- Crucifix (horse)
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Crucifix
Artist: John Frederick Herring, Sr.Sire Priam Grandsire Emilius Dam Octaviana Damsire Octavian Sex Mare Foaled 1837 Country Great Britain Colour Bay Breeder George Stanhope, 6th Earl of Chesterfield Owner 1. Lord George Bentinck
2. Edward Lloyd-Mostyn, 2nd Baron Mostyn
3. Henry Agar-Ellis, 3rd Viscount Clifden.Trainer John Barham Day Record 12 starts, 11½ wins (inc. dead heat) Earnings £10,287 Major wins 1840 One Thousand Guineas
1840 Two Thousand Guineas
1840 Epsom OaksHorse (Equus ferus caballus) Crucifix (1837–1857) was an undefeated, Classic Race winning, British-bred Thoroughbred racemare. She was also the dam of three sires who had a great influence on the breed.
Contents
Breeding
Crucifix was a bay filly foaled in 1837, by the Epsom Derby winner, Priam; her dam was the then 21 year old, Octaviana by Octavian.[1] Her breeder was George Stanhope, 6th Earl of Chesterfield. Crucifix was a sister to Chesterfield, who sired the stakes-winner, The Hero. Her sire, Priam, also sired the Epsom Oaks winners Miss Letty and Industry before he was sold for 3,500 guineas and exported in 1837 to Virginia in the United States.[2]
The powerful racing figure, Lord George Bentinck, bought Crucifix as a foal at foot with her 22 year old dam for 65 guineas. At maturity, Crucifix stood nearly 16 hands high, with her body being described as "wiry", and she possessed a temperamental disposition.[3]
Racing record
At two years: 1839
Crucifix had nine starts for wins in the Chesterfield Stakes (carrying top weight), Lavant Stakes, July Stakes and Molecombe Stakes, the Hopeful Stakes at Newmarket, the Clearwell Stakes, the Prendergast Stakes, and a walk-over in a sweepstakes at Newmarket; in the ninth race, the Criterion Stakes she dead-heated with Gibraltar. Her prize money for that season was a record £4,587.
At three years: 1840
In her three starts as a three-year-old Crucifix won the Two Thousand Guineas, One Thousand Guineas and Epsom Oaks. The false starts resorted to at the start of the Oaks lasted about an hour and it took about 15 attempts to get the 15 runners started. As a result of these tactics to defeat favourites, Lord George introduced reforms to inhibit this practice.[4] Welfare ran second to Crucifix and she too, was by Priam. After the running of the Oaks Crucifix pulled up lame, and was retired with earnings of £10,287.[3]
Crucifix became shortest odds winner of the 1,000 Guineas when she was 1/10 odds on. She was also the first of only four horses to ever win both the 1,000 Guineas and the 2,000 Guineas in the same year, when the two races were run two days apart. In her dead-heat in the Criterion Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse and her win in the Oaks Stakes at Epsom, Crucifix defeated the good mare Pocahontas and others on each occasion.[5]
Stud record
Crucifix was the dam of:
- 1842 colt, Cowl by Bay Middleton, sire
- 1844 b colt, Crozier by Lancercost
- 1845 b colt, Surplice by Touchstone, won Epsom Derby and St. Leger Stakes, sire of Florin, (won Poule d'Essai des Poulains) and others, and broodmare sire of Queen Bertha
- 1846 Cucullus by Bay Middleton, died
- 1847 colt, Pontifex by Touchstone
- 1849 filly, Rosary by Touchstone
- 1850 b colt, Constantine, by Cotherstone
- 1851 b colt, Cardinal, by Touchstone
- 1852 filly, Chalice by Orlando, won Royal Hunt Cup, second dam of Placida (Epsom Oaks)[6]
In order to pursue his political career Lord Bentinck sold his entire racing interests, including at least 60 horses along with Crucifix and her son, and future Epsom Derby winner, Surplice, for £10,000 to Edward Lloyd-Mostyn, 2nd Baron Mostyn.[7] Crucifix was later sold to Henry Agar-Ellis, 3rd Viscount Clifden.[8]
Ajax, the undefeated French Derby winner and sire, great broodmare Double Life (dam of Precipitation and Persian Gulf), and a many other good horses descend from Crucifix in the distaff line. Crucifix also became the 12th dam of another great race-mare, Meld who won the British Fillies Triple Crown. Crucifix is the taproot mare of Family 2-i.[9]
Crucifix died in 1857 and was buried beside Bay Middleton at the Days' stables, Danebury, near Stockbridge, Hampshire. [10]
Tabulated pedigree
Pedigree of Crucifix (2-i) B. m. 1837 Sire
Priam
Bay 1827Emilius
Bay 1820Orville Beningbrough Evelina Emily Stamford Whiskey mare 1799 (28) Cressida
Bay 1807Whiskey Saltram Calash Young Giantess Diomed Giantess Dam
Octaviana
Bay 1815Octavian
Ch. 1807Stripling Phoenomenon Laura Oberon mare (1796) Oberon Ranthos mare 1779 (8) Shuttle mare
Bay 1807Shuttle Young Marske Vauxhall Snap mare 1784 (21) Zara Delpini Flora (2-c) See also
- List of leading Thoroughbred racehorses
- Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
References
- ^ Leicester, Sir Charles, Bloodstock Breeding, J.A. Allen & Co, London, 1969
- ^ Morris, Simon; Tesio Power 2000 - Stallions of the World, Syntax Software
- ^ a b Ahnert, Rainer L. (editor in chief), Thoroughbred Breeding of the World, Pozdun Publishing, Germany, 1970
- ^ Kent, John, Racing life of Lord George Cavendish Bentinck, M.P. and other reminiscences, W. Blackwood, Edinburgh,1892
- ^ 1,000 Guineas Records Retrieved 2010-4-14
- ^ Thoroughbred Bloodlines: Crucifix Retrieved 2010-3-31
- ^ Montgomery, E.S, “The Thoroughbred”, Arco, New York, 1973 ISBN 0-668-02824-6
- ^ Thoroughbred Heritage: Priam Retrieved 24 April 2010
- ^ Thoroughbred Bloodlines: Crucifix Retrieved 23 April 2010
- ^ Thoroughbred Bloodlines: Crucifix Retrieved 24 April 2010
Categories:- 1837 racehorse births
- Individual mares
- Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom
- Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom
- Thoroughbred racehorses
- Undefeated racehorses
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