Babraham b c 1738 (Godolphin Arabian - Sachrissa, by Hartley's Blind Horse). Sire Line Godolphin Arabian. Family 15.

A bay colt with a snip and two white hind feet, he was bred by Lord Godolphin, and considered to be one of the best sons of the Godolphin Arabian. In the Godolphin stud book MS he is recorded as a bay colt foaled on "March ye 20th" with a "snip & two white feett behind" [Royal Studs:146]. Described as a fine, strong horse standing 16 hands, his height was so exceptional that the General Stud Book made note of it.

Purchased in 1744 by the Duke of Beaufort and later by Benjamin Rogers of Mickleham, near Epsom, Surrey, his turf career was unremarkable, although it should be noted that he raced and covered mares in the same years. He defeated such horses as Wafer, Bustard, Old England, Sutton and Little Drover.

From 1747 to 1756 he covered at Mr Rogers's stud in Mickleham, Surrey, with a fee as high as 5 gs. Moving north in 1757 to Milford, near Tadcaster, Yorkshire, his fee rose to 10gs. He produced a number of good sons, including Babraham Blank (b c 1758), Bosphorus (br c 1754) and Cardinal Puff (gr c 1760). In America he was represented by Young Babraham* (b c 1760), Genius* (b c 1753), Hob-or-Nob* (b c 1751), Juniper* (b c 1752) and Shadow* (b c 1759).

His daughters would prove invaluable. All of Family 46 and Family 55, most of Family 27, and a fair percentage of Family 5 descend from unnamed Babraham Mares. Red Rose (f 1760) is the ancestress of many notable performers in Family 31.

Babraham died at North Milford in 1760.

Pedigree

Babraham Godolphin Arabian             Sachrissa Hartley's Blind Horse Holderness Turk Milbanke's Makeless Mare Flying Whigg Woodstock Arabian Points

Race Record

In May of 1746 at Newmarket Mr Pembroke's (later Mr Parson's) Babraham lost a 200gs race over 4 miles to Mr Martindale's [Ancaster] Starling (gr c 1738 Bolton Starling). In August at Reading, Berkshire, Babraham won £50 winning both heats.

In June of 1747 at Guilford, Surrey, Mr Rogers's Babraham won a £50 plate for horses who had never won a King's Plate, in 1 heat. In July at Salisbury he finished 2nd in a £50 plate for horses who had never won a King's Plate, in 1 heat, won by Mr Panton's Bustard (gr c 1741 Crab). In September of 1747 at Windsor, Berkshire, he won £50, beating in 2 heats Mr Prentis's Wafer.

In April of 1748 at Newmarket he finished 2nd in a race for 50gs to Mr Haydon's Bajazet (b c 1740 Godolphin Arabian). In July at Nottingham he finished 2nd in a Fifty for horses who had never won a King's Plate to Lord Leigh's Charming Molly (br f 1742 Whitefoot). In August at Oxford he won the 80gs Ladies Purse (ran 3 1 1), beating Mr Panton's Bustard (gr c 1741 Crab) and Sir W W Wynn's Old England (b c 1741 Godolphin Arabian). In September at Burford, Oxfordshire, he ran 3 2 in a Fifty for horses who had never won a Royal Plate to Mr Dutton's Rat (bl g 1741 Hobgoblin), defeating Lord Robert Manners's Skewball and Mr Grisewood's Trifle (gr c 1738 Fox).

In September of 1749 he won a Fifty at Lambourn, Berkshire, beating Mr Grevill's Sultan (b c 1741 Godolphin Arabian) in 2 heats. Also in September he won (1 1) a Fifty for horses who had never won a King's Plate at Burford, beating 7 others.

Notable Offspring

Aimwell (GB) gr c 1750 (Babraham - Mare, by Fawkener's Grey Turk). Sire Line Godolphin Arabian. Family 6. Owned by Mr Pembroke, he won a £50 maiden Plate at Chipping-Norton in 1754, beating Mr Bowles's Lady Ann and Mr Snell's Prospero in three heats. The following October he won 40 guineas defeating Mr Rogers's Bald Galloway (Young Cartouch) at Newmarket, conceding him four stone over the Beacon Course. Alcides (GB) b c 1753 (Babraham - Sister to Torismond, by Bolton Starling). Sire Line Godolphin Arabian. Family 4. Bred by James Lenox Dutton, he was later sold to Jenison Shafto of West Wratting, near Newmarket. In April of 1759, he won 200 guineas at Newmarket, beating Mr Wynn's Lottery (Legacy) over the Beacon Course. Starting for Mr Shafto in October he won 300 guineas at Newmarket, beating Lord Rockingham's Brilliant over the Beacon Course. In April of 1760 at Newmarket he collected a 500 guineas forfeit from Sir James Lowther's Whisk (Cade). He retired to stud in North Yorkshire, where his best known daughter, Alcides Mare (gr f 1764) was the 3rd dam of the St Leger winner Hambletonian (b c 1792 King Fergus). Babraham Blank (GB) b c 1758 (Babraham - Sister to Blank, by Godolphin Arabian). Sire Line Godolphin Arabian. Family 15. Bred by Sir John Dutton and later owned by Sir James Lowther, he started only once. In October of 1762 he placed 4th in a 200 guineas each sweepstakes at Newmarket won by Lord Northumberland's Boldface (br c 1758 Regulus). Described as standing nearly fifteen hands, he was strong, big-boned and free from any natural blemish. Inbred 2x2 to the Godolphin Arabian, he was purchased for a stallion by Sir Joseph Pennington and stood at Warter Hall, near Pocklington, Yorkshire. His fee varied from free (1769) to 20 guineas. In the stud he got a number of good runners, including Don Carlos (b c 1769) and Hazard (b c 1771) as well as the useful stallions Carbuncle (ch c 1772), sire of Jenny Mole (b f 1787), the 2nd dam of Dr Syntax (br c 1811 Paynator), and Bay Richmond* (b c 1771). His daughter Babraham Blank Mare was the 2nd dam of Miss Muston (b f 1790 King Fergus), a matron in Family 9-a. Bosphorus (GB) br c 1754 (Babraham - Mare, by Hampton Court Childers). Sire Line Godolphin Arabian. Family 21. Owned by Richard Stamford, he won four Fifties as a five year old, seven Royal Plates as a six year old, two matches, and several Fifties as an aged horse. His dam only produced one other foal, an untrained filly who was sent Ireland for a brood mare. He was thought to be as good weight carrier at twelve stone as any in his time. He was later in the stud for Mr Haswell at Epsom, Surrey, and said to be a sure foal getter and likely to get runners, hunters and coach horses. Despite his very limited mare book and also that few of his offspring were trained he got a number of good quality racers. In the stud Bosphorus Mare was the dam of the stallions Pegasus (ch c 1784 Eclipse) and Brush (b c 1785 Eclipse), and the 3rd dam of both the famous American stallion Sir Archy (b c 1805 Diomed) and the Goodwood Cup winner Shoestrings (ch f 1808 Teddy the Grinder). Genius (GB)* b c 1753 (Babraham - Aura, by Stamford Turk). Sire Line Godolphin Arabian. Family 9-a. Bred by Anthony Keck, he was a full-brother to Juniper*. In 1758 he won a £50 Maiden Plate at Stratford upon Avon, beating Mr Quick's Silverlocks and five others in three heats. In 1759 he won the King's Plate at Salisbury, beating the Duke of Ancaster's Contest in three heats. He won one of two heats from Dormouse in the King's Plate at Guildford, after which he retired from the turf on account of his failing tendons. Although he is recorded in the American Stud Book as having been imported into New York the English literature makes no mention of his export. In either case he doesn't appear to have left any offspring. Hob-or-Nob (GB)* b c 1751 (Babraham - unknown mare). Sire Line Godolphin Arabian. Hon-or-Nob was incorrectly entered in the American Stud Book as a son of Goliah, however, a certificate for his son King Alfred notes that his sire was Babraham. Owned in England by Mr Reynolds, he ran from 1755 to 1759 (winning £50 at Tetbury in 1756 and £50 at Cirencester in 1757). Sent to Virginia in 1760, he stood from 1761 to 1766 at Archibald Cary's Ampthill stud in Chesterfield County and in 1767 at Seth Ward's, also in Chesterfield County. He left two good daughters, Cary's Hob-or-Nob Mare, 2nd dam of Piccadilla (ch f c1784) a matron in Family A18, and Hob-or-Nob Mare, dam of the stallion Grey Alfred (gr c 1780 Lindsey's Arabian*), whose daughter, Grey Alfred Mare, was a foundation mare of Family A6. Juniper (GB)* b c 1752 (Babraham - Aura, by Stamford Turk). Sire Line Godolphin Arabian. Family 9-a. Bred by Anthony Keck, he was later owned by Richard Gorge. He was described as standing fifteen hands one inch, "very handsome and perfectly sound." In 1756 he won a £50 Maiden Plate at Burford, beating Lord Craven's Chaunter and two others. Starting for Mr Gorge in 1757 he won £50 at Ascot Heath, beating Mr Humphrey's Snake (Whitenose) and Lord Portmore's Steady (Cartouch) in three two-mile heats. He then collected a premium for not starting at Rumford. At Worcester he won £50, beating Mr Brooke's Rainbow and Mr Dutton's Nicodemus, and 50 guineas at Ludlow, beating Mr Moore's chestnut mare. In 1758 he won £50 at Winchester, beating Mr Vernon's Cream of Tartar, followed by £50 at Worcester, beating Mr Hall's Venom, Mr Snell's Marcellus and two others. Later at Oxford he won £50, beating Mr Stuart's Hartley, Lord Craven's Chaunter and two others. At Stockbridge he also won £50, beating Sir Edward Hale's Juba (Babraham). In April of 1759 he won £50 at Newmarket, beating Mr Meredith's Whittington, the Duke of Cumberland's Cato and Mr Panton's Captain in three heats over the Round Course. Ten days later he won £50 at Swaffham, beating Lord Waldegrave's Jack of Newberry in one heat. In June he won £50 at Winchester, beating Mr Crosby's Crabstick, and in July he won the £20 City Plate at Salisbury, beating Mr Hilliar's Tantivy, Mr Crosby's Crabstick and Lord Weymouth's Tweedale. In May of 1760 he won the Jockey Club Plate at Newmarket, worth over 100 guineas, beating Lord Rockingham's Remus and Mr Greville's Feather. He later won £50 at Stamford, beating Mr Hardy's Nothing, Lord Scarborough's Cademus and Mr Ryder's No Hopes. At Huntingdon Juniper was defeated by Mr Shafto's Squirrel, and at Lichfield by Mr Warren's Sportsman, after which he taken out of training. He was sent to Virginia in 1761 and stood the 1762 at John Syme's stud in Hanover County. From 1763 to 1765 he stood at Robert Harrison's stud in Charles City County, and from 1766 to June of 1767 at Carter Braxton's in King William County, both in Virginia. He went to Maryland in 1767 where he stood at Horatio Sharpe's Whitehall Stud in Anne Arundel County before moving on to Pennsylvania for the 1768 and 1769 seasons which he spent at J Hiltzheimer's stud. Although he was bred to several fine mares his most notable offspring was Juniper Mare, 11th dam of Foxhall (b c 1878 King Alfonso). Shadow (GB)* [ex-Vizier] b c 1759 (Babraham - Sister to Perseus, by Bolton Starling). Sire Line Godolphin Arabian. Family 19. Bred in Yorkshire by Edward Rookes Leedes, he later ran for Lord Northumberland and the Duke of Kingston. A half-brother to Bolton* (b c 1760 Leedes' Chub) he was sent to South Carolina in 1767. He raced there for E Fenwick from 1768 to 1770, winning the prestigious Charles Town Plate in 1770, defeating several colts by Brutus* (ro c 1748 Regulus). He went to stud in South Carolina where he remained until 1780, then moved along to Virginia, standing there until 1783. He left no stock that bred on, however, his offspring were somewhat successful on the turf and described as speedy and stout. Most of his offspring were probably drafted into the Revolution. Young Babraham (GB)* b c 1760 (Babraham - Mare, by Second). Sire Line Godolphin Arabian. Family 4. Bred by in Yorkshire by Edward Rookes Leedes of North Milford, he was a full-brother to the very successful runner Milford. His pedigree is incorrectly entered in the American Stud Book, which traces him to Miss Darcy's Pet Mare, whereas instead he traces to Croft's Pet Mare. He was never trained for racing and was apparently put to the stud as a hunter sire. He stood at North Milford until 1769 when he was sent to South Carolina. There he covered at Arthur Middleton's Ashley River stud from 1770 to 1774 and at Middleton's Goose Creek stud from 1775 to 1777. In 1778 he covered for D Horry on the Santee and in 1779 he was offered for sale, which is the last record of him. His son Mask* was exported to South Carolina along with him. Young Babraham is also thought to have sired the 4th dam of Lawrence's Diomed (Diomed*).