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King Fergus
Sire
Line
Eclipse
Marske
Squirt
Bartlet's Childers
Darley Arabian
|
King Fergus ch c 1775
(Eclipse - Creeping Polly [Tuting's], by
Othello
[Portmore's]). Sire Line King
Fergus. Family 6-x. Bred by Mr Carver, he was sold to
Dennis O'Kelly, the owner of his sire Eclipse
(ch c 1764 Marske), as a yearling. He was said
to stand sixteen hands, have excellent bone and sinews, and be well
shaped and free from blemish. He was reported to pass along to his
offspring his good size and action.
Lamed in his first trial and fired
at the age of three, he nevertheless went on to win eight races. On his
retirement from the turf, King Fergus was purchased by Mr John Croke
and his stud career commenced at the Curragh in Ireland. He was put back
into training after the season of 1784, and placed second in the Lord
Lieutenant's Plate, which was his only race there. By this time his
Irish youngsters were coming along, and subsequent to their successes,
King Fergus was returned to England in 1785, where he stood at Shipton,
near York, under the care of John Hutchinson, initially for a fee of 5
guineas which rose quickly to 10 guineas.
In the stud he got some excellent
runners, including three St Leger winners, Beningbrough (b c 1791),
Hambletonian (b c 1792) and Young Traveller (ch c 1788), of whom the
first two were also excellent stallions. In Ireland the distinguished
Honest Tom (ch c 1785), won twenty-four races, five of which were
King's Plates. Honest Tom, raced by Colonel Lumm, was said to have
beaten the best in Ireland over any course.
King Fergus was Champion Sire in
1797 and died at Boroughbridge, Yorkshire, in 1801.
| King
Fergus |
Eclipse |
Marske |
Squirt |
| Ruby
Mare |
| Spilletta |
Regulus |
| Mother Western |
| Tuting's
Creeping Polly |
Portmore's Othello |
Crab |
| Miss
Slamerkin |
| Fanny |
Tartar |
| Starling Mare |
|
| Race Record |
At 3: 2nd in a sweep for 50 guineas each at Bath, won by Mr Clarke's
Miss Wickham (b f Herod), beating two others. |
At 4: won a 500 guineas sweep at Bath in September, beating Mr Parker's Cinderwench (bl f 1775 Ancient Pistol), collected a 100 guineas
half-forfeit at Epsom from Sir C J Lade's Bett Bouncer (b f 1775
Young Snip), 3rd in a sweep of 100 guineas each at Newmarket First
Spring, won by Sir Charles Bunbury's Bounceabout (ch c 1775
Herod),
beating eight others, 3rd in the Fortescue Stakes, won by Lord
Abingdon's Lexicon (b c 1775 Marske), beating
six others. |
At 5: won a 100 guineas match at Newmarket
Second Spring from Sir J Lade's Knight Errant (b c 1774 Goldfinder), each carrying 8 stone 7
pounds over two miles, won £50 at Epsom, beating in three four-mile
heats Mr Hall's Epsom [ex-Mecaenas, Walker's] (ch c 1775
Herod),
Mr Hatton's Jugurtha (bl c Goldfinder), the Duke of Cumberland's Don
Joseph (b c 1774 Sulphur) and four others, won a 200 guineas match at
Newmarket October, beating the Duke of Cumberland's Pomona (ch f 1775
Herod)
over three miles, won a 200 guineas match, beating Lord Derby's
Guildford (b c 1775 Herod) over the Beacon
Course, won 65 guineas beating Lord Grosvenor's Truth (b c 1776
Chymist), Lord Abingdon's Flying Gib (br c 1776
Marske)
and three others over the Beacon Course, 2nd 140 guineas at Newmarket,
won by Lord Grosvenor's Pot8os (ch c 1773
Eclipse),
beating Lord Ossory's Dorimant (ch c 1772
Otho)
in spite of having lost a shoe. |
At 6: won £50 beating Mr England's Whizgig (b c 1775
Eclipse), Sir L Dundas's Prince Ferdinand (ch c 1775 Herod)
and five others over the Beacon Course, walked-over for £50 at
Newmarket, on which occasion his portrait was made, collected 100
guineas half-forfeit from General Smith's Girandola (ch c 1776 Rocket)
at Newmarket October, which was his final race in England, unplaced in
the Craven Stakes at Newmarket, won by the Hon Richard Vernon's
Woodpecker (ch c 1773 Herod), followed by Lord
Grosvenor's Whipcord (b c 1776 Herod), in a
field of fifteen. |
At 9: 2nd in the Lord Lieutenant's Plate at the Curragh, losing to
Chocolate (ch c Sweetbriar). |
| |
| Notable Offspring |
Alexina (ch f 1788), 2nd dam of
Comus (ch c 1809
Sorcerer),
who contributed to the Matchem sire
line, and 3rd dam of Champion Sire Slane (b c 1833 Royal Oak). |
Ann of the Forest (br f
1790), taproot mare of Family 5-h,
who was later sent to Russia. |
Sister to Beningbrough
(b f 1790), 2nd dam of the stallion Holbein (b c 1819 Rubens) and 2nd
dam of the Doncaster Cup winner Slender Billy (ch c 1808 Young
Woodpecker). |
Flora (ch f 1789), dam of
Hyacinthus Mare (ch f 1804), taproot of
Family
2-f. |
Johnny (b c 1794), sire of
the Ascot Gold Cup winner Master Jackey (ch c 1804). |
King Fergus Mare (b f
1790), dam of Oaks winner Scotia (gr f 1799
Delpini), the latter the
dam of July Stakes winner Joke (br f 1808 Waxy). |
Miss Muston (b f 1790),
2nd dam of Milton (b c 1813), sire of Vittoria (b f 1823), dam of
three good winners in France, Prix du Cadran winner (three times)
Nautilus (b c 1835 Cadland), Prix du Jockey Club winner Romulus (b c
1836 Cadland) and Prix de Diane winner Vergogne (b f 1846 Ibrahim).
Miss Muston was also the 3rd dam of the St Leger winner
Nutwith (b c
1840 Tomboy) and 4th dam of Maid of Masham (gr f 1845 Don John),
taproot mare of Family 9-e. |
Ormond (ch c 1789), sired
the 2nd dam of the One Thousand Guineas winner Young Mouse (b f 1826
Godolphin), who was in turn the 2nd dam of the Prix du Jockey Club
winner Potocki (br c 1854 Nunnykirk). |
Overton (b c 1788), winner
of the Doncaster Cup, and sire of the St Leger winner Cockfighter
(br c 1796). |
Tipple Cyder (ch f 1788),
taproot mare of Family 8-k, and
2nd dam of the good stallion Merlin (ch c 1815 Castrel), who sired the
Two Thousand Guineas winner Dervise (b c 1823) and the One Thousand
Guineas winner Problem (ch f 1823), the taproot mare of
Family
1-g. Merlin also sired Mustard (ch f 1824), the taproot mare of
Family
1-c. Tipple Cyder was also 2nd dam of the St Leger winner and Derby
2nd The Colonel (ch c 1825 Whisker). |
Young Traveller (ch c
1788), winner of the St Leger Stakes and Doncaster Cup. |
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