Sir Hercules

Sir Hercules (1826-1855) was a Thoroughbred racehorse from Ireland.

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename = Sir Hercules


caption =
sire = Whalebone
grandsire = Waxy
dam = Peri
damsire = Wanderer
sex = Stallion
foaled = 1826
country = Ireland flagicon|IRE
colour = Black
breeder = Mr. Lang
owner = Hercules Landford Rowley
trainer =
record =
earnings =
race =
awards =
honours =
updated = August 23, 2007

Sir Hercules was by the great sire Whalebone, winner of the British derby, out of the Wanderer daughter, Peri. Peri (1822) was bred to Whalebone at the age of three, and Sir Hercules, her first foal, was born in 1826 at Petworth Stud. Black with white ticking, Sir Hercules was small (15.2 hh) and had a compact build, with identical length "...From the center of the breast to the hind part of the shoulder, from hind part of shoulder to the hip, and from hip to whirlbone," with "no more than room for a saddle on his back."

Sir Hercules was purchased by Hercules Landford Rowley, the second Baron Langford of Summerhill, and was put up for stud in 1831 for a fee of £10. However, few Englishmen wished to breed their mares to him, and the young stallion was moved in 1832 to Rossmore Lodge at the Curragh. He was then sent to England in 1833 with the rest of Rowley's racing stud to be acutioned of at Tattersall. Sir Hercules was initially sold to America for 750 guineas, but it was decided that it was too late in the season to ship him overseas, and the stallion was resold to H.O. Weatherby.

Weatherby sent him to stand at stud at George Tattersall's stud, Dawley Wall Farm. In 1838, he was sent to East Acton, where he stood for a fee of £30. However, Weatherby died and Sir Hercules was sold to Sydned Herbert. In 1844, Herbert sent the stallion to Tattersall's Willesden Paddocks, where he was open to public mares. Soon, however, Herbert broke up his stud and sold Sir Hercules to Mr. Phillips of Bushbury Stud, where the stallion eventually died at the age of thirty.

Race Record

"Two-Year-Old"
* Undefeated in Ireland

"Three-Year-Old"
* Claret Stakes: won
* St. Leger Stakes: third

Offspring of Sir Hercules

Sir Hercules was influential in siring both flat and steeplechase race horses, including one winner of the Grand National. Both his sons and daughters had a profound impact on the bloodlines of horses in England, Ireland, the United States, and France.

*Birdcatcher: his most famous son
*Faugh-a-Ballagh: won St. Leger Stakes, Grand Duke Michael Stakes, and Cesarewitch Stakes
*Arthur
*Coronation: won the Derby Stakes and Ascot Derby
*Cruiskeen