Leamington (horse)
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| Leamington | |
|---|---|
 Leamington from Wallace's Monthly Magazine, July 1877 | |
| Sire | Faugh-a-Ballagh |
| Grandsire | Sir Hercules |
| Dam | Pantaloon Mare (14) (1841) |
| Damsire | Pantaloon |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | 1853 |
| Country | Great Britain |
| Colour | Brown |
| Breeder | Mr. Halford |
| Owner | Mr. Higgins |
| Record | 25 starts, 8 places[1] |
| Earnings | £8,790[1] |
| Major wins | |
| Woodcote Stakes (1855) Chesterfield Stakes (1855) Stewards' Cup (1856) Goodwood Stakes (1857) Chester Cup (1857, 1859) | |
| Awards | |
| Leading sire in North America (1875, 1877, 1879, 1881) | |
| Last updated on 1 August 2011 | |
Leamington (1853–1878) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse and an influential sire in the United States during the second half of the nineteenth century.
Leamington was a brown horse bred in England by Mr. Halford. Leamington was by the top racehorse and sire Faugh-a-Ballagh (by Sir Hercules). His dam was an unnamed mare by Pantaloon who was bred by the Marquis of Westminster.[2]
Racing career
1855: Two-Year-Old Season
Halford began racing him at age two, and then sold him to a Mr. Higgins. Leamington won the Woodcote Stakes at Warwick and the Chesterfield Stakes before retiring for the year.
1856: Three-Year-Old Season
As a three-year-old, he was planning to run the colt in The Derby, but he contracted strangles, and this affected his whole three-year-old season. However, his owners and trainers appeared to have planned his losses to help keep his handicap weight down. After losing four small races and carrying little weight, he won the Wolverhampton, before losing several more. He was then "allowed" to win the Stewards' Cup carrying only 98 pounds (44 kg).
1857: Four-Year-Old Season
Leamington's four-year-old season began with the 2.25 mile Chester Cup. Leamington only carried 93 pounds (42 kg), due to his poor reputation gained as a three-year-old, and he easily won the race. The colt then came fourth at the Ascot Gold Cup. He went on to the Goodwood Stakes, carrying only 118 pounds (54 kg) with odds of 100 to 3, and easily won the race by a length. His owners won quite a bit of money from wagering on him that day, after their longshot with 100 to 3 odds beat out a field of 19. However, his win earned him top weight of 131 pounds (59 kg) at his next race, the Chesterfield Cup, and he could not hold out.
1858: Five-Year-Old Season
Leamington only made one start as a five-year-old, carrying 130 pounds (59 kg) as the handicapper realized how Leamington's owners had been manipulating his races. The weight was too much for Leamington to carry and he couldn't win.
1859: Six-Year-Old Season
Leamigton had a successful start to his six-year-old season, easily winning the Chester Cup against a good field. He finished second in his next race, the Gold Vase at Ascot Racecourse.
In his final race of the season, the Goodwood Cup, Leamington injured his right foreleg.
1860: Seven-Year-Old Season
Leamington trained up for The Whip Stakes, a strenuous four-mile race. He broke down while preparing for the race, and was retired to stud at Rawcliffe Paddocks.