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Great English Turfmen of Long Ago far-Reaching Influence in Breeding of the Wonderful Horses Bred by the Duke of Grafton In the obituary notices of the late venerable Duke of Grafton reference seems to have been omitted to the great part played by the Fitz-Roy family in the history of the Rritish thoroughbred. Probably the animals bred by the third and fourth Dukes of Grafton have had a more far-reaching influence on the modern thoroughbred than bloodstock emanating from any other studs famous in the latter part of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth centuries. In these circumstances I venture to set forth a few details relating to their achievements at Newmarket and elsewhere. The first Duke, Henry Fitz-Roy, does not appear to have owned or bred race horses, but he was a frequent attender of the Newmarket, and the Burford meetings, and no doubt had inherited sporting tendencies. Rom in September, 1063, lie is styled the second son of Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine and Duchess of Cleveland, by Charles II. The Duchess of Cleveland was the only daughter and heiress of William Villiers, second Viscount Grandison, and would seem to have backed her fancies on the heath in no uncertain mnnner. It has been asserted that the Duchess won the palace of Non-Such on Epsom Downs now the Durdans from Charles II. over a race won by the horse Tlirump at Newmarket in 1008. The palace certainly came into the Dneliess possession, but it is improbable that the transfer was owing to a betting transaction, since Charles II. rarely bet at all. and about five pounds is said to have been his limit on any event. The voting Duke, when only nine years old, was married to Isabella, the infant daughter and heiress of Henry Rennet. Earl of Arlington. By the marriage settlement the young bridegroom inherited absolutely the Euston "estate and all the property and effects belonging to the Earl. A large portion of the. iainily -estate had come to- Henry Jieunet "through his mother, who was a daughter of Sir John Crofts of Saxhain, County Suffolk, and a member of a family which had from time immemorial been associated with running horses and racing galloways. During Charles exile Henry Rennet had acted as his private secretary, and at the restoration was created Earl of Arlington, and made secretary of state. As such ho was instrumental in importing Barb mares from Morocco for the royal stud. As a mark of esteem the Sultan presented the Earl with a mare .which is described in the first volnme of the Stud Rook as the Arlington Rarb mare, and is the ancestress of the No. 13 family. A FIGHTING DUKE. The Duke of Grafton was one ot the first to leave James II. s standard and join William of Orange. He fought at the battle of Royne, and was killed by a cannon hall at the siege of Cork, or. rather, was mortally wounded and died in Ireland a few days after the assault on the city October, 1090, aged only twenty-seven years. Possessing great personal courage, he had already fought two duels, ind killed his opponents on each occasion. The sec- , ond Duke was. an infant at the time of his fathers ! death, and in after years became joint Viceroy in Ireland witli the sporting Lord Galway. He, however, does not appear to have been iin owner or breeder of race horses. He died in 1757, and was succeeded by his grandson, Augustus Henry, third Duke. The voung heir was not long in becoming a patron of the turf, and it is noteworthy that the first time his colors were carried lie acted as his own jockey. This was in a ntatch -between his horse Driver pedigree not stated and .Lord Marchs Wiggem, 153 pounds each, over the Beacon course at Newmarket, owners up. The Duke won easily, and the next day scored a second time with his horse Bragg, by tiie Uodolplfin Arabian in a sweepstakes of twenty guineas each, the best of three heats, over the Round course, owners or other gentlemen to ride, weight 108 pounds. There were five starters, and in the first heat Bragg won under the guidance of Mr. Anderson, who, however, could not ride in the second heat owing to a sudden illness; whereupon the Duke got up and piloted his horse first past the post. The next year, 1759,. the Duke purchased Tatler, by Blank a mare by Partner Bonny Iass, by Bay Bolton, from Mr. Pan ton, and also the horses sister Julia. Neither was of much use as a race horse, hut Julia became the dam of Promise, by Snap, and Princess, by Herod, both winners of note and celebrated as matrons in stud-book lore. A FAMOUS MARE. The offspring of Promise -carried the Grafton jacket with distinction, and her last foal but one was the famous Prunella, by Highflyer. Prunella bred Penelope, winner of eighteen races; Parasol, winner of thirty-two races; Pelisse, winner of seventeen races including the Oaks, and Podargus. winner of two races. She was also the dam of l0le, Pledge, Pawn, Pope Joan, Piquet and Prudence. Penelopes successful produce were: 1800. Filly, by Waxy; winner of one race. 1S07. Whalebone, by Waxy; winner of twenty races, including the Derby. 1808. Wei, by Waxy; winner of two races. 1809. Woful, by Waxy; winner of fourteen races. 1810. Wilful, by Waxy; winner of two races. 1811. Wire, by Waxy; winner of nine races. 1812. Whisker, by Waxy; winner of thirteen races, including the Derby. 1814. Waterloo, by Walton; winner of three races. 1819. Whizgig, hy Rubens; winner of seven races. 1822. Waltz, by Election; winner of one race. 1823. Wamba, by Merlin; winner of three races. The third Duke of Grafton died iu 1811, and the offspring of Penelope born after that date were bred by his son, George Henry, the fourth Duke, who for some time before his fathers death had the management of the stud at Euston and the horses in training at Newmarket. The third Duke won the Derby in 1S02 with Tyrant, by Pot-8-0s Sea Fowl a marc purchased from Mr. Panton, by Woodpecker; in 1809 with Pope, ly Waxy Prunella, and in 1810 with Whalebone, by Waxy Penelope. In 1801 his filly Remnant, by Train pa tor Fancy, finished third to Eleanor and in 1808 his colt Vandyke, by Sir Peter Dabclnck, by Pot-8-0s, was the runner-up to Pan. The third Dukes first Oaks winner wns Pelisse, by Wbiskev Prunejla, and his second and last was forthcoming in Morel, by Sorcerer Hornby Lass, by Buzzard Puzzle, by Matchem Princess. Pope, Whalebone, Pelisse and Morel all were descended from the mare Julia No. 1 family. Tyrant, on the other hand, traced to Mr. Bowes Byerly Turk inare No. 3 family. During the course of the fifty-three years of the second Dukes turf career he won a large number of matches and races at Newmarket, but his horses were not frequently seen on other courses, and at no time had he more than thirteen or fourteen in training. All the third Dukes classic winners were prepared b. Robert Kobsou, who continued to train for the fourth Duke until his Robsons death about 1824, when R. Stephenson took charge of the Dukes horses, in addition to those of Lord Egre-mont. The fourth Duke won the Derby in 1815 with Whisker, by Waxy Penelope No. 1 familv; the Oaks in 1813 witli Music, by Waxy Woodbine, by Woodpecker Puzzle, by Matchem Princess No. I family; in 1814 with Medora, by Selim a mare by Sir Harry a daughter of Volunteer No. 4 family; in 1815 with Minuet, by Waxy Woodbine, by Woodpecker Puzzle No. 1 family; in 1822 with Pastille, by Rubens Parasol, by Pot-S-Os Prunella No. 1 family; in 1823 with Zinc, by Woful Zaida. by Sir Peter Alexina No. 25 family; in 182S with Turquoise, by Selim Fope Joan, by Waxy Prunella No. 1 family; in 1831 with Oxygen, by Euiilius Whizgig, by Rubens Penelope No. 1 family. In 1820 the Grafton scarlet was carried first past the post in the Two Thousand Guineas by Pindarrie by Phantom Parasol, by Pot-8 0s Prunella No. 1 family; in 1821 by Reginald, by Haphazard Prudence, by Waxy Prunella No. 1 family; in 1822 hy Pastille which won the Oaks the same year ; in 1828 by Devise, by Merlin Pawn. .Juniqr, Jy .Waxy Pawn, by . Trumpator Prunella No. 1" family; in" 1S27 by Turcoman, by Selim Pope Joan, by Waxy Prunella No. 1 family. THE GUINEAS SUCCESSES. The One Thousand Guineas yielded the following successes: 1819, Catgut, by Comus or Juniper Vanity, by Buzzard Dabchick No. 12 family ; 1820, Rowena. by Haphazard Prudence, by Waxy Prunella No. 1 family; 1821, Zeal, hy Partisan Zaida, by Sir Peter Alexina No. 25 family; 1822, Whizgig, by Rubens Penelope No. 1 familv; 1S23, Zinc also winner of the Oaks, by Woful jiaida, by Sir Peter Alexina No. 25 family; 1825, Pontine, by Election Pope Joan, by Waxy Prunella No. 1 family; 1820, Problem, by Merlin Pawn, by Trumpator Prunella No. 1 family; 1827. Arab, hy Woful Zeal, by Partisan Zaida, by Sir Peter Alexina No. 25 family. The fourth Duke continued to run horses and mares in the southern classic races till his death n 1844, but after 1831 the Euston stock deteriorated apidly. Octave, however, by Emilias Whizgig, jy Rubens Penelope No. 1 family, ran second for he Oaks in J 833, and in 1841 Florence, by Langar Tontine, by Election Pope Joan, by Waxy Prunella No. 1 family, occupied a like position in the 3ne Thousand Guineas. Neither the third nor fourth Duke patronized York or Doncaster, therefore the Grafton scarlet was never carried in the St. Leger. Nor did either of these noblemen ever win the Ascot Cup. In point of fact the Euston colts rarely showed much liking for a long distance of ground, and there seems little room fcr doubt that the Grafton invincibility at Newmarket and Epsom was due largely to the skill and originality of Robson, who was the first to dispense with the periodic purgings, bleedings and sweats in vogue .it Newmarket in his day. THE DESCENDANTS OF PRUNELLA. From the particulars given it will be gathered that the third and fourth Dukes of Grafton owed their success in the classic races mainly to the descendants of Prunella, the distribution being as follows : Descendants of Julia through Promise and Prunella won sixteen classic races. Descendants of Julia through Princess and Puzzle, won three classic races. Total No. 1 family, nineteen. Descendants of the Old Scarboro mare, No. .25 family, Avon four classic races. A descendant of the Layton Rarb mare, No. 4 family, won one classic race. A descendant of Howes Byerly Turk mare, No. 3 family, won one classic race. A descendant of the Old Montagu marc, No. 12 family, won one classic race At the conclusion of her racing career the Duke of Grafton sold Pledge, by Waxy Prunella, to the Duke of Portland, and at Welbeck she bred Tiresias, winner of the Derby in 1S19. In like manner Web. by Waxy Penelope, was sold to Lord Jersey. Her fourth foal was Middleton, the Derby winner of 1822. Webs daughter Fillagree bred Cobweb, winner of the Oaks 1S24, and Cobweb became the dam of Bay Middleton Derby and Two Thousand Guineas, 1830, Achmet brother to Bay Middleton, Two Thousand Guineas, 1S37, and of Clementina One Thousand Guineas, 1847. An unnamed sister to Cobweb produced to Sultan Lord Jerseys Ibrahim Two Thousand Guineas, 1835, and also The Princess Oaks, 1844. The last foal of Web was Trampoline, by Tramp, the dam of Glencoe Two Thousand Guineas, 1834, and Ascot Cup, 1835. The classic victories of the more immediate 1 descendants of the Duke of Graftons blood did 1 not end here. Wire, a sister to Whalebone, was 1 sold to Lord Sligo, and in Ireland bred Valve, which, returning to England, was mated with Pollio and bred Pussy Oaks, 1834, while in Mr. L. Charltons stud. Incidentally it may be added that Zinnovia is a descendant of Wire. Mr. Grevilles Preserve, winner of the One Thousand Guineas in 1S35. was by Emilius Mus- tarr, by Merlin Morel. The latter, as we have seen, belonged to the Puzzle Princess branch of the great Grafton tap root of Julia, but Lord Falmouths Queen Bertha was a great granddaughter , of a sister to Cobweb, and thus belonged to the Promise Prunella branch of Julia. The Rouge -i Rose, Paraffin. Prairie Bird, Sunshine and Pil- , grimage families all . lndong to this same line. Whalebone alone has had a far-reaching effect on ; the Rritish thoroughbred, but, coupled with ! Whisker, Partisan, and the mates of Julia, and more particularly Prunella, ancestry the influence of the studs of the third and fourth Dukes of Grafton has been incalculable. Manchester England Sporting Chronicle.
