners of the Epsom Derby
and is the direct male-line ancestor of most modern thoroughbreds.
and two white socks was bred by his owner, Charles Day Rose at the Hardwicke Stud near Pangbourne
in Berkshire
. He was a small, late foal, born in May and was never entered in the Classics as he was thought unlikely to be strong or mature enough to compete at the highest level at an early age. Cyllene was trained throughout his racing career by William Jarvis at Waterwitch House stable at Newmarket, Suffolk. Rose thought so highly of Cyllene that he arranged a "luxurious" private train to ensure that the colt returned to Newmarket promptly after his races. Cyllene's most regular rider was the 1899 Champion Jockey
Samuel "Sam" Loates.
Cyllene’s sire, Bona Vista was a high class racehorse who won the 2000 Guineas in 1892. He was considered a failure as a stallion and in the year of Cyllene’s birth he was sold and exported to Hungary
. Arcadia, Cyllene’s dam, won two races and was a half sister to Van Dieman’s Land, who ran third in the Derby.
and Gatwick "in good style". He was then sent to Ascot for the Triennial Stakes where he defeated Nun Nicer, a filly who won the following year’s 1000 Guineas, establishing himself as one of the best of an apparently "above the average" generation. At Sandown in July he won the National Breeders Produce Stakes by a head to take one of the season’s most valuable two-year-old prizes, despite being unable to obtain a clear run until the closings stages.
After a break of three months he returned to the racecourse in October for the Imperial Produce Stakes at Kempton Park Racecourse
in which he narrowly failed to give ten pounds
to Dieudonne, a colt who went on to win the Middle Park Stakes
later in the month.
in April but was never beaten again. In May he easily won the Newmarket Stakes
by four lengths in record time, and was then rested until autumn. Before he returned, the form of his Newmarket win was boosted when Jeddah, who had finished fifth in the race, won the Epsom Derby
.
In September he produced his best performance to date to win the Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket by six lengths from a field which included Dieudonne and the Classic winners Airs and Graces (1000 Guineas) and Chelandry (Oaks
). On his final start of the year he won the Sandown Park Foal Stakes by four lengths, taking his winnings for the season to £14,563.
winner Gardefeu. According to one correspondent, Cyllene "simply played" with the top quality field, with his jockey Sam Loates having time to stroke the horse's neck and touch his cap to the cheering crowd in the closing stages.
The effects two races on firm ground meant that Cyllene's connections abandoned plans to run him for a third time at the meeting (in the Hardwicke Stakes
) and the colt was given an extended rest. In autumn there was much anticipation of a meeting between Cyllene and the Triple Crown winner Flying Fox
, with Charles Day Rose being reported as saying that he "looked forward to beating" the outstanding three-year-old in the Champion Stakes
at Newmarket. When Cyllene returned to serious training however, it was decided that the risk of the horse breaking down was too great and he was retired to stud without racing again.
At the end of his three-year-old season there was little doubt that Cyllene was the best horse of his generation in England, with the only debate concerning the identity of the second best. An "English turf writer" confidently asserted that if Cyllene had been entered in the Classics he would have "swept the board" and been regarded as a "second Ormonde".
In June 1899, shortly before his runs at Royal Ascot, Cyllene was rated by the Daily Mail's
correspondent as one of the three best horses in England, alongside the Australian-bred Newhaven and the three-year-old Flying Fox. At the end of the season another correspondent rated him the second best horse of the year behind Flying Fox.
to William Bass
and was moved to the Egerton Park Stud at Newmarket where he was based until 1908. He was not a popular stallion at first, and attracted relatively few top class mares despite a modest stud fee of between 100 and 150 gns
. Despite this he soon proved to be outstandingly successful, siring the Derby winners Cicero
, Minoru
, Tagalie
and Lemberg
. More important in the long term was Polymelus
who sired three Derby winners (Fifinella
, Pommern and Humorist
) and Phalaris
the most influential sire of the 20th Century.
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 racing career that lasted from 1897 until 1899, Cyllene won nine of his eleven starts, winning major races and being regarded as the best horse of his generation at two, three and four years of age. In a stud career which began in Britain and ended in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Cyllene became an important and influential stallion. He sired four winners of the Epsom 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...
and is the direct male-line ancestor of most modern thoroughbreds.
Background
Cyllene, a chestnut horse with a white stripeHorse markings
Markings on horses usually are distinctive white areas on an otherwise dark base coat color. Most horses have some markings, and they help to identify the horse as a unique individual. Markings are present at birth and do not change over the course of the horse's life...
and two white socks was bred by his owner, Charles Day Rose at the Hardwicke Stud near Pangbourne
Pangbourne
Pangbourne is a large village and civil parish on the River Thames in the English county of Berkshire. Pangbourne is the home of the independent school, Pangbourne College.-Location:...
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. He was a small, late foal, born in May and was never entered in the Classics as he was thought unlikely to be strong or mature enough to compete at the highest level at an early age. Cyllene was trained throughout his racing career by William Jarvis at Waterwitch House stable at Newmarket, Suffolk. Rose thought so highly of Cyllene that he arranged a "luxurious" private train to ensure that the colt returned to Newmarket promptly after his races. Cyllene's most regular rider was the 1899 Champion Jockey
British flat racing Champion Jockey
The Champion Jockey of flat racing in Great Britain is the jockey who has ridden the most winning horses during a season. The list below shows the Champion Jockey and the number of winners for each year since 1840...
Samuel "Sam" Loates.
Cyllene’s sire, Bona Vista was a high class racehorse who won the 2000 Guineas in 1892. He was considered a failure as a stallion and in the year of Cyllene’s birth he was sold and exported to Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. Arcadia, Cyllene’s dam, won two races and was a half sister to Van Dieman’s Land, who ran third in the Derby.
1897: two-year-old season
In the spring of 1897, Cyllene won small races at LiverpoolAintree Racecourse
Aintree Racecourse is a racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England.It was served by Aintree Racecourse railway station until the station closed in the 1960s....
and Gatwick "in good style". He was then sent to Ascot for the Triennial Stakes where he defeated Nun Nicer, a filly who won the following year’s 1000 Guineas, establishing himself as one of the best of an apparently "above the average" generation. At Sandown in July he won the National Breeders Produce Stakes by a head to take one of the season’s most valuable two-year-old prizes, despite being unable to obtain a clear run until the closings stages.
After a break of three months he returned to the racecourse in October for the Imperial Produce Stakes at Kempton Park Racecourse
Kempton 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....
in which he narrowly failed to give ten pounds
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
to Dieudonne, a colt who went on to win the Middle Park Stakes
Middle Park Stakes
The Middle Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September or early October.The event was established...
later in the month.
1898: three-year-old season
As he was ineligible to run in the Classics, Cyllene’s three-year-old campaign was somewhat restricted. He was disappointing on his debut, finishing third at odds of 2/11 in the Column Produce Stakes at NewmarketNewmarket 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...
in April but was never beaten again. In May he easily won the Newmarket Stakes
Newmarket Stakes
The Newmarket Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late April or early May.At present, the event...
by four lengths in record time, and was then rested until autumn. Before he returned, the form of his Newmarket win was boosted when Jeddah, who had finished fifth in the race, won the Epsom 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...
.
In September he produced his best performance to date to win the Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket by six lengths from a field which included Dieudonne and the Classic winners Airs and Graces (1000 Guineas) and Chelandry (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....
). On his final start of the year he won the Sandown Park Foal Stakes by four lengths, taking his winnings for the season to £14,563.
1899: four-year-old season
Cyllene’s four-year-old season was compressed into a three day period in June at Royal Ascot. At the start of the meeting he won the Triennial Stakes which served as a warm-up for the Ascot Gold Cup two days later. Racing over two and a half miles in the Gold Cup, Cyllene turned the race into a "procession", taking the lead two furlongs out and pulling clear to win by eight lengths from Lord Edward and the Prix du Jockey ClubPrix du Jockey Club
The Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
winner Gardefeu. According to one correspondent, Cyllene "simply played" with the top quality field, with his jockey Sam Loates having time to stroke the horse's neck and touch his cap to the cheering crowd in the closing stages.
The effects two races on firm ground meant that Cyllene's connections abandoned plans to run him for a third time at the meeting (in the Hardwicke Stakes
Hardwicke Stakes
The Hardwicke Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.-History:...
) and the colt was given an extended rest. In autumn there was much anticipation of a meeting between Cyllene and the Triple Crown winner Flying Fox
Flying Fox (horse)
Flying Fox was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1899 English Triple Crown Races and was the leading sire in France three times.-Breeding:...
, with Charles Day Rose being reported as saying that he "looked forward to beating" the outstanding three-year-old in the Champion Stakes
Champion Stakes
The Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October...
at Newmarket. When Cyllene returned to serious training however, it was decided that the risk of the horse breaking down was too great and he was retired to stud without racing again.
Assessment
Assessing the two-year-olds of 1897, at least one correspondent believed that Cyllene was "on sheer merit" the best of a "pretty smart lot".At the end of his three-year-old season there was little doubt that Cyllene was the best horse of his generation in England, with the only debate concerning the identity of the second best. An "English turf writer" confidently asserted that if Cyllene had been entered in the Classics he would have "swept the board" and been regarded as a "second Ormonde".
In June 1899, shortly before his runs at Royal Ascot, Cyllene was rated by the Daily Mail's
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
correspondent as one of the three best horses in England, alongside the Australian-bred Newhaven and the three-year-old Flying Fox. At the end of the season another correspondent rated him the second best horse of the year behind Flying Fox.
England
Cyllene stood as a stallion at the Hardwicke Stud from 1900 until 1905. He was then sold for 30,000 gnsGuinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
to William Bass
Sir William Bass, 2nd Baronet
Sir William Arthur Hamar Bass, 2nd Baronet was a British racehorse owner and a significant contributor to the racing industry. He also provided support for the British film industry in its early days....
and was moved to the Egerton Park Stud at Newmarket where he was based until 1908. He was not a popular stallion at first, and attracted relatively few top class mares despite a modest stud fee of between 100 and 150 gns
Guinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
. Despite this he soon proved to be outstandingly successful, siring the Derby winners Cicero
Cicero (horse)
Cicero was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was the best English two-year-old of 1904, winning all five of his races. In 1905 Cicero became one of the shortest priced successful favourites in the history of the Derby, winning at 4/11 to remain undefeated...
, Minoru
Minoru (horse)
Minoru was a Thoroughbred racehorse who won two British Classic Races. He was bred by Lord Wavertree at his stud farm in Tully, Kildare town in County Kildare which today is the Irish National Stud....
, Tagalie
Tagalie
Tagalie was British Thoroughbred racehorse. She was one of only six fillies to win the Epsom Derby, and was also the second of only four greys to have won the race. She achieved this feat as a three-year-old in 1912, a year in which she had already won the 1000 Guineas...
and Lemberg
Lemberg (horse)
Lemberg was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He won seventeen times in a career that lasted from 1909 until 1911, taking major races at two, three and four years of age. Lemberg won his most important victory as a three-year-old in 1910 when he won the Epsom Derby...
. More important in the long term was Polymelus
Polymelus
Polymelus was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who was the leading sire of racehorses in Great Britain and Ireland for five years . Among his most famous descendants are Secretariat and Northern Dancer. However, it was through his son Phalaris that he will forever be remembered...
who sired three Derby winners (Fifinella
Fifinella
Fifinella was a female gremlin designed by Walt Disney for a proposed film from Roald Dahl's book The Gremlins. During World War II, the Women Airforce Service Pilots asked permission to use the image as their official mascot, and the Disney Company granted them the rights.-Origins:The story of...
, Pommern and Humorist
Humorist (horse)
Humorist was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. He was a leading two-year-old in 1920 and finished third in the 1921 2000 Guineas before winning the Derby at Epsom...
) and Phalaris
Phalaris
Phalaris was the tyrant of Acragas in Sicily, from approximately 570 to 554 BC.-History:He was entrusted with the building of the temple of Zeus Atabyrius in the citadel, and took advantage of his position to make himself despot. Under his rule Agrigentum seems to have attained considerable...
the most influential sire of the 20th Century.