Merry Hampton
Encyclopedia
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 "dark horse". He never won again but did finish second in the St. Leger Stakes
at Doncaster
. He was retired to stud after a single start as a four-year-old in which he aggravated a chronic leg injury.
in Yorkshire
by J. Crowther Harrison. He was a dark bay horse standing 16 hands
high, and although strong and "wiry" he was not a particularly attractive individual, being described by one observer as "jumped up, peacocky (and) lacking in depth." He was sold as a yearling
in September 1885 at the Doncaster sales for 3,100 guineas
to George Alexander Baird, who ran in his racing interests under the name of “Mr. Abingdon”. Baird, who had inherited a vast fortune at a young age, had been a talented amateur rider before banned for “foul riding” at the age of twenty-one and was ill-disposed towards the racing “establishment”. By 1886, Baird’s relationship with his trainer, Martin Gurry, had broken down, and so the colt was sent into training with William Stevens in Berkshire
. In May 1887, however, Baird was reconciled with Gurry and Merry Hampton was removed from Stevens and sent to Gurry’s Bedford Lodge stable at Newmarket.
Merry Hampton'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 Ayrshire
as well as the influential sires Bay Ronald
and Royal Hampton. Merry Hampton’s dam, Doll Tearsheet, also produced Gay Hermit, who won the Royal Hunt Cup
and went on to become a successful sire in Argentina.
. In April he was considered a possible runner for the 2000 Guineas but did not take part, although he began to appear in the Derby betting at odds of 40/1 and 33/1. Merry Hampton's status as a serious Derby contender had become apparent by 19 May, six days before the race, when he was quoted at odds of 14/1. Shortly afterwards, the second favourite Enterprise, owned by Baird's cousin, was reported injured and withdrawn from the race and by 23 May Merry Hampton had been cut to 10/1.
At Epsom on 25 May Merry Hampton started at odds of 100/9 (11/1) in a field of eleven. The race was run on a "cloudy, cold and raw" day in front of the customary vast crowd which included the Prince of Wales and other members of the Royal Family. The 2000 Guineas winner The Baron started 5/4 favourite, and was picked as the winner by eighteen of the nineteen newspaper "prophets", while Martley, trained by William Stevens was also well fancied and started on 10/1. Ridden as he would be in all his races by Jack Watts
, Merry Hampton was held up in the early stages as the running was made by Porcelain and the un-named Shannon colt, before Blanchland and Eiridspord took over and led the field into the straight. Watts had moved Merry Hampton forward into third, just ahead of the Baron on the turn for home and made his challenge as the leaders began to tire. He took the lead two furlongs out, quickly went clear and was never in danger of defeat, winning by an official margin four lengths (some observers thought it was more like seven) from The Baron with Martley two lengths further back in third. Although the winning time of 2:43 equaled the race record, it was widely agreed that the 1887 Derby had been a sub-standard one. For reasons he chose not to explain, Baird, who reportedly won £40,000 in bets on the race, refused to lead the horse in. Shortly afterwards, it was reported that Merry Hampton had wrenched off a shoe and received a minor injury due to "the prick of a nail", but he recovered quickly and resumed training.
Ten days later, Merry Hampton was sent to France for what was then the most important race in France, the Grand Prix de Paris
over 3000m at Longchamp for which he started 4/5 favourite. His chance in the race was not helped at the start, where he was kicked in the leg by one of the other runners. Watts settled the colt in fifth place, but when the horses turned into the straight he was unable to make progress and finished fourth behind the filly Tenebreuse who won by two lengths from The Baron. The defeat of the two English colts provoked enthusiastically nationalistic celebrations from the French crowd with many cries of "A bas les Anglaises!".
On September 14, Merry Hampton appeared at Doncaster for the St Leger. Four days before the race, he was reported to have sustained a "severe sprain" in training and was considered an unlikely runner. Merry Hampton did start in the St Leger, but having at one time been the 5/2 favourite for the race, his price drifted out to 33/1 before shortening again to 6/1 when it became clear that he would run. At the start, Kilwarlin, one of the joint favourites was left behind and only caught up with the rest of the field after a mile had been traveled. Merry Hampton raced prominently, but lost his position in the straight as first Phil, then Eiridspord, then the resurgent Kilwarlin took the lead. He recovered however and produced a strong finish but failed by half a length to catch Kilwarlin with Timothy and Phil a head and a neck further back in third and fourth. The close finish was described as "one of the finest ever witnessed at Doncaster After the race, Merry Hampton was found to be "dead lame" in his stable.
and the Eclipse Stakes
at Sandown. On his debut he was made 75/20 favourite for the City and Suburban handicap at Epsom on 11 April, despite carrying top weight of 122 pounds. He was never in contention and was virtually pulled up by Jack Watts, finishing tailed off last of the fourteen runners. Watts reported that the colt seemed "dazed and stupid" during the race, leading to speculation that Merry Hampton had been "got at", possibly with an injection of opium. A veterinary examination however, revealed that the colt's suspensory ligament in his left foreleg, which had troubled him for many months, had "gone" and Merry Hampton never raced again.
, the dam of Man o' War
.
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 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
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...
as an 11/1 "dark horse". He never won again but did finish second in the 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...
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 :...
. He was retired to stud after a single start as a four-year-old in which he aggravated a chronic leg injury.
Background
Merry Hampton was bred at the Cottingham StudCottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire
Cottingham is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It lies just to the north-west of the city of Kingston upon Hull...
in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
by J. Crowther Harrison. He was a dark bay horse standing 16 hands
Hand (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, and although strong and "wiry" he was not a particularly attractive individual, being described by one observer as "jumped up, peacocky (and) lacking in depth." He was sold as a yearling
Yearling (horse)
A yearling is a young horse of either sex that is between one and two years old. Yearlings are comparable in development to a very early adolescent, they are not fully mature physically, and while they may be in the earliest stages of sexual maturity, they are considered too young to be breeding...
in September 1885 at the Doncaster sales for 3,100 guineas
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...
to George Alexander Baird, who ran in his racing interests under the name of “Mr. Abingdon”. Baird, who had inherited a vast fortune at a young age, had been a talented amateur rider before banned for “foul riding” at the age of twenty-one and was ill-disposed towards the racing “establishment”. By 1886, Baird’s relationship with his trainer, Martin Gurry, had broken down, and so the colt was sent into training with William Stevens 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...
. In May 1887, however, Baird was reconciled with Gurry and Merry Hampton was removed from Stevens and sent to Gurry’s Bedford Lodge stable at Newmarket.
Merry Hampton'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 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...
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. Merry Hampton’s dam, Doll Tearsheet, also produced Gay Hermit, who won the Royal Hunt Cup
Royal Hunt Cup
The Royal Hunt Cup is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.-History:...
and went on to become a successful sire in Argentina.
1887: three-year-old season
Merry Hampton made his first appearance in the 1887 Derby at EpsomEpsom 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...
. In April he was considered a possible runner for the 2000 Guineas but did not take part, although he began to appear in the Derby betting at odds of 40/1 and 33/1. Merry Hampton's status as a serious Derby contender had become apparent by 19 May, six days before the race, when he was quoted at odds of 14/1. Shortly afterwards, the second favourite Enterprise, owned by Baird's cousin, was reported injured and withdrawn from the race and by 23 May Merry Hampton had been cut to 10/1.
At Epsom on 25 May Merry Hampton started at odds of 100/9 (11/1) in a field of eleven. The race was run on a "cloudy, cold and raw" day in front of the customary vast crowd which included the Prince of Wales and other members of the Royal Family. The 2000 Guineas winner The Baron started 5/4 favourite, and was picked as the winner by eighteen of the nineteen newspaper "prophets", while Martley, trained by William Stevens was also well fancied and started on 10/1. Ridden as he would be in all his races by Jack Watts
John Watts (jockey)
John "Jack" Watts was a British flat-race jockey. In a career that lasted from 1880 until 1900 he rode the winners of 19 Classics. He was noted for his quiet and unspectacular style and undemonstrative personality. On his retirement from riding he became a trainer but died two years...
, Merry Hampton was held up in the early stages as the running was made by Porcelain and the un-named Shannon colt, before Blanchland and Eiridspord took over and led the field into the straight. Watts had moved Merry Hampton forward into third, just ahead of the Baron on the turn for home and made his challenge as the leaders began to tire. He took the lead two furlongs out, quickly went clear and was never in danger of defeat, winning by an official margin four lengths (some observers thought it was more like seven) from The Baron with Martley two lengths further back in third. Although the winning time of 2:43 equaled the race record, it was widely agreed that the 1887 Derby had been a sub-standard one. For reasons he chose not to explain, Baird, who reportedly won £40,000 in bets on the race, refused to lead the horse in. Shortly afterwards, it was reported that Merry Hampton had wrenched off a shoe and received a minor injury due to "the prick of a nail", but he recovered quickly and resumed training.
Ten days later, Merry Hampton was sent to France for what was then the most important race in France, the Grand Prix de Paris
Grand Prix de Paris
The Grand Prix de Paris is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.-History:...
over 3000m at Longchamp for which he started 4/5 favourite. His chance in the race was not helped at the start, where he was kicked in the leg by one of the other runners. Watts settled the colt in fifth place, but when the horses turned into the straight he was unable to make progress and finished fourth behind the filly Tenebreuse who won by two lengths from The Baron. The defeat of the two English colts provoked enthusiastically nationalistic celebrations from the French crowd with many cries of "A bas les Anglaises!".
On September 14, Merry Hampton appeared at Doncaster for the St Leger. Four days before the race, he was reported to have sustained a "severe sprain" in training and was considered an unlikely runner. Merry Hampton did start in the St Leger, but having at one time been the 5/2 favourite for the race, his price drifted out to 33/1 before shortening again to 6/1 when it became clear that he would run. At the start, Kilwarlin, one of the joint favourites was left behind and only caught up with the rest of the field after a mile had been traveled. Merry Hampton raced prominently, but lost his position in the straight as first Phil, then Eiridspord, then the resurgent Kilwarlin took the lead. He recovered however and produced a strong finish but failed by half a length to catch Kilwarlin with Timothy and Phil a head and a neck further back in third and fourth. The close finish was described as "one of the finest ever witnessed at Doncaster After the race, Merry Hampton was found to be "dead lame" in his stable.
1888: four-year-old season
Merry Hampton was kept in training at four and was entered in races such as the Jubilee Stakes at KemptonKempton 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....
and 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. On his debut he was made 75/20 favourite for the City and Suburban handicap at Epsom on 11 April, despite carrying top weight of 122 pounds. He was never in contention and was virtually pulled up by Jack Watts, finishing tailed off last of the fourteen runners. Watts reported that the colt seemed "dazed and stupid" during the race, leading to speculation that Merry Hampton had been "got at", possibly with an injection of opium. A veterinary examination however, revealed that the colt's suspensory ligament in his left foreleg, which had troubled him for many months, had "gone" and Merry Hampton never raced again.
Assessment
Merry Hampton has been described as one of the least distinguished Derby winners of his era, although it has been pointed out that he would have achieved more if he had stayed sound. The Derby was, after all, the only race in which he ran free from injury. Although he won easily at Epsom, the field was described as "the absolutely worst"(sic) on record, and in August 1887 one correspondent described him as "probably one of the worst horses that ever won the Derby."Stud career
When Baird died at the age of 31 in 1893, his racing interests were sold, and Merry Hampton was bought for 1,150 guineas by the jockey George Barrett. Merry Hampton made very little impact as a sire, although he got a good stayer in the Alexandra Plate winner Pride. His last known foals were conceived in 1898. Merry Hampton's only lasting legacy was as the broodmare sire of MahubahMahubah
Mahubah was an American bred Thoroughbred racemare that was noted for producing the outstanding racehorse, Man o' War.-Pedigree:She was a bay mare that was foaled in Kentucky and was owned and bred by August Belmont, Jr...
, the dam of Man o' War
Man O' War
Man O' War, man o' war or manowar may refer to:* Man-of-war, a warship* Man of war for uses with this spelling - Places :...
.
Pedigree
- Merry Hampton was inbredInbreedingInbreeding 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 Queen Mary. This means that the mare who has been described as "one of the most influential broodmares of the 19th Century" appears in both the third and fourth generations of his pedigree.