Whistlejacket

Sire Line

Mogul

Godolphin Arabian

Whistlejacket ch c 1749 (Mogul - Mare, by Bolton Sweepstakes). Sire Line Godolphin Arabian. Family 4.

Bred by Sir William Middleton (1700-1757), 3rd Baronet, Belsea Castle, Northumberland, he was later sold to Charles Watson-Wentworth (1730-1782), the 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, Prime Minister in the reign of King George III, who bred Allabaculia (br f 1773 Sampson), the first winner of the St Leger Stakes. He ran from 1752 to 1759, losing only four races and defeating such good horses as Jason (gr c 1749 Old Standard).

George Stubbs painted the life-size portrait (bottom) of Whistlejacket at Wentworth. He was described as a "yellow-sorrel horse with white mane and tail" and was said to have had a nearly ungovernable temper. Whilst Stubbs was inspecting his progress after a session the lad who had been holding the horse led him around allowing Whistlejacket to see his likeness which was apparently life-like enough to induce him to rear and strike at it. Lord Rockingham was said to have been so pleased with the story that he had the portrait framed and hung without further touch. George Stubbs also painted the portrait (top) of Whistlejacket with his groom Simon Cobb.

Whistlejacket retired to the Rockingham stud at Wentworth Wodehouse, near Rotherham in south Yorkshire, where he got a fair number of runners. His best daughter was Lord Ossory's Laura (ch f 1766), a superior race mare, who later became a broodmare in Sir Charles Davers's stud. She was the 2nd dam of both Lord Egremont's Expedition* [ex-Ballinamuck] (ch c 1795 Pegasus) who proved a successful stallion in America, and Lord Kinnaid's The Dandy (ch c 1807 Gohanna) who finished second to Whalebone (br c 1807 Waxy) in the Derby.

Pedigree

Whistlejacket	Mogul	Godolphin Arabian

		Sachrissa	Hartley's Blind Horse
			Flying Whigg
	Sweepstakes Mare	Bolton Sweepstakes	Bloody Shouldered Arabian
			White Mare
		Hampton Court Mare	Hampton Court Chestnut Arabian
			Sister to Brown Farewell

Race Record

In 1753 he won a £50 Maiden Plate at Stockton, beating the Duke of Cleveland's Charon (b c 1749 Philipson's Turk), and a £50 purse at Morpeth, beating Mr Shafto's Jessamy (ch c 1749 Hutton's Spot).

In 1754 he won the King's Plate at Newcastle, again beating Charon, the Great Subscription at York, beating Sir Charles Sedley's Cadena (ch f 1749 Cade), walked-over for the the King's Plate at Edinburgh, and walked-over for £50 at Morpeth.

In 1755 he won the King's Plate at Nottingham, beating Mr Grisewood's Teazer (gr c 1749 Old Teazer) and two others, the King's Plate at York, again beating Teazer, and the King's Plate at Lincoln, beating Mr Curzon's Terrible. He lost to Mr Curzon's Jason (gr c 1749 Old Standard) in the King's Plate at Newmarket.

In 1756 he won the King's Plate at Newmarket, this time vanquishing Jason who was greatly favoured, and then lost to Spectator (b c 1749 Crab) in the Jockey Club Plate.

Starting for Lord Rockingham in 1757 he won the £100 free Plate at York, beating Mr Hunt's Poor Farmer and one other.

In 1758 he defeated the Duke of Bridewater's Conqueror in a match for 200 guineas over the Beacon Course at Newmarket.

In 1759 he collected a forfeit from the Duke of Bridgewater's Brisk at Newmarket, and later in August he won 2000 guineas at York, beating Mr Turner's Brutus (b c 1752 Norris's Bolton). This match was said to have been strongly contested for the entire four miles and won by only a length. It was his final appearance on the turf.