The age of a racehorse

Whatever its foaling date in the eighteenth and early nineteenth (before 1834) centuries, a racehorse's age is given from "last grass", which was conventionally assumed to be Mayday.

The age at which horses are raced has gradually reduced. In the early days of the eighteenth century, it was rare for horses younger than 6 to be raced. Over 6 years old horses were just referred to as aged.

Owners experimented with running 3 and 4-year-olds in the 1730s, but it did not really catch on until 1770.

The first recorded race for two-year-olds took place at Newmarket in 1769.

A betting coup goes wrong?

Bath races for 1771 open with a 50 guinea plate, competed for by four horses, including Dennis O'Kelly's bay horse Humble which started as evens favourite but with very few people willing to take those odds.

Dennis O'Kelly 1773
Note the severely cropped tail and ears of the horse
typical for the period.

The first heat went to Mr Clarke's brown horse Valentine by a good margin, with Humble trailing in last. This shifted the odds considerably 5 to 4 being offered for Valentine against the field.

The second heat was suspiciously very different. Humble led from the off and, whipped on by his jockey, stayed ahead of the field until they reached the distance post 240 yards from the finish when Valentine slipped passed him. The two horses completed the race neck and neck, but ultimately victory went to Valentine.

Given O'Kelly's reputation as a professional gambler and pimp and his known history of rigging the results of sporting events, the suspicion must be that this was a betting coup which went wrong.

1771 the start of the O'Kelly Years on Claverton Down

The first recorded racing on Claverton Down was in 1729, but the racing there was at its zenith between 1771 and 1781 when the town was visited by the extraordinary Col Denis O’Kelly, his much-envied horses, his friends and possibly by his infamous “wife” Charlotte Hayes.

O’Kelly had come to England from Ireland and initially earned his living as a sedan chair carrier as a series of adventures eventually led him to the Fleet prison, where he met and joined forces with Charlotte Hayes. Together they made a huge fortune based on gambling, brothel keeping and horse dealing. It was this latter that led him to acquire the extraordinary horse Eclipse which is the horse from which 95% of today’s racehorses are descended.

O’Kelly is first recorded as coming to Bath races in 1771

At the betting post
O'Kelly is in the blue Coat

On Tuesday, 24th September, the four-day meeting started with a race for a prize of £50 [about £3000 today]. The race was open to any horse, and all runners had to carry a minimum of 8 st 7lbs except for horses who had won a King’s Plate, which had to carry 9st. The result was to be determined by the outcome of three four-mile heats. In the event, only two heats were run by three horses. Mr Hugo’s grey mare Frolic, beating Mr Carpenter’s grey horse, Danger, and Mr Brereton’s bay horse, Star. Frolic won the first heat with ease, the general opinion being that the other two had not really tried. Surprisingly the odds going into the second heat went as high as 20:1 against Frolic winning the second. However, despite Danger having run much better, Frolic won by several lengths. Two other horses had originally been entered but Mr Bishop’s Daniel had gone lame, and Dennis had been paid not to start his horse, Helen. It is quite likely that Helen was a nine-year-old mare that appears in the records as having been bred by the noted stallion and winner of the Jockey Club plate, a horse called Spectator.

The following day, Wednesday, they ran the annual Ladies Purse of fifty pounds open to five and six-year-olds. Five-year-olds carrying 8st 4lb and six-year-olds 9st. Plate winners in 1771 carried an extra 3lbs and winners of a King’s Plate at any time carried an extra 7lbs. The race was settled over three four-mile heats. The race was won by the Duke of Cumberland’s chestnut mare Riddle. Riddle was bred by the very important and successful stallion Matchem a grandson of the Godolphin Arabian. Every heat was hotly contested, with O’Kelly’s bay horse Humble finishing second and Mr Wildman’s Frolic third.

William Wildman owner of Frolic
with his sons and the horse Eclipse
Wildman was a wealthy meat wholesaler 

Next came what was billed in the Bath Chronicle as “the great Sweepstakes” for colts carrying 8st 7lb and fillies 8st 4lb. Ten owners put up £50 each for their horse to compete over 4 miles. 

The horses that were entered were:

Lord Corke’s Colt by Gibson’s Arabian Out of a Mare by Blank

Mr King’s filly by Match’em out of a Regulus Mare

Lord Craven’s Colt Mechanic by Engineer

Mr Parker’s colt by Short-hose, out of a Babraham mare

Mr Coxe’s filly by Lightfoot

Mr Fettiplace’s Colt by Snap out of a Blank Mare

Mr Yeat’s filly by Tantivy out of a Babraham mare

Mr Bolton’s filly by Bell’s Arabian out of a Regulus mare

Mr O’Kelly’s colt by Squirrel out of a Cade mare

Mr Wildman’s colt by a son of Babraham out of a Cullen mare

However, when it came to it, only two horses actually started. Under the rules of the race, this meant that eight owners had to put up £25 forfeits. Dennis O’Kelly’s colt ended up beating Mr King’s filly in a very close race to claim the £250.

"Col" Dennis O'Kelly

On Thursday the 26th, the proceedings were started by a plate for fifty pounds handicapped by age and height with aged horses of 14 hands carrying 9st. Winners of one plate in 1771 carried an extra 3lbs and two or more plates 5lbs. The plate was to be competed for over three four-mile heats. 

The following horses were entered:

Sir Richard Philips’s Macaroni

Mr Birley’s Venom

Mr Parker’s Oberon 

Mr Brereton’s Star

Capt. O’Kelly’s Milksop

The plate was awarded to Oberon, with a late entry brown horse belonging to Mr Yeats placed second and Milksop coming in third. The starting price for Mr Yeat’s horse was 6 to 4, but after the first heat moved to evens. 2 to 1 was on offer that Milsop would not win, and 10 to 1, Oberon did not win, but after the third heat which was won by Oberon his price moved to 3 to 2 for the fourth heat required to establish the winner. In the first heat, My Yeats horse finished well ahead of the field but passed the wrong side of the finish post, and so was placed last.

Mr Parker was almost certainly John Parker, who was elected to the House of Commons for Bodmin in 1761, a seat he held until 1762, and then represented Devon between 1762 and 1784. The latter year Parker was raised to the peerage as Baron Boringdon of Boringdon in the County of Devon. Apart from his political career, he was also a collector of paintings at his seat Saltram House in Devon. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in April 1767. In 1783, Parker's horse Saltram won the fourth running of the Epsom Derby.

John Parker

Dennis O’Kelly and Mr Yeats had arranged a separate 100 guinea [about £17000 at today's prices] bet on which of their horse would be placed before the other in this race so Mr Yeats could console himself for not winning the £50 as his horse came second, but Denis's horse came third.

A 1771 Guinea

On Friday the 27th, they ran for a plate worth £50 which was free to enter for any four-year-old colts or fillies colts carrying 8st 7lb and fillies 8st 5lb with winners of other plates or the Wednesday sweepstake to carry 3lbs more. 

The following horses competed over three heats:

Lord Chedworth’s Bay colt Bauble

Mr Strode’s bay colt Prizefighter

Mr King’s Filly by Match’em

Mrs Dover’s black filly

Mr Foley’s bay colt, Young England

The starting price at the betting post made Bauble favourite, and he remained favourite after the first heat, which he won. However, when Prizefighter won the second heat with some ease, he became favourite, but Bauble won the third heat and took the prize. Young England was disqualified when ran out of bounds in the first heat.

Lord Chedworth was Henry Frederick Howe of Stowell Park in Gloucestershire 

The Chronicle declared the racing at this meeting to be equal, if not superior, to any meeting in the kingdom that may reflect O’Kelly’s impact.

The huge popularity of the races can be judged from the estimate of 1000 carriages on the Down on the Wednesday.

The meeting was overseen by a Steward, Richard Hippisley Coxe of Ston Easton, who was MP for Somerset.

Ston Easton Park

There was a grandstand erected on the Down for the convenience of spectators and owners. 

There were special fixed-price meals on offer and special balls at both Simpson's and Gyde's rooms.

At this meeting, a match was arranged for a prize of £400 between Mr Bowles Jugurtha and Mr Parker’s Skim to take place on the 22nd of October. That match went to Skim.

Sir John Lade, Steward of Bath Races

The Bath Races of 1780 were overseen by Sir John Lade as steward. Sir John, who was then 23 years old, was already established as a member of the Jockey Club.

Sir John Lade

He was born the posthumous child of the first Baronet, also named John. His mother was the sister of the brewer and MP Henry Thrale.

Through his close connection with the Thrales, Samuel Johnson was his godfather. One piece of advice he offered Lady Lade was "Endeavour, Madam, to procure him knowledge; for really ignorance to a rich man is like fat to a sick sheep, it only serves to call the rooks about him." 

As Lade grew up, Johnson became increasingly disillusioned about the young man's abilities, so much so that when asked for advice about Sir John and the possibility of marriage, he responded angrily.

"I would advise no man to marry, Sir, who is not likely to propagate understanding;" and left the room.

However, this did not stop Johnson from proposing "half in earnest" a marriage between Sir John and the novelist and long-term Bath resident Fanny Burney.

On his attaining the age of twenty-one, he gained control of the vast fortune his father had left him and which he proceeded to dispose of through a combination of extravagant spending and gambling. 

On the positive side, he did develop a reputation as a remarkable judge of horseflesh. Particularly notable, in retrospect, was his discovery of the horse Medley, a grey which was one of the first thoroughbreds to be imported into America. His racing colours were a familiar sight at races throughout England, including Bath.

Taplow Lodge near Clivedon
 at one the home of Sir John's stud

Left to indulge his passions, Sir John spent most of his time in the stables and at race meetings; Lade chose to wear riding clothes and carry a whip to most occasions and in most places. According to the dandy Thomas Raikes, his "ambition was to imitate the groom in dress and in language".

Sir John driving four in hand.

He was widely regarded as a very fine horseman, and his skill as a driver earned the nickname 'Jehu', 

He was one of the founding members of the 'Four-Horse Club' – also known as the 'Four in Hand Club'. He himself famously drove a team of six greys, except when he sat up with the Regent in place of the latter's coachman, driving six matched bays on the road from Brighton to London.

His fondness for the track and for driving, as well as for gambling, caused him to wager vast sums of money on horses as well as on inconsequential feats of skill. In 1795 he bet Lord Cholmondeley that he could carry him on his back, from opposite the Brighton Pavilion twice round the Old Steine that faced it. Lord Cholmondeley was a big man, and as news of the challenge spread, a crowd, including a number of ladies, assembled. As his Lordship was preparing to mount, Lade stopped him and ordered him to strip, saying: "I betted I would carry you, not your clothes; your clothes are more than two pounds overweight. So strip and do not keep the ladies waiting." Lord Cholmondeley proved himself a shy man by withdrawing and settling the bet.

In 1789 Sir John wagered 1000 gs with the notorious 4th Duke of Queensbury, known as Old Q, that he could beat him in a race where they were both mounted on mules. Sir John lost.

Lade racing the Duke of Bedford at Newmarket.

Letitia, who became Lady Lade, was a woman of obscure origins who, prior to being discovered by the royal circle, was probably working in the Drury Lane district and was almost certainly associated with the sex trade in some capacity. She befriended and was probably the mistress of the highwayman "Sixteen String Jack" Rann. After Rann, who was born near Bath, was hanged in 1774, she became the mistress of the Duke of York. Not only was Letty a beauty, but she was hugely admired for her seat on a horse and skills as a whip. So it was probably inevitable that Lade would be attracted by her, and they were married, after a long affair and in spite of his family's and polite society's disapproval, in 1787. 

Letitia Lade by Stubbs

Letitia Lade was a great favourite with the Regent and his set. The Regent commissioned the equestrian portrait of Letty by Stubbs to hang in his chambers. She was more than willing to join them in their wild excesses and once wagered on herself in a driving contest at Newmarket races and bet five hundred guineas on an eight-mile race against another woman. She was particularly noted for her casual use of profanity, and the phrase "swears like Letty Lade" entered common usage. 

It was to Sir John that the Prince turned in the greatest crisis of his racing career. Known as 'the Escape affair, ' the issue at stake was whether the Prince's regular jockey Samuel Chifney had deliberately and dishonestly ridden the Prince's horse Escape to lose to manipulate the odds in a subsequent race that he won. A letter from Sir John commanded Chifney to attend the Prince at his home in Carlton House. At this interview, the Prince informed him that Sir Charles Bunbury, the leading figure in the Jockey Club, had told him that "if he suffered Chifney to ride his horses, no gentleman would start against him". The  Prince said he had told Sir Charles that rather than abandon Chifney, he would leave racing. Shortly after this, the Prince and Chifney went to Sir John Lade's house, where the Prince declared that he believed Chifney to be an honest man and that he would grant him a pension of £200 a year.

Chifney in action

In addition to his interests in and wagering on the Turf, Sir John was an active member of the "Fancy", who supported prizefighting. In 1807 he was in the huge crowd who had gathered to see Belcher fight Cribb, where he stood alongside the Duke of Clarence, later William IV, the Duke of Beaufort, the Marquess of Tweedsdale, Sir John Shelley and Lord Byron, all of whom were happy to ignore the fact that boxing was at that time illegal.


Sir John's chosen lifestyle meant that even the vast Lade fortune was eventually exhausted, and he spent some time in a debtor's prison. Lade was rescued by the Prince Regent and received a pension as George's "driving tutor".

Lade's marriage, his debts, and his disdain for polite society caused him to be generally regarded as a disreputable figure. When Lord Thurlow, a friend of George III, met the Prince, Sir John, and Lord Barrymore, a notorious ruffian, in Brighton, the Prince asked Thurlow to come and dine with him. Thurlow replied, "I cannot do so until your Royal Highness keeps better company". 

On another occasion, when Thurlow had accepted an invitation, the Prince apologised for the party being larger than he had intended but added: "that Sir John was an old friend of his, and he could not avoid asking him to dinner." Thurlow answered, "I have no objection, Sir, to Sir John Lade in his proper place, which I take to be your Royal Highness's coach-box, and not your table."

Letitia died in 1825, and Lade lived quietly on his stud farm in Sussex until his death in 1838. Queen Victoria records in her diary that shortly after she came to the throne, she discovered that she was paying a pension to "a Sir John Lade, one of George IV.'s intimates".

Lady Lade

The Bath meeting of August 1729

According to Cheny's "Historical List of all horse-matches run etc.", for 1729, two days of racing took place on the 25th and 26th of August.

On the 25th, four horses competed for a £30 plate. The race was only open to horses who had never won a King's Plate. King's plates were prizes given by the Monarch and run for under tough rules specifically designed to encourage the breeding of bigger, stronger animals that had real stamina.

"The Round Course at Newmarket, Cambridgeshire,
Preparing for the King's Plate" -
Peter Tillemans (1684-1734)

Each horse carried 10 st over two heats. The entry fee for the race was 2 gs.

This was a selling race, with the winner put on sale for 150 gs or about £13,000 at current values.

The prize was won by Mr Jones's Chestnut mare, who gloried in the name Sweetest When Naked.

On the following day, four horses competed for a £20 plate again for any horse that had not won a King's plate or won the plate on the previous day. This was known as a give and take, where horses carried weights decided by their height, giving or taking weight relative to a 14 hh horse who carried 9 st. The entry fee was only one guinea, and again, the winner was to be offered for sale at 150 gs.

This race, run over two heats, was won by Mr Robinsen's [sic] chestnut horse Cupid

Entries had to be made 10 days before the start of the meeting,

Cheny funded the "Historical Lists", which he started publishing in 1727 by asking subscribers for a seven-year commitment with a half-crown to be paid with the order, 5s. Annually for the first six years, and, as a reward for loyalty, only a further half-crown in the seventh year. This sum was to be paid to various named persons but could also be given personally to the author ‘as he travels to take his accounts’. In fact, Cheny rode all over England to attend race meetings, obtain breeding information, and solicit subscriptions. He continued to publish his calendar until 1750, with some twenty-four issues in total. From 1743, these included particulars of the pedigrees of all the significant racehorses of the day.

"A very fine heat" Bath 1772

The second race on the second day of the 1772 meeting on Claverton Down was a 50 guinea sweepstakes for three-year-olds over a four-mile course. Competed for by:

Mr Parker’s grey filly by Shakespeare

Mr Parker is almost certainly John Parker of Saltram House in Devon, who would go on to win the 1783 Derby. He was a close friend of the Prince of Wales and represented Devonshire in Parliament.

The grey filly was probably a horse called Charlotte out of a Regulus mare. Shakespeare, bred by Sir John Moore, was a not-very-successful racehorse that had a solid reputation for breeding good mares.

Saltram House

Mr Wildman’s grey colt by Antinous (named by Mr J Coxe)

Wildman was a wealthy wholesale butcher and stock dealer who had bought the horse Eclipse from the sale of the Duke of Cumberland’s stud on his death. Eclipse is arguably the most important thoroughbred of all time. It is not clear who the J Coxe that entered Wildman’s colt was, but he was almost certainly a connection of the Coxe family who owned Ston Easton Park just outside Bath.

The grey colt was probably a horse called Lamplighter. Antinous was bred by the 3rd Duke of Grafton at Euston and ran for six years, from age 4, beating the top horses of his day in big purse matches.

Wildman and Sons with Eclipse by Stubbs

Mr O’Kelly’s chestnut colt Young Colin

Dennis O’Kelly was a gambler, horse breeder and “husband” of the leading brothel keeper of the eighteen century. He had acquired Eclipse from Wildman in slightly mysterious circumstances, which certainly involved at least one betting coup. O’Kelly earned a large income from Eclipse's stud fees and progeny.

Dennis O'Kelly

Lord Corke and Mr Coxe paid forfeits of 25 guineas each. Betting before the start was Mr Parker’s filly evens, 6 to 4 against the grey colt and 2 to one against Young Colin. In running, bets were offered that Colin would not come last. A very fine heat won with difficulty by the filly carrying 8st 5lb against the colts' 8st 7lb.

Edmund Boyle, 7th Earl of Cork and 7th Earl of Orrery (21 November 1742 – 30 May 1798) was an Irish peer. A younger son of the 5th Earl of Cork, he had succeeded to his half-brother's titles in 1764. He died, aged 56, in Marston House and was buried in St John's Church in Frome in Somerset.

Marston House

The winner took the prize of 200 guineas or about £24,000 in modern terms.

The Rooms and the Turf 1772

The horse racing in Bath on Claverton Down in the eighteenth century attracted sizable crowds and enormously wealthy owners and gamblers.

Many businesses in Bath sought to profit from this, and tradesmen paid substantial fees to have booths on the course.

The Assembly Rooms were no different. So when in 1772 there was a three-day meeting in September, the Upper Rooms put on a pre-season ball as described in this advert in the Bath Chronicle.

The race week in 1772 started on Monday, 21st September,

The meeting started with a race for a plate worth £50 with free entry. The race was contested over two four-mile heats. Four horses started:

Mr Clarke's horse Valentine
Mr Bishop's horse Daniel
Mr O'Kelly's horse Humble
Mr Morris's horse Pluto

Before the race, punters were persuaded that Dennis O'Kelly's horse was the runaway favourite, and even bets on Humble against the field found few takers. It is perhaps worth noting here that Dennis made much of his considerable fortune through gambling. After the first heat, Valentine won easily over Daniel and Pluto, with Humble placed last. The betting changed to 5 to 4 in favour of Valentine against the field.

Rowlandson's The Betting Post
The mounted figure in blue on the right is believed to be Dennis O'Kelly.

That same day there was a sweepstake for 4-year-olds for a 50 guinea stake over one four-mile heat. Four horses competed, creating a 200 guinea prize. They were:

Lord Grosvenor's bay filly by Snap, which was entered on Grosvenor's behalf by Mr Coxe.
Mr O'Kelly's bay colt, Batchelor
Mr Parker's chestnut colt by Villager
Lord Castlehaven's brown colt by Merlin entered on Castlehaven's behalf by Mr Yeates.

Lord Corke, Mr King, and Mr Brereton had all failed to enter their horses but paid forfeits, adding 75 guineas to the prize fund worth about £18000 at today's prices.

In a race described by the Bath Chronicle as "exceeding fine," Mr Parker's horse started as favourite but with few bets being offered on such an evenly matched field. Until the last circuit of the course, Batchelor looked set to win, but Batchelor had a tenancy to knap, and so was overtaken by Lord Grosvenor's horse at the post.

On Tuesday, they started the meeting with a race for the Ladies' purse of £50 for 5 and 6-year-old horses. This was competed for over 3 four mile heats by:

Sir Richard Bamfyldes's bay gelding Banble
Mr Wildman's bay horse Frolic
Mr O'Kelly's bay horse Catchpenny
Mr Compton Willis's bay gelding

The word ahead of the start was that the race would go to Banble, and bets on him were taken from evens to 5 to 4, with 20 to 1 being offered against the unfancied Mr Willis's gelding. After the first heat won by Catchpenny from the Willis gelding, the punters still kept faith with Banble, who beat Frolic into second place with apparent ease. The betting going into the final heat was 6 and 7 to 4 on Banble, who went on to win.

The next race was a 50 guinea sweepstakes run over 2 miles by three-year-old horses. Before the start, Lord Corke and Mr Coxe withdrew their entries and paid the 25 guinea forfeit. The starting prices at the betting post were even money on Mr Parker's grey filly by Shakespeare, probably a horse called Charlotte, 6 to 4 against Mr Wildman's grey colt Antinous which had been entered on his behalf by Mr Coxe and 2 to 1 against Dennis O'Kelly's chestnut colt Young Colin. Further bets were placed during the race that O'Kelly's horse would not be last, which he was, In a very close run race won by Mr Parker's filly.

The Bath Cup worth 100 guineas and a further prize of £30 raised by subscription was competed for a day earlier than had been advertised by three horses over four miles. The close race was won by Mr Yeat's brown horse Little David beating Mr Wildman's bay mare by, Squirrel, the pre-race hot favourite and Mr O'Kelly's Mileston.

Wednesday started with a £50 give-and-take race over three four-mile heats. The race was competed for by 
Sir Richard Bampfylde's bay horse Weazel, Mr Strode's bay horse Gudgeon and Mr Sparrow's grey mare Heathcropper. The race was won by the evens favourite, Weazel. Sir Richard, his owner, was MP for Devon.

Five 4-year-old horses raced for a £50 plate over three heats on the Thursday following the ball. The local punters were severely deceived by the pre-race intelligence, making Mr Helyer's bay colt Sprightly the clear favourite. At the betting post, 4 to 1 was offered that neither Dennis O'Kelly's colt Batchelor or Mr Wildman's colt Slip could win and 10 to 1 against Mr Strode's colt Garcon and Mr Parker's Marquisette.

After Batchelor's easy victory in the first heat, the local punters still supported their chosen favourite, who came third and continued to bet against Batchelor and Slip. After the second heat was won easily by Garcon, the punters started to hedge their bets by offering odds against Sprightly, but there were few takers. The final heat was warmly contested, but victory went to Batchelor ahead of Garcon, with Sprightly placed third. Given that a sizable portion of Dennis's considerable fortune was based on betting coups, one must wonder if there was more to all this than meets the eye.

The meet's final race was the Beef Stakes, to which 21 people had subscribed 10 guineas each. The race rules required that every horse carry 15 stone over the four-mile course and that they must be ridden by gentlemen, i.e. not by paid jockeys. There was little betting, and the prize worth about £15,000 at today's value was won by Mr Yeats riding his own horse, Minor beating Mr Bowen's horse Garret ridden by Captain Sweedland.

Mr Parker accepted the role of steward for the following year's meeting.

A colt by Tatler and the Arabian connection

On Tuesday, the 16th of September 1777 on Claverton Down a 50 guinea sweepstakes was run between two horses over four miles. [1]

The winner was Mr Yeat's bay colt Patriot the loser is described as Mr Coxe brown colt by Tatler dam by White Nose.

Mr Coxe has not yet been identified with certainty, but he was probably a member of the Hippisley Coxe family of Ston Easton.

We can, however, trace the origins of Mr Coxe's colt.

Tatler, his sire, was a relatively undistinguished horse bred by the very important stallion Blank. Blank was bred by Frances, 2nd Earl of Godolphin, at his stud at Babraham in Cambridgeshire but sold as a six-year-old to Peregrin Bertie, the 3rd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven for his stud at Grimsthorpe in Lancashire. The stallion Godolphin used bears his family name and is one of the three great founding oriental stallions of the thoroughbred horse.

The Godolphin Arabian with Grimalkin the stable cat
painted by George Stubbs

The colt's dam was, we are told was, bred using the stallion White Nose. This stallion appears to have been bred either by Sir William Middleton -- or possibly Thomas Panton -- in 1742; he never raced. He was, however, extremely successful at stud and is considered among the top ten of the Godolphin Arabian's sons.

The Godolphin Arabian, who was originally known as Sham or Shami, was foaled in Yemen in 1724 (from Jilfan blood). A brown colt with a little white on his off-hind heel, he stood 14.3 hands high.

He was exported via Syria to Tunis as one of four horses to be presented by the Bey of Tunis to the King of France. In France, he was acquired by an Englishman, Edward Coke, who sent his purchase to his estate at Longford Hall in Derbyshire.

When Coke died in August 1733, aged only 32, he bequeathed his bloodstock to Roger Williams, proprietor of the St James's Coffee House in London, who also acted as a bloodstock agent. Williams then sold the Arabian to Francis, the 2nd Earl of Godolphin.


1. Bath Chronicle

Bath Races 1730

According to John Cheny's "An Historical List of All Horse-Matches Run and of all Plates and Prizes Run for in England and Wales (of the value of Ten Pounds or upwards) in 1730" there was a two-day race meeting in Bath, probably on Claverton Down.

On the 27th of May four horses competed for a purse of 25 guineas (about £2000 today). These were race horses but the owners certified that none had won as much as 40 guineas in prizes. Each horse carried 10 stone and owners paid an entrance fee of 2 guineas.

The four horse were:

1. Mr Shepherd's brown horse which he rather ominously entered as 'Run Now or Hunt for Ever'
2. Mr Tuting's brown mare Sinder Wench whose stable name was Welch Lady
3. Mr Langton's grey horse Modefly 
4. Mr Hopkin's bay gelding Traveller 

A Chestnut racehorse exercised by a Trainer in a Blue Coat
circa 1730

They competed over 3 heats, probably of a mile.

The race went to "Run Now or Hunt Forever" who won the first two heat and came second in the third.

On the following day a prize of 15 guineas was offered for Galloway ponies whose owners had to pay one guinea and half entrance fee

This prize was won by Mr Birds chestnut mare Rattle

Mr Shepherd was probably a member of the prominent Honiton family and might well be James Shepherd the son and heir of James Shepherd the MP for Honiton who had died that year.

Mr Tuting was a prominent member of the Georgian Turf and regularly ran horses in major races at Newmarket.

Mr Langton was almost certainly a sion of the prominent family of Bristol Merchant Venturers who would go on to own Newton Park, now a campus of Bath Spa University.

  

September 1735

From John Cheny's An Historical List of All Horse-Matches Run and for all plates and prizes run for in England (of the value of ten pounds or upwards) in 1735.

"Bath - Somersetshire

Upon this course [probably Claverton Down], in this month, the following two started for a purse of 10 guineas [about £1000 today]."

Each horse carried 10st, and it was a tie. The race was run over 2 heats, probably four miles, between Mr Cornwall's grey gelding Hereford and Mr Figg's brown mare.

The next day was a race for a prize of 10 guineas for ponies carrying 8st with adjustment for height.

The same week, Mr Osborne's roan mare lost a match over three heats for 10 guineas to Mr Moore's black mare Handsome-Black.

Bath Races 1757

"It is thought there will be good Sport at our Races several horses are already here, and many more are daily expected" Bath Journal September 1757.

The 1757 meeting started on Wednesday the 5th of October 1757 on Claverton Down with a race for a purse of fifty pounds for any horse, mare or gelding that had not won the value of fifty pounds (matches excepted); five-year-olds to carry eight stone seven pounds; six-year-olds nine stone seven pounds; aged ten stone seven pounds bridle and saddle included; best of three-four mile heats.

Five horses were entered ahead of time:

• Mr Smart’s Grey mare, Grey of Greys. Five years old
• Mr Moore’s Chestnut horse. Six years old
• Mr Butler’s Grey Horse Sterling, Six years old
• Mr Parham’s Bay horse Vortigern Aged

On the day, Lord Bruce entered his horse Fox at the post

Lord Bruce

This is almost certainly Thomas Brudenell-Bruce, 1st Earl of Ailesbury KT (30 April 1729 - 19 April 1814), styled The Honourable Thomas Brudenell until 1747 and known as Lord Bruce of Tottenham between 1747 and 1776. He subsequently served as Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire from 1780 to 1782.[1]
.
Vortigern won the first heat but took the turn at the post too short in the second, which brought down both horse and rider. Victory in the race finally went to Starling.

On Thursday the 6th, on the same course, they ran for a purse of fifty pounds for any horse, mare or gelding that has not won more than one fifty-pound plate this year; five years old to carry ten stone four pounds; six years old eleven stone four pounds; aged twelve stone, bridle and saddle included; the best of three-four mile heats. Six horses were entered before the meeting:

• Mr Scudamore’s Grey horse, Sober John, Six years old
• Mr Howe’s Bay horse Mercury, Five Years old
• The Earl of Eglington’s Grey horse, Gog Magog, Aged
• Mr Cornwall’s brown horse Redstreak Aged
• Mr Roger’s Grey mare Chastity, Five years old
• Mr Jennison’s Grey horse Why not Aged

Alexander Montgomerie, 10th Earl of Eglinton, one of twenty siblings, was the eldest son of the 9th Earl of Eglinton and Susanna Montgomery, Countess of Eglinton, the earl's third wife and a renowned society beauty. Alexander planned and built the conservation village of Eaglesham in 1769 around the basic plan of a capital 'A' (for Alexander). The Earl introduced the young James Boswell to the joys of London society in the early 1760s and figures prominently in Boswell's London Journal, 1762-63. He was the Grand Master Mason of the Grand Lodge of Scotland from 1750-51. We know that the Earl was present in person because the Bath Journal records his arrival sometime between September 19th and September 26th. 

No horses entered at the post despite pre-meeting expectations that there would be.

Mercury won the first heat and Redneck the last heat by a narrow half-length. The purse was awarded to Redneck, but Mercury won the stakes as the "second bell horse."

The horses had to be shown and entered on the Saturday before the day of running, between the hours of twelve and six, at Mr Figg’s, at the Lamb Inn in Bath, and be subject to the articles produced at the time of entrance. Certificates of their qualification for each of the purses had to be produced at the time of entrance or before the day of running. No less than three reputed running horses had to start for either of these purses. Owners had to pay two guineas entrance per horse if they were subscribers to the Bath races and five shillings to the Clerk of the Course; a non-subscriber paid three guineas and five shillings to the Clerk of the Course or double at the post. If only one horse was entered for a race, his owner would win ten guineas for the walk-over, and his entrance money returned, and if only two, they would get five guineas each, and their entrance money returned. Any disputes would be settled by the gentlemen who could afford to be in the stands.

No horses were to be plated (shod) by anyone but a smith that had subscribed half a guinea to the organisers. No persons would be allowed to sell any liquor on the Down unless they had subscribed one guinea. The stakes of each day for the second bell horse, etc. The winning horse, etc., of the first day not to start for the second purse.

There were back sword contests in the Market Place on Tuesday before the races and on Friday after the races, and there will be a Ball each night of the races in the Town Hall.

1. G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume I, page 63. Hereinafter cited as The Complete Peerage.

Local Stallion "Wilks"

Bath Chronicle 22nd March 1770

"Breeding to cover this season, the bay horse “Wilks” (1st Season) at 1guin &2s 6d (list of pedigree & races won) at Bradford, Wilts"

The one guinea fee was a fee per mare that was covered. The 2s 6d was for the services of the stud groom. The leading stallions at this time could attract up to 20 guineas.

Bath Chronicle 12th April 1770

"Now in the hands of Mosses Butler, and to cover this season, at Marshfield in the County of Gloucester, the beautiful high bred running horse, Young Babraham. He is a bright chestnut, with a Blaze down his face, full 15 hands and an inch high, and master of 16 stone after the fleetest hounds in the kingdom. And to encourage all gentlemen breeders, he will cover this season at so low a price as on guinea a mare, and half a crown the groom; the money to be paid the first time of covering.

Young Babraham was bred by the Marquis of Tavistock, and got by Alcides, his dam by Blaze, his Grandam by Old Partner, his great Grandam by Old Babraham, and his great great Grandam by the Godolphin Arabian. He is allowed by good judges of the Turf to be the highest bred horse that has covered in these parts for many years past; his pedigree is perfect and true. He broke down at four years old in his training by an accident; is now only 5 years old, and this is the first year of his covering.

He shall run any horse within twenty miles of Bristol or Bath, for 50 or a 100 guineas, that has been kept as a covering Stallion, and is kept as a stallion now at this time.

He will be at the Old Bear in Bradford every Monday, at the Lord's Arms in Westbury every other Tuesday; at the White Lion in Frome every other Wednesday; at the Wool Pack in Trowbridge every other Saturday; and at home every Sunday. He will likewise be at Melksham every other Tuesday; at Steeple Ashton every other Wednesday; at Devizes every other Thursday; and at the Pelican in Walcot street, Bath, every other Saturday, during the Season."

The Marquess of Tavistock

If the pedigree given for Young Babraham is true, it is indeed reasonably impressive. His supposed breeder, Francis Russell, Marquess of Tavistock (27 September 1739 – 22 March 1767), was the eldest son of the 4th Duke of Bedford. Lord Tavistock died in 1767 after falling from his horse while out hunting, and his eldest son succeeded as Duke of Bedford four years later. Lord Tavistock's early death and the injury that interrupted his training may account for the horse ending up at Butler's establishment. The stallion Alcides was by Babraham, a son of the Godolphin Arabian, one of the three famous foundation stallions of the thoroughbred horse who Butler claims as a descendant on the dam side as well. 

The Godolphin Arabian, by George Stubbs

Bath Chronicle 31st May 1770

"The Public having been greatly imposed upon by an advertisement inserted by Mr Moses Butler, of Marshfield that his horse Babraham should run with any stallion that covers within 20 miles of Bath or Bristol for 100 guineas - The proprietor of Wilks (though Mr Butler and his horse are alike unworthy notice) in justice to the public and to prevent their being any longer deluded by his puffs in the newspapers, takes this method to inform them that he has given Mr Butler a challenge to run with him at any time or place, and for any sum he should appoint; but Mr Butler has been so prudent as to refuse accepting the said challenge, knowing it would be only exposing himself, and giving many people an opportunity of feeling and knowing the horse, which, though now puffed off with a fine name and pedigree, was largely given away as a horse of no value, and not worthy keeping, and was since bought by Mr Butler.

Wilks will be at the White Lion, Bath, on Saturday the 2nd of June, and at Trowbridge Saturday the 9th."

Interestingly, Wilk's connections do not challenge Butler's pedigree but support the view of a well-bred horse rejected by its breeder. Whether as is implied this rejection was based on poor performance or whether the problem was the injury claimed by Butler we do not know.

Bath Chronicle April 25 1771

"To be Sold.

At Mr Samuel White's, at Bradford Wilts, the noted high bred horse Wilks. His pedigree and performance are too well know to need a further recital. He is now ten years old, and has covered only one season."

First well documented race meetings in Bath

William Capell

In his racing calendar, John Cheny (1727–1750) carries details of the first well-documented race meeting in Bath on the 25th of September 1728. The meeting took place on Claverton Down when William Capell, 3rd Earl of Essex’s horse Smiling Ball, beat three other horses over three four-mile heats, coming first in all of them for a prize of 50 guineas.

Smiling Ball, we learn from "The Turf Register and Sportsman & Breeder's Stud-book" by William Pick, had been bred by Mr Gaze of Lincolnshire and sold to the Earl of Essex.

Smiling Ball’s sire was bred by Sir Matthew Peirson, Bart and got by Old Merlin out of a dam bred by Mr Curwen, got by his Bay Barb; grandam by the Curwen Old Spot, out of a daughter of Lord D’Arcy’s Woodcock.

At Newmarket, in April 1728, Smiling Ball, carrying 9st, beat Lord Gower’s Miss Wilkins, carrying 8st 7lb over four miles for a prize of 200gs. Incredibly, only three hours after that race, and carrying 7 st, he beat Lord Halifax’s Partner, by Jigg, carrying 9 st over a four-mile course, thus winning the Earl another 200gs.

He won 80gs at Stamford, beating Mr Bertie’s Ladythigh; walked over for 50gs at Oxford; his next race was the meeting at Bath,

After Bath, he went north and won the Gold Cup, valued 50gs at Warwick, beating Mr Cole’s Singlepeeper and Mr Howe’s Lampire.

So, in a single year, he won his owner 710gs worth or approximately £65,000 at today's values. This, of course, does not include His Lordship's winnings at the betting post.

In 1729, he won £50 carrying 10st at Guilford, beating Lord Onslow’s Singlepeeper and Mr Bennet’s Bumper. He then won another Gold Cup, value 50gs at Andover and £30 at Grantham, beating Mr Heneage’s Whitenose and three others; 40gs at Leicester; and 10gs at Epsom.

At stud, he sire several notable horses, including Mr Mewburn’s Smiling Ball, Sir Harry Harpur’s Darling, Mr Shaw’s Ploughman, Mr Barker’s Venture, Mr Arundale’s Fancy, Lord March’s Roderick Random, and several others.

The other horses in the race were:

Mr Kirby's Black horse Collier
Rev. Mr Thorpe's Chestnut gelding Frostyface

In Bath, we have another record of racing on the 1st and 2nd November 1728 featuring two races, one for six horses over three four-mile heats for 20 guineas won by Mr Longton’s unnamed grey horse. The second race was for Galloway’s and was won by Mr Proctor’s grey mare Northern-Nancy.

Newspaper reports of Bath Races July 1817

The July meeting on Lansdown was run over two days, Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd.and was reported to be a great success. The ancillary entertainments, such as the special balls and ordinaries, were well attended.

"Our races have this year greatly increased in celebrity as double the number of running horses appeared on the Down than had been seen there for several years since. The company on both days was numerous, especially on Thursday."

On Wednesday, the proceedings started when Mr Dundas's horse was matched against Mr Calley's Shrog over one mile for a 100gs stake. Mr Calley's horse failed to start.

Next came a sweepstakes of 25gs a horse entered. Six horses were named, but only three started, and in what the Bath Chronicle described as "An excellent race" the prize went to Mr Tomes, the owner of the winner Duplicate.

In the 100gs match that followed, Mr Jone's Fatima beat Mr Dundas's Pyramus.

A sweepstake followed with a 5gs subscription plus £50 in added money from the "Racing Fund". 27 horses were named for this, but only 11 actually raced. The horse that crossed the line first was Mr Bamfyldes Bullrush, but as he had run the wrong side of one of the posts marking the course, the stakes were given to Mr West as the owner of the second horse, Bulgarian.

The day's sport ended with the Country Members £50 plate run over 3, probably mile, heats and won by Sir T Cope's Buffalo.

On Thursday, "the expectation of fine weather drew together a great concourse of spectators, particularly of females;"

The day's amusements started with a race for a Gold Cup worth 100gs. Thirteen owners paid 10gs to enter, and the race, which was run over 3 miles, was won by Mr King's horse Gainsborough.

Next came the City Members' £50 plate run over 3 heats and, won by Mr Farquharson's Grey Marquis.

This race was not intended to be the last of the meeting, "but about noon a heavy and incessant rain terminated the pleasures of the scene, and afforded another instance of the uncertainty of all sublunary enjoyments! The greater part of the assembly retreated to the adjacent booths, which were in a short time so thronged that numbers were compelled to creep for a temporary shelter under the coaches, waggons, &co that remained stationary. These vehicles, however, afforded them but little service, since they were very shortly put in requisition to convey homeward those who chose to purchase a disagreeable ride at a high rate: three females were contented to take their journey in the boot of a stage-coach; and many were even deprived of this convenience, and rode home in waggons and carts. But the groups of poor female pedestrians exhibited scenes at once calculated to excite risibility and pity: some had lost their shoes in the mud; and the whole appeared as though they had literally waded thro’ a river: while the exposure of delicate legs and ankles drew from some barbarous spectators many curious remarks!"

Despite this disastrous ending, "a considerable subscription" was raced towards organising the races in 1818, for which Col. Tynte was appointed steward.

Charles Tynte by Andrew Plimer

Col. Charles Tynte lived at Halsewell House, Somerset and Kevanmably Glamorganshire and was a colonel of the West Somerset Cavalry.

Halsewell House Cira 1830

Races of 1817 a business opportunity

Races were major events attracting large crowds and money. This advert shows how businesses would seek to divert some of this money to their venture. This touring showman has created an exhibition commemorating the Bombardment of Algiers, an event which took place the previous year.

The Bombardment was an attempt by Britain to end the slavery practices of the Dey of Algiers. An Anglo-Dutch fleet under the command of Admiral Lord Exmouth bombarded ships and the harbour defences of Algiers.

Although there was a continuing campaign by various European and American navies to suppress the piracy against Europeans by the North African Barbary states, the specific aim of this expedition was to free Christian slaves and to stop the practice of enslaving Europeans. To this end, it was partially successful as the Dey of Algiers freed around 3,000 slaves following the bombardment and signed a treaty against the slavery of Europeans. However, this slavery did not end entirely until the European conquest of Africa.

Racing in Bath in 1733

According to John Cheny's "An historical list of all horse-matches run, and of all plates and prizes run for in England and Wales (of the value of ten pounds or upwards) in 1733", there was racing in Bath on both the 17th and 18th October 1733 probably on Claverton Down.

On the 17th, the race was for a purse of £20 guineas over two heats carrying 11 stone. The result of both heats was the same with Mr Howe's horse Fox-hunter coming first, Mr Leman's grey gelding Fox-hunter coming second and Mr Try's grey mare Crop coming third.

On the 18th the horses raced were Galloways. The Galloway breed is now extinct, they take their name from the area of Scotland where they were first bred. The were sturdy beasts which rarely exceeded 14 hands.

The Galloways raced over two heats and were handicapped by age. Again both heats produced the same result with The Ratcatcher's Mare beating Mr Figg's chestnut horse Bald-Galloway.