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Highflyer (horse)
Encyclopedia
Highflyer was an undefeated Thoroughbred
racehorse and a very successful and influential sire of the 18th century.
, one of the foundation stallions for the classic Thoroughbred, and himself an excellent racehorse and stud, producing Florizel
(b.c. 1768) and Woodpecker (ch.c. 1773). His dam, Rachel (1763) was by Blank, and out of a mare by Regulus
, both stallions by the Godolphin Arabian
, making Rachel inbred 2x3 to the great stallion. Blank also sired Pacolet (1763). Highflyer was a half-brother to Mark Anthony (b c 1767 Spectator) who sired the Epsom Derby
winner Aimwell.
. The Arabian influence could still be seen in him, having a light overall build, with a small, refined, slightly dished head, an arched neck, short back, relatively flat croup, and high-set tail. His abilities on the track could have been foreseen in his very muscular hindquarters, sloping shoulder, and deep barrel.
son, Dictator.
In 1779, he won an additional two races before Lord Bolingbroke accepted an offer from Richard Tattersall, who bought the colt for 2,500 pounds. Highflyer continued to race, winning with a walk over at Nottingham and in York at the Great Subscription Stakes. He then won the Great Subscription Stakes for a second time, before winning the King's Purse at Lichfield. He finished his racing career undefeated in 14 race starts.
as he could, breed them to breed Highflyer, and sell them on in-foal. This combined the blood of Herod
and Eclipse
to produce some excellent racehorses who would form the basis of the modern Thoroughbred. Estimates have found that Tattersall made at least 15,000 pounds each year off of Highflyer breedings, from which he build a mansion at aptly named it Highflyer Hall.
However, Tattersall was quick to credit the stallion with his financial success. When Highflyer died on 18 October 1793, he was buried in his paddock, and his owner gave the great horse the epitaph: "Here lieth the perfect and beautiful symmetry of the much lamented Highflyer, by whom and his wonderful offspring the celebrated Tattersall acquired a noble fortune, but was not ashamed to acknowledge it."
Highflyer was the Leading Sire
for 15 years (1785–1796, 1798), during which time he produced 469 winners, including three Derby winners, three St. Leger winners, and an Epsom Oaks
winner.
Other sons of Highflyer include Pharamond, Slope, Walnut, Sour-Crout, and St. George. His daughters also became the dams of Meteora, Coelia, N.M.B.O., Dick Andrews, Orville, Paulowitz, Cervantes, Sancho, Oscar, and Bedford. The Highflyer-Eclipse combination produced Skyscraper, Lambinos, St. George, Volante, and Oberon.
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse and a very successful and influential sire of the 18th century.
Breeding
Bred by Sir Charles Bunbury, the fifth Baronet, the colt was foaled at Great Barton, in 1774. Highflyer's sire was the important HerodHerod (horse)
Herod , formerly King Herod, later shortened to just Herod in common usage, was a Thoroughbred racehorse. He was one of the three foundation sires of the modern Thoroughbred racehorse, along with Matchem and Eclipse...
, one of the foundation stallions for the classic Thoroughbred, and himself an excellent racehorse and stud, producing Florizel
Florizel
Florizel was a Thoroughbred racehorse.Florizel was a good sire, producing 175 winners who won a total of 75,901 pounds. Offspring included Eager , Tartar , Ninety-Three , Brilliant, Diomed , Ulysses, Moustrap, and Admiral...
(b.c. 1768) and Woodpecker (ch.c. 1773). His dam, Rachel (1763) was by Blank, and out of a mare by Regulus
Regulus (horse)
Regulus was an undefeated Thoroughbred racehorse stallion foaled in 1739. He was bred in England by Lord Chedworth.Regulus was by the Godolphin Arabian, his dam, the noted Grey Robinson, by the Bald Galloway, Sister To Old Country Wench by Snake, out of Old Grey Wilkes, a daughter of Old...
, both stallions by the Godolphin Arabian
Godolphin Arabian
The Godolphin Arabian , also known as the Godolphin Barb, was an Arabian horse who was one of three stallions that were the founders of the modern Thoroughbred horse racing bloodstock...
, making Rachel inbred 2x3 to the great stallion. Blank also sired Pacolet (1763). Highflyer was a half-brother to Mark Anthony (b c 1767 Spectator) who sired the Epsom Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
winner Aimwell.
Conformation
Highflyer was a bay stallion with a sock on a hind pasternPastern
The pastern is a part of the leg of a horse between the fetlock and the top of the hoof. It incorporates the long pastern bone and the short pastern bone , which are held together by two sets of paired ligaments to form the pastern joint...
. The Arabian influence could still be seen in him, having a light overall build, with a small, refined, slightly dished head, an arched neck, short back, relatively flat croup, and high-set tail. His abilities on the track could have been foreseen in his very muscular hindquarters, sloping shoulder, and deep barrel.
Race career
Highflyer began his racing career at a time when the trend was shifting from starting Thoroughbreds at the track at age five, to instead begin racing them at a younger age. His maiden race was in October, in a two mile event for three-year-olds at Newmarket, which he won. He returned to Newmarket the following year, beating out the four-year-olds in both the July and October meet, before winning an open stakes, as well as a match against the MatchemMatchem
Matchem was a Thoroughbred racehorse who had a great influence on the breed, and was the earliest of three 18th century stallions that produced the Thoroughbred sire-lines of today, in addition to Eclipse and Herod...
son, Dictator.
In 1779, he won an additional two races before Lord Bolingbroke accepted an offer from Richard Tattersall, who bought the colt for 2,500 pounds. Highflyer continued to race, winning with a walk over at Nottingham and in York at the Great Subscription Stakes. He then won the Great Subscription Stakes for a second time, before winning the King's Purse at Lichfield. He finished his racing career undefeated in 14 race starts.
Stud record
Tattersall's grand plan for Highflyer was built to make him rich, and it certainly accomplished its task. It rested on two main points. First, Tattersall would breed Highflyer to as many mares as possible, bringing in income from the stud fee (a practice for which he was criticised, as many thought he was over-breeding the animal and later pointed to Highflyer's death at 19 to be proof of that fact). To help accomplish this, he stood his stallion at his Red Barns farm for the initial fee of 15 guineas, eventually raising the fee to 50 guineas. His second tactic was to buy up as many daughters of EclipseEclipse (horse)
Eclipse was an outstanding, undefeated 18th-century British Thoroughbred racehorse who was later a phenomenal success as a sire.-Breeding:...
as he could, breed them to breed Highflyer, and sell them on in-foal. This combined the blood of Herod
Herod (horse)
Herod , formerly King Herod, later shortened to just Herod in common usage, was a Thoroughbred racehorse. He was one of the three foundation sires of the modern Thoroughbred racehorse, along with Matchem and Eclipse...
and Eclipse
Eclipse (horse)
Eclipse was an outstanding, undefeated 18th-century British Thoroughbred racehorse who was later a phenomenal success as a sire.-Breeding:...
to produce some excellent racehorses who would form the basis of the modern Thoroughbred. Estimates have found that Tattersall made at least 15,000 pounds each year off of Highflyer breedings, from which he build a mansion at aptly named it Highflyer Hall.
However, Tattersall was quick to credit the stallion with his financial success. When Highflyer died on 18 October 1793, he was buried in his paddock, and his owner gave the great horse the epitaph: "Here lieth the perfect and beautiful symmetry of the much lamented Highflyer, by whom and his wonderful offspring the celebrated Tattersall acquired a noble fortune, but was not ashamed to acknowledge it."
Highflyer was the Leading Sire
Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland
The list below shows the leading sire of racehorses in Great Britain and Ireland for each year since 1751. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the season.----- References :* -See also:...
for 15 years (1785–1796, 1798), during which time he produced 469 winners, including three Derby winners, three St. Leger winners, and an Epsom Oaks
Epsom Oaks
The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early June....
winner.
- Delpini: 1781 grey colt, out of a Blank mare (he was 3x2 inbred to Blank). His best get included two Oaks winners (Scotia and Theophania), a St. Leger winner (Symmetry), the stallions Evander, Seymour, and Timothy, and the daughter Zara.
- Diamond: 1792 brown colt, out of a MatchemMatchemMatchem was a Thoroughbred racehorse who had a great influence on the breed, and was the earliest of three 18th century stallions that produced the Thoroughbred sire-lines of today, in addition to Eclipse and Herod...
daughter, his many wins included the 1796 Jockey Club Stakes, Newcastle's King's Plate, the King's Plate at Newmarket First October and King's Plate at Newmarket First Spring, the four-mile Oxford Cup, the King's Plate at Nottingham, a 1,000 guineas match against Shuttle, and the Jockey Club Plate at Newmarket. He also finished second in the two-mile Great Produce Stakes at York, forth in the Derby. - Eliza: 1791 bay filly, out of an Eclipse mare, won the Town Plate (Newmarket), a Produce Stakes (York), the four-mile Richmond Cup, 2nd in the Oaks and in the Craven Stakes (Newmarket), third in the four-mile Doncaster CupDoncaster CupThe Doncaster Cup is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 2 miles and 2 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September....
and Doncaster Stakes. Produced Scud (Doncaster winner, sired two Derby and one Oaks winners) and the dam to Consul (winner of the Doncaster Cup). - Escape: sired the mare Flight, who was second dam of both BirdcatcherBirdcatcherBirdcatcher , or Irish Birdcatcher, was a good Thoroughbred racehorse and a leading sire.-Breeding:Foaled in 1833 at the Brownstown Stud, in Ireland, Birdcatcher was by the Irish Thoroughbred stallion Sir Hercules, who lost only once at St. Leger in 1829. Birdcatcher's dam, Guiccioli, who had a...
and Faugh-a-BallaghFaugh-a-BallaghFaugh-a-Ballagh was a Thoroughbred racehorse. A brother to Birdcatcher, Faugh-a-Ballagh was sold to E. J. Erwin in 1842. He ran once as a two-year-old at the Doncaster's Champagne Stakes, finishing third to The Cure and Sorella. He then began his three-year-old season as the first Irish-bred horse...
. - Grey Highflyer: 1782 grey filly, out of a Matchem mare (1), was the dam of Hambletonian.
- Huncamunca: 1787 brown filly, produced Champion (won the Derby and St. Leger), second dam of the Oaks winners, Maid of Orleans and Charlotte, and third-dam of Mameluke (Derby winner)
- Maria: 1791 bay filly, dam to Champignon (winner of the Ascot Gold Cup)
- Noble: 1783 bay colt, won the 1786 Epsom Derby
- Omphale: 1781 bay mare, won the 1784 St. Leger
- Prunella: 1788 bay filly, out of a Snap mare, dam of Derby-winner Waxy Pope (by Waxy), Oaks winner Pelisse (by Whiskey), and Penelope (by Trumpator)
- Rockingham: 1781 bay colt, out of a Matchem daughter, produced Castianira (dam of the American sire Sir ArchySir ArchySir Archy was an American Thoroughbred racehorse.-Early life:Born and bred in Virginia by two Americans, Capt. Archibald Randolph and Col. John Tayloe III, Sir Archy's sire was the Epsom Derby winner Diomed, who had been imported from England as an older horse...
(by DiomedDiomedDiomed, foaled in 1777, was an English-bred Thoroughbred race horse who won the inaugural running of the Epsom Derby and was subsequently a successful sire in the United States of America.-Bright Beginnings:...
) - Sir Peter TeazleSir Peter TeazleSir Peter Teazle was a good British bred Thoroughbred racehorse, a Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland nine times, and carried on the sire line of Herod.- Breeding :...
: 1784 brown colt, out of a Snap mare, was his best son. He won 16 races during his life, including the Derby in 1787. He then followed the way of Highflyer, becoming Leading SireLeading sire in Great Britain & IrelandThe list below shows the leading sire of racehorses in Great Britain and Ireland for each year since 1751. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the season.----- References :* -See also:...
for several years (1799–1802, 1804–1809), and siring five Derby winners, four St. Leger winners, and two Oaks winners, as well as many other very important colts and fillies who had a lasting impact on the breed. - Skyscraper: 1786 bay colt, won the 1789 Epsom Derby
- Spadille: won the 1787 St. Leger
- Traveller: 1785 bay colt, a good racehorse winning the four-mile Stand Plate, the Great Subscription Purse at York, and matches against Grey Diomed and Meteor (by Eclipse).
- Volante: won the 1792 Oaks
- Unknown "Eagle's Dam": 1785 bay filly, produced Spread Eagle and Didelot (both won the Derby), and the sire Eagle who was imported to the US.
- Young Flora: won the 1788 St. Leger
Other sons of Highflyer include Pharamond, Slope, Walnut, Sour-Crout, and St. George. His daughters also became the dams of Meteora, Coelia, N.M.B.O., Dick Andrews, Orville, Paulowitz, Cervantes, Sancho, Oscar, and Bedford. The Highflyer-Eclipse combination produced Skyscraper, Lambinos, St. George, Volante, and Oberon.