"Amongst the nine that started for the Craven Stakes were, as is always the case, some horses of great note; and, though not equal in number to former years, they were quite so in qualifications. Fleur-de-Lis was first favorite [sic] at very little odds [5 to 4 against], and early in the race took the situation her backers expected. Thirty yards from home she seemed to have made victory her own, being a neck first at the very best pace, followed by Amphion, who ran a good horse; and after him Zinganee, rode by Chifney, about a neck from the second; when, by one of those astonishing efforts bordering on impossibility, Chifney passed Amphion, and, to complete the wonder, beat Fleur-de-Lis a "short head" (the Judge's words). Arthur Pavis rode her, some said not well (losers, I suppose). I, however, thought otherwise, but at the same time, cannot applaud the judgment of His Majesty's managers, who put upon her the lightest jockey in Newmarket, who had in consequence to carry at least three stone of dead weight."
The Craven Stakes is named after William Craven, 6th Baron Craven, a member of the Jockey Club. His support for racing at Newmarket led to the introduction of the Craven Meeting in 1771.
This particular running was a 10-sovereign subscription race for horses of any age. Ten owners entered horses, so the prize money amounted to 60 sovereigns. This amounts to nearly 440 grammes of 22-carat gold. Today, that amount of gold would sell for about £11,000.
The winning horse was owned by William Chifney, a Newmarket trainer and ridden by his brother Samuel Chifney. They were sons of the famous Samuel Chifney, the eighteenth-century jockey who rode for the Prince of Wales. Both Samuel Senior and Junior were famous for the "Chifney Rush", holding horses back until the last few yards and then overtaking the opposition.
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| Bay colt Zinganee held by jockey Sam Chifney Jr. with his brother William Chifney, c.1829 |
Zinganee, who started at 3 to 1 against was a 3-year-old bay colt by Tramp out of a mare called Folly by Young Drone.
Later that year, in June the by then George IV started buying horses principally with a view to winning the Ascot Cup, which was run in late June. The Chifney brothers offered him Zinganee, but he refused, and the horse was sold to Lord Chesterfield two hours before the start of the Ascot Cup and went on to win, much to the King's annoyance.
The King's behaviour may be explained by the fact that in 1802, William had seriously assaulted Colonel Leigh (then the manager of the Prince’s stud) in the High Street, in front of the Jockey Club. The assault was provoked by the Colonel's role in the Escape affair, which had begun his father's downfall.
It seems from the Sporting Magazine's report that the King had attempted to win the Craven Stakes by buying the favourite Fleur-de-Lis from the Mr Delme-Radcliffe, under whose name she had been entered. Fleur-de-Lis was a 6-year-old bay mare by Bourbon out of Lady Rachel by Stamford. As a six-year-old Fleur-de-Lis who has been required by the rules of the race to carry 9st 9lbs so, the jockey chosen by His Majesty's advisors must have weighed only 6st 9lbs.
