Shotover (horse)
Encyclopedia
Shotover was a British Thoroughbred
racehorse and broodmare. In a career that lasted from 1882 to 1884 she ran fifteen times and won five races. As a three-year-old, racing against colts, she became the first filly to win the first two legs of the English Triple Crown
: the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket
and the Derby
at Epsom
. She went on to win twice at Royal Ascot, but failed in her bid for the Triple Crown when she finished third in the St Leger
at Doncaster
. She was retired in 1884 and became a successful and influential broodmare. Shotover died in 1898.
, standing just under 15.3 hands
high, who was praised for her "lean and game-looking" head and "beautifully-formed" legs. She was bred by Henry Chaplin
who was best known for winning the Derby with Shotover’s sire Hermit
in 1867. As a yearling she was bought for 1,600 guineas
by the trainer Robert Peck on behalf of the Duke of Westminster
, the "richest man in England", who agreed to buy the filly after some hesitation. When Peck retired at the end of Shotover’s two-year-old season, the filly was moved to the stable of John Porter
at Kingsclere
.
After his retirement from racing, Shotover’s sire Hermit became an outstandingly successful stallion, being Champion Sire for seven successive years. In addition to Shotover, he sired the Classic winners St. Blaise
(Derby), St. Marguerite (1000 Guineas), Lonely (Oaks
) and Thebais (1000 Guineas & Oaks).
at Newmarket on October 12. She ran rather better than her odds suggested, racing prominently and finishing fifth of the thirteen runners behind Kermesse She then finished second to Berwick in the Prendergast Stakes. On her final start of the season she finished unplaced behind Magician in a Nursery (a handicap race for two-year-olds.
Shotover made excellent physical progress in the winter of 1881-2 and was described as "one of the most improved" of her owner's three-year-olds. She also impressed her trainer with her performance in a private trial in early April, persuading him that she had Classic potential. Although the classic generation of 1882 contained few top class colts there were some outstanding fillies including St Marguerite, Dutch Oven and Shotover’s stable companion Geheimness. It was therefore decided that Shotover’s three-year-old debut would be against colts in the 2000 Guineas. Five days before the race, she appeared in the betting for the first time and was quickly backed down from odds of 25/1, attracting the attention of the sporting papers such as Bell's Life and The Sportsman
.
On 26 April, on very heavy ground and in "wretchedly untoward" weather Shotover started at 10/1 in a field of eighteen. The filly broke quickly but was quickly settled by Tom Cannon and raced just behind the leaders for the first half of the race. Two furlongs out Shotover was seen to be travelling very easily ("pulling double") as she moved up to challenge. She went to the front effortlessly before pulling away to win by two lengths from Quicklime, with a further four lengths back to Marden in third. Two days later she ran against her own sex in the 1000 Guineas. Only five fillies opposed her and Shotover was the subject of heavy betting which saw her start the 1/4 favourite. Shotover took the lead a furlong out but was caught in the closing stages and beaten a head by St Marguerite, with Nellie only a head away in third. Shotover had probably not helped her chances when she broke loose before the race, reared up and fell on her back.
Shotover was then sent to Royal Ascot in June where she ran in the Ascot Derby, the race now known as the King Edward VII Stakes
in which she was required to give weight to the four colts who opposed her. Cannon held her up in last place until the straight. She then she moved smoothly through along the rail to take the lead "with her ears pricked" and pulled away to win very easily by four lengths from Battlefield. At the end of the meeting she recorded a meaningless victory when she was allowed a walk-over in the Triennial Stakes
Two days later she ran in the Park Hill Stakes
over the same course and distance, and started 4/7 favourite against three opponents. Reunited with Tom Cannon, who had ridden a colt called Romeo in the St Leger, Shotover settled in third place before moving up to challenge the leaders a furlong out. She quickly went clear and won "in a canter" by four lengths from Whin Blossom. On her final start of the year she ran in the Select Stakes at Newmarket in which she was required to give ten pound to the top class fillies Kermesse and Nellie. Shotover found the concession too much and finished third behind her two opponents, who dead-heated for first place (Kermesse claimed the prize money as Nellie's connections declined to take part in a run-off).
) in which she faced the outstanding five-year-old Tristan who started the odds-on favourite. Ridden by Fred Archer she was behind for the whole of the race and finished last of the four runners. Shotover was entered in the Ascot Gold Cup
, but ran instead in the Triennial Stakes at the same meeting in which she finished third to the colt Palermo, to whom she was conceding nineteen pounds.
in Cheshire
. Her best runner was the colt Bullingdon, by Melton
who was narrowly beaten by Isinglass
in the Princess of Wales's Stakes
, with Ladas
third. Her most significant descendant however, was Frizette, who became one of the most influential broodmares of the 20th Century. Shotover was euthanized at the Eaton Stud in late 1898 after being barren
for two years.
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 broodmare. In a career that lasted from 1882 to 1884 she ran fifteen times and won five races. As a three-year-old, racing against colts, she became the first filly to win the first two legs of the English Triple Crown
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
: 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...
. She went on to win twice at Royal Ascot, but failed in her bid for the Triple Crown when she finished third 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 :...
. She was retired in 1884 and became a successful and influential broodmare. Shotover died in 1898.
Background
Shotover was a powerfully-built chestnut filly with a white starHorse 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...
, standing just under 15.3 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, who was praised for her "lean and game-looking" head and "beautifully-formed" legs. She was bred by Henry Chaplin
Henry Chaplin, 1st Viscount Chaplin
Henry Chaplin, 1st Viscount Chaplin PC was a British landowner, racehorse owner and Conservative Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1868 until 1916 when he was raised to the peerage....
who was best known for winning the Derby with Shotover’s sire Hermit
Hermit (horse)
Hermit was a 19th-century British Thoroughbred racehorse that was a direct descendant of Eclipse. He won the 1867 Epsom Derby, despite running in a snowstorm at 1000:15 odds with 10 false starts.-Breeding:...
in 1867. As a yearling she was bought for 1,600 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...
by the trainer Robert Peck on behalf of the Duke of Westminster
Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster
Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster KG, PC, JP , styled Viscount Belgrave between 1831 and 1845 and Earl Grosvenor between 1845 and 1869 and known as the 3rd Marquess of Westminster between 1869 and 1874, was an English landowner, politician and racehorse owner.He inherited the estate of...
, the "richest man in England", who agreed to buy the filly after some hesitation. When Peck retired at the end of Shotover’s two-year-old season, the filly was moved to the stable of John Porter
John Porter (horseman)
John Porter was an English Thoroughbred flat racing trainer whose horses won the English Triple Crown three times.-Biography:Born in Rugeley, Staffordshire, the National Horseracing Museum says that John Porter "was undoubtedly the most successful trainer of the Victorian era."From 1854 to 1855,...
at Kingsclere
Kingsclere
Kingsclere is a large village and civil parish in the county of Hampshire, England. Kingsclere is located near to Watership Down, the setting of Richard Adams' 1972 novel Watership Down.-Geography:...
.
After his retirement from racing, Shotover’s sire Hermit became an outstandingly successful stallion, being Champion Sire for seven successive years. In addition to Shotover, he sired the Classic winners St. Blaise
St. Blaise (horse)
St. Blaise was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1882 to 1884 he ran twelve time and won seven races, although three of these wins were walk-overs. His most important success came in 1883 when he won the Epsom Derby...
(Derby), St. Marguerite (1000 Guineas), Lonely (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....
) and Thebais (1000 Guineas & Oaks).
1881: two-year-old season
Shotover was slow to mature as a young horse and did not appear on the racecourse until the autumn of 1881. She made her debut as a 50/1 outsider in the prestigious Middle Park PlateMiddle 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...
at Newmarket on October 12. She ran rather better than her odds suggested, racing prominently and finishing fifth of the thirteen runners behind Kermesse She then finished second to Berwick in the Prendergast Stakes. On her final start of the season she finished unplaced behind Magician in a Nursery (a handicap race for two-year-olds.
Spring
The Sportsman (1865 newspaper)
The first British newspaper titled The Sportsman began publishing from 1865, some six years after the Sporting Life. It ran until 1924....
.
On 26 April, on very heavy ground and in "wretchedly untoward" weather Shotover started at 10/1 in a field of eighteen. The filly broke quickly but was quickly settled by Tom Cannon and raced just behind the leaders for the first half of the race. Two furlongs out Shotover was seen to be travelling very easily ("pulling double") as she moved up to challenge. She went to the front effortlessly before pulling away to win by two lengths from Quicklime, with a further four lengths back to Marden in third. Two days later she ran against her own sex in the 1000 Guineas. Only five fillies opposed her and Shotover was the subject of heavy betting which saw her start the 1/4 favourite. Shotover took the lead a furlong out but was caught in the closing stages and beaten a head by St Marguerite, with Nellie only a head away in third. Shotover had probably not helped her chances when she broke loose before the race, reared up and fell on her back.
Summer
In the Derby at Epsom on 24 May, Shotover started at odds of 11/2 in a field of fourteen. Cannon held the filly up at the back of the field in the early stages as the favourite, Bruce disputed the lead with Marden for most of the way. Turning into the straight the two leaders ran wide when Bruce shied at some flying paper and Cannon sent Shotover through the gap left on the inside to move into contention. Two furlongs from the finish Quicklime took the lead from Bruce as Shotover moved up into third. Quicklime briefly went clear and looked the likely winner. Cannon, however, produced Shotover with a well-timed run to take the lead in the closing stages and win "cleverly" by three quarters of a length from Quicklime with the pair well clear of the American colt Sachem who finished strongly to take third. The finish of the race was reportedly captured in a perfect "sun picture" by a London photographer. Shotover became the third filly to win the race following Eleanor in 1801 and Blink Bonny in 1857. Shotover was entered in the Oaks two days later, but did not run, the race going to her stable companion Geheimniss, who defeated St Marguerite.Shotover was then sent to Royal Ascot in June where she ran in the Ascot Derby, the race now known as the King Edward VII Stakes
King Edward VII Stakes
The King Edward VII Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. 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....
in which she was required to give weight to the four colts who opposed her. Cannon held her up in last place until the straight. She then she moved smoothly through along the rail to take the lead "with her ears pricked" and pulled away to win very easily by four lengths from Battlefield. At the end of the meeting she recorded a meaningless victory when she was allowed a walk-over in the Triennial Stakes
Jersey Stakes
The Jersey Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
Autumn
On September 15 she attempted to win the Triple Crown in the St Leger at Doncaster. This race marked the first racecourse meeting between Shotover and Geheimniss, and the betting reflected their trainers opinion of their relative merits with Shotover starting on 7/1 while her stable companion was made the 11/8 favourite. Ridden by Rossiter, Shotover was held up as usual as Actress made the running. In the straight, however she could make no impression on the leaders and finished third behind Dutch Oven and Geheimniss, beaten one and half lengths and four lengths. The result emphasised the total dominance of females in 1882. Not only did fillies fill the first three places, but Dutch Oven's win meant that they had, for the first and only time, won all five of the season's Classics.Two days later she ran in the Park Hill Stakes
Park Hill Stakes
The Park Hill Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. 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.The event was...
over the same course and distance, and started 4/7 favourite against three opponents. Reunited with Tom Cannon, who had ridden a colt called Romeo in the St Leger, Shotover settled in third place before moving up to challenge the leaders a furlong out. She quickly went clear and won "in a canter" by four lengths from Whin Blossom. On her final start of the year she ran in the Select Stakes at Newmarket in which she was required to give ten pound to the top class fillies Kermesse and Nellie. Shotover found the concession too much and finished third behind her two opponents, who dead-heated for first place (Kermesse claimed the prize money as Nellie's connections declined to take part in a run-off).
1883: four-year-old season
Shotover did not show her best form as a four-year-old. She began at Epsom on April 18, when she carried 121 pounds in the ten furlong City and Suburban Handicap at Epsom. She was strongly fancied for the race and started 5/2 favourite but made no real challenge and finished unplaced behind Roysterer, who carried 98 pounds. Shotover returned to Epsom on 25 May for the Epsom Gold Cup (the race now known as the Coronation CupCoronation Cup
The Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. 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 June....
) in which she faced the outstanding five-year-old Tristan who started the odds-on favourite. Ridden by Fred Archer she was behind for the whole of the race and finished last of the four runners. Shotover was entered in the Ascot 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....
, but ran instead in the Triennial Stakes at the same meeting in which she finished third to the colt Palermo, to whom she was conceding nineteen pounds.
Stud career
Shotover was retired to he owner's Eaton StudEaton Hall
Eaton Hall may refer to:* Eaton Hall, Cheshire, England, a private country house owned by the Duke of Westminster* Eaton Hall in King City, Ontario, Canada, a Norman-style chateau converted to a public hotel...
in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. Her best runner was the colt Bullingdon, by Melton
Melton (horse)
Melton was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1884 to 1886 he ran eighteen times and won eleven races. In 1885 he won the second two legs of the English Triple Crown, the Derby at Epsom and the St Leger at Doncaster...
who was narrowly beaten by Isinglass
Isinglass (horse)
Isinglass was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who dominated during his time in racing and won the English Triple Crown.-Racing record:...
in the Princess of Wales's Stakes
Princess of Wales's Stakes
The Princess of Wales's Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.-History:The event is named in...
, with 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...
third. Her most significant descendant however, was Frizette, who became one of the most influential broodmares of the 20th Century. Shotover was euthanized at the Eaton Stud in late 1898 after being barren
Infertility
Infertility primarily refers to the biological inability of a person to contribute to conception. Infertility may also refer to the state of a woman who is unable to carry a pregnancy to full term...
for two years.