Felstead (horse)
Encyclopedia
Felstead was a British Thoroughbred
racehorse and sire. After failing to show any worthwhile form as a two-year-old he made exceptional improvement as a three-year-old to win the 1928 Epsom Derby
at odds of 33/1 in record time. Soon after his win at Epsom
, Felstead was injured in training and never ran again. He later had some success as a stallion.
high with a white blaze
and white socks on his hind legs was bred by his owner Sir Hugo Cunliffe-Owen at his Sunningdale Stud in Berkshire
. Cunliffe-Owen paid 2,100 gns
at the Newmarket sales in July 1924 for the mare Felkington who was then in foal (pregnant) to the Derby winner Spion Kop
. The resulting foal was named Felstead and grew into a powerful-looking individual with "a rump on him which a heavyweight hunter could not better."
Felkington had been a successful racehorse and went on to be a highly successful broodmare: apart from Felstead she produced six other winners including the Gold Cup
winner Finis. Spion Kop was a good sire of stayers, with his progeny including Kopi (Irish Derby), Bongrace (Doncaster Cup
) and The Bastard (Yorkshire Cup
, Leading sire in Australia). Felstead was inbred
3x4 to the New Zealand bred Carbine
(see below), to whom he was said to bear a striking resemblance.
Felstead was sent into training with the Australian Oswald “Ossie” Bell at his Delamere House Stables in Lambourn
. Bell's involvement and Carbine's southern hemisphere origins led the Sydney Sun to describe Felstead's Epsom victory as "Australia's Derby".
.
. He was then placed in a seven furlong handicap on his first visit to Epsom before being sent to Newmarket for the 2000 Guineas. Given his pedigree, which suggested that Felstead would be a stayer, he produced a promising effort to finish sixth of the seventeen runners behind Flamingo. On his final race before the Derby, Felstead was moved up to middle distances for the first time and won the Davis Stakes at Hurst Park
.
On unusually hard ground at Epsom, Felstead started a 33/1 outsider in front of a huge and enthusiastic crowd which included the King
and Queen
. Fairway was a strong favourite, but lost his chance by becoming highly agitated and upset before the start. Felstead was ridden in the race by Ossie Bell’s stable jockey Harry Wragg, a rider whose expertise in riding horses from off the pace led to his being nicknamed “The Head Waiter”. The early pace in the Derby was extremely strong as Flamingo and Sunny Trace disputed the lead, going "hell for leather", with Wragg holding up Felstead several lengths behind the leading pair. Sunny Trace weakened early in the straight and Flamingo took a clear lead as Wragg moved Felstead up into a challenging position. Inside the final furlong Felstead took the lead on the inside and pulled ahead to win "quite comfortably" by one and a half lengths. The winning time of 2:34.4 equalled the race record set by Call Boy
in the previous year. Shortly after the race a writer in Punch
published an analysis of thirty-three Newspaper "prophecies" for the race, showing that there had been 19 tips for Fairway, 8 for Flamingo, 4 for Sunny Trace and 2 for other horses. None of the "prophets" had even mentioned Felstead as as a place prospect.
Felstead was rested after the Derby and expected that he would reappear in the St Leger
. His reputation and potential were emphasised when Cunliffe-Owen reportedly turned down a £100,000 American offer for the colt in July. The offer was the equal-highest ever made for a thoroughbred at the time. Felstead developed a splint
soon after Epsom however, and by mid-August he was lame, ruling him out of the St Leger and ending his season. Attempts to bring him back as a four-year-old failed after further training problems and he was retired to stud.
and Champion Stakes
in 1938, while Steady Aim won the Oaks in 1946. It is mainly through Steady Aim, the female line ancestor of Danzig
that Felstead continues to appear in the pedigrees of modern thoroughbreds. Felstead died in either 1946 or 1947 and was buried at the Kingwood Stud at Lambourn
.
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. After failing to show any worthwhile form as a two-year-old he made exceptional improvement as a three-year-old to win the 1928 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...
at odds of 33/1 in record time. Soon after his win 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...
, Felstead was injured in training and never ran again. He later had some success as a stallion.
Background
Felstead, a bay horse standing 16.2 handsHand (unit)
The hand is a non-SI unit of measurement of length, now used only for the measurement of the height of horses in some English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. With origins in ancient Egypt, it was originally based on the breadth of a human hand...
high with a white blaze
Horse 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 white socks on his hind legs was bred by his owner Sir Hugo Cunliffe-Owen at his Sunningdale Stud 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...
. Cunliffe-Owen paid 2,100 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...
at the Newmarket sales in July 1924 for the mare Felkington who was then in foal (pregnant) to the Derby winner Spion Kop
Spion Kop (horse)
Spion Kop was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1919 until 1921, Spion Kop ran fourteen times winning two races. After an undistinguished early career in which he lost his first six races, he improved as a three-year-old to win the Epsom...
. The resulting foal was named Felstead and grew into a powerful-looking individual with "a rump on him which a heavyweight hunter could not better."
Felkington had been a successful racehorse and went on to be a highly successful broodmare: apart from Felstead she produced six other winners including the Gold Cup
Ascot Gold Cup
The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
winner Finis. Spion Kop was a good sire of stayers, with his progeny including Kopi (Irish Derby), Bongrace (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....
) and The Bastard (Yorkshire Cup
Yorkshire Cup
Yorkshire Cup may refer to:*Yorkshire Cup , a rugby union competition for Yorkshire clubs*Yorkshire Cup , a horse race held at York Racecourse*Rugby league county cups, a rugby league competition for Yorkshire clubs...
, Leading sire in Australia). Felstead was inbred
Inbreeding
Inbreeding is the reproduction from the mating of two genetically related parents. Inbreeding results in increased homozygosity, which can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits. This generally leads to a decreased fitness of a population, which is...
3x4 to the New Zealand bred Carbine
Carbine (horse)
Carbine , was an outstanding New Zealand bred Thoroughbred racehorse, who competed in New Zealand and later Australia. During his racing career he won 30 stakes or principal races...
(see below), to whom he was said to bear a striking resemblance.
Felstead was sent into training with the Australian Oswald “Ossie” Bell at his Delamere House Stables in Lambourn
Lambourn
Lambourn is a large village and civil parish in the northwestern part of the ceremonial county of Berkshire in England. Its metropolitan district has a population of 4,017, and is most noted for its associations with British National Hunt racehorse training....
. Bell's involvement and Carbine's southern hemisphere origins led the Sydney Sun to describe Felstead's Epsom victory as "Australia's Derby".
1925: two-year-old season
Like his sire Spion Kop, Felstead made little impact in his first season. He failed to win in four races, with his best effort coming when he finished second in a "very small" handicap race at ChepstowChepstow Racecourse
Chepstow Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located just outside the town of Chepstow in Monmouthshire, Wales, near the southern end of the Wye Valley which forms the border with England...
.
1928: three-year-old season
According to his owner, Felstead was off his food in the early part of the year, and only made progress after being fed on "Bemax", a commercial form of wheatgerm. On his three-year-old debut, Felstead provided evidence that he had made significant improvement over the winter by easily winning a maiden race at NewburyNewbury Racecourse
Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps...
. He was then placed in a seven furlong handicap on his first visit to Epsom before being sent to Newmarket for the 2000 Guineas. Given his pedigree, which suggested that Felstead would be a stayer, he produced a promising effort to finish sixth of the seventeen runners behind Flamingo. On his final race before the Derby, Felstead was moved up to middle distances for the first time and won the Davis Stakes at Hurst Park
Hurst Park Racecourse
Hurst Park Racecourse was a racecourse at Moulsey Hurst, West Molesey, Surrey. It was first laid out in 1890 and sold for residential housing in 1962. The Triumph Hurdle was run here from 1939 until the course closed. The last race to be held here was the Byfleet Stakes, the 4.30 on Wednesday 10...
.
On unusually hard ground at Epsom, Felstead started a 33/1 outsider in front of a huge and enthusiastic crowd which included the King
King George
King George has referred to many monarchs and kings throughout history.Bohemia*George of Bohemia, king of BohemiaDuala people of Cameroon*George , king of the Duala peopleGeorgia*George I of Georgia , king of Georgia 1014-1027...
and Queen
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
. Fairway was a strong favourite, but lost his chance by becoming highly agitated and upset before the start. Felstead was ridden in the race by Ossie Bell’s stable jockey Harry Wragg, a rider whose expertise in riding horses from off the pace led to his being nicknamed “The Head Waiter”. The early pace in the Derby was extremely strong as Flamingo and Sunny Trace disputed the lead, going "hell for leather", with Wragg holding up Felstead several lengths behind the leading pair. Sunny Trace weakened early in the straight and Flamingo took a clear lead as Wragg moved Felstead up into a challenging position. Inside the final furlong Felstead took the lead on the inside and pulled ahead to win "quite comfortably" by one and a half lengths. The winning time of 2:34.4 equalled the race record set by Call Boy
Call Boy (horse)
Call Boy was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. In a career which lasted from July 1926 to June 1927, he ran seven times winning four races. His most notable success came in the 1927 Epsom Derby, which he won in record time...
in the previous year. Shortly after the race a writer in Punch
Punch (magazine)
Punch, or the London Charivari was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 50s, when it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration...
published an analysis of thirty-three Newspaper "prophecies" for the race, showing that there had been 19 tips for Fairway, 8 for Flamingo, 4 for Sunny Trace and 2 for other horses. None of the "prophets" had even mentioned Felstead as as a place prospect.
Felstead was rested after the Derby and expected that he would reappear 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...
. His reputation and potential were emphasised when Cunliffe-Owen reportedly turned down a £100,000 American offer for the colt in July. The offer was the equal-highest ever made for a thoroughbred at the time. Felstead developed 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...
soon after Epsom however, and by mid-August he was lame, ruling him out of the St Leger and ending his season. Attempts to bring him back as a four-year-old failed after further training problems and he was retired to stud.
Assessment
Felstead’s injury and the premature ending of his racing career made him a difficult horse to assess authoritatively. In their book A Century of Champions, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Felstead a “poor” Derby winner, although they placed him slightly ahead of his sire.Stud career
Felstead had little success with his male offspring, but sired two excellent fillies. The better of the two was Rockfel who won the 1000 Guineas, OaksEpsom 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....
and 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...
in 1938, while Steady Aim won the Oaks in 1946. It is mainly through Steady Aim, the female line ancestor of Danzig
Danzig (horse)
Danzig was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who is best known as a leading sire. He was purchased for $310,000 by Henryk de Kwiatkowski at the 1978 Saratoga Yearling Sale...
that Felstead continues to appear in the pedigrees of modern thoroughbreds. Felstead died in either 1946 or 1947 and was buried at the Kingwood Stud at Lambourn
Lambourn
Lambourn is a large village and civil parish in the northwestern part of the ceremonial county of Berkshire in England. Its metropolitan district has a population of 4,017, and is most noted for its associations with British National Hunt racehorse training....
.