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 a three-day meeting in September 1772 took place, 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 £50 plate, 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 tendency 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 completed in 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 pre-race intelligence severely deceived the local punters, 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 nor 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, and the loser is described as Mr Coxe's 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, bred using the stallion White Nose. This stallion appears to have been bred either by Sir William Middleton or Thomas Panton in 1742; he never raced. He was, however, remarkably successful at stud and is considered among the top ten of the Godolphin Arabian's sons.

The Godolphin Arabian, who was initially 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, an Englishman, Edward Coke, acquired him and 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 racehorses, 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 horses 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 Bird's chestnut mare, Rattle.

Mr Shepherd was probably a member of the prominent Honiton family and might well have been 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 member 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.