Hampton was a British 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

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

 and Champion sire. Bred by Lord Norreys

Montagu Bertie, 6th Earl of Abingdon

Montagu Bertie, 6th Earl of Abingdon was a British peer and politician. He was styled Lord Norreys from birth until acceding in 1854.-Background:...

, he was sired by 1863 St. Leger Stakes

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...

 winner, Lord Clifden. His dam was Lady Langden whose sire, Kettledrum, won the 1861 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...

.

A good stayer

Stayer (horse)

In horse racing, a stayer refers to a horse that may be a better performer over a longer distance, such as more than 1-1/2 miles. Sometimes, the term may also refer to a horse that is not able to quicken or speed up.-External links:*...

, Hampton won races from a sprint

Sprint (race)

Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...

 distance all the way to those at more than two and a half miles.

At stud

Stud (animal)

A stud animal is a registered animal retained for breeding. The terms for the male of a given animal species usually imply that the animal is entire—that is, not castrated—and therefore capable of siring offspring...

, Hampton proved a highly successful sire, earning Champion sire honors in 1887 and Champion broodmare sire honors in 1900. Among his successful runners were four winners of British Classic Races:

• 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...
  
   - 1887 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...
  
  
• Reve d'Or  - 1887 1,000 Guineas Stakes
• Ayrshire
  Ayrshire (horse)
  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...
  
   - 1888 Epsom Derby
• 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...
  
   - 1894 Epsom Derby and 2,000 Guineas Stakes