Sir Bevys
Encyclopedia
Sir Bevys was a British Thoroughbred
racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1878 to 1879 he ran six times and won two races. His most important success came in the 1879 Epsom Derby
: his only other win was in a selling race. At the end of the 1879 season he was retired to stud where he had little success.
high bred at Wytham
, Oxfordshire
by Lord Norreys
. He was sold to Lionel de Rothschild
, who used the name “Mr Acton” for his racing interests. Sir Bevys was sent into training with Rothschild’s private trainer Joseph Hayhoe at the Palace House stable at Newmarket, Suffolk.
Sir Bevys’s sire, Favonius, a male-line descendant of the Byerley Turk, had won the Derby for Meyer de Rothschild in 1871, but sired few other notable horses. His dam, Lady Langden, was an unraced half sister to the St Leger winner Caller Ou. Apart from Sir Bevys, she was notable for producing Hampton
, an outstanding stayer who became a successful and influential sire.
and a minor race Newmarket
in summer. In autumn, he returned to Newmarket and ran twice in two days. On 1 October he won a £187 selling race and on the following day he finished second to Out of Bounds in the Ditch Mile Nursery Handicap.
Sir Bevys made his 1879 debut on 28 May in the 100th Derby at Epsom
, where the large crowd included the Prince and Princess of Wales and other members of the Royal Family. The day was sunny and warm, but the ground was very soft after previous heavy rain. He started at odds of 20/1 in a field of twenty-three, with Cadogan being made the 9/2 favourite. Ridden by George Fordham
, Sir Bevys broke badly and was left many lengths behind the other runners, who were led in the early stages by Protectionaist and Caxtonian. Fordham made up the lost ground gradually and was just behind the leading group at the turn into the straight. In the last quarter mile Visconti went to the front and looked the likely winner, but Sir Bevys appeared "from goodness knows where" to take the lead and then hold off the challenge of the 100/1 outsider Palmbearer to win by three-quarters of a length. Despite the defeat of the more fancied runners, the result was a popular one, mainly on account of the winning jockey: Fordham was a veteran who had returned from illness, alcoholism and near bankuptcy to win his first Derby at the age of 41. The best contemporary explanation offered for the upset, apart from the generally low quality of the race, was that Sir Bevys was the only horse to cope successfully with the very heavy conditions. A much later report credits Fordham with having identified a stretch of better ground on which to make his decisive move. The winning time was the slowest for more than twenty-years and remains the second slowest ever recorded.
The identity of "Mr Acton", the winning owner, was not entirely clear: it was known that he was a member of the Rothschild family, but many seemed to believe "Mr Acton" was in fact Lionel's son, Leopold de Rothschild
, who was known to wave won several very large bets on the race. Subsequent events made the issue less clear: the death of Lionel de Rothschild on 3 June 1879, was reported to have made all of Sir Bevys's entries void, preventing him from running in the Grand Prix de Paris
on 8 June, but the colt's entry for the St Leger
was apparently unaffected.
In the St Leger
at Doncaster
on 10 September Sir Bevys started 3/1 joint favourite with Rayon d'Or
. Ridden by Tom Cannon, he settled towards the middle of the seventeen horse field but made no progress in the later stages and finished a remote eighth behind Rayon d'Or. The fact that both Palmbearer and Visconti were also unplaced convinced some observers that the Derby form was virtually worthless. By late autumn Sir Bevys had developed respiratory problems (a "roaring ailment") and was retired from racing.
and the Queen's Vase
at Royal Ascot in 1889, although his biggest winner was the filly Primrose Day who won the Cesarewitch Handicap
in the same year. Sir Bevys died in March 1896 following a "general break-up of his system."
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 sire. In a career that lasted from 1878 to 1879 he ran six times and won two races. His most important success came in the 1879 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...
: his only other win was in a selling race. At the end of the 1879 season he was retired to stud where he had little success.
Background
Sir Bevys was a dark brown "almost black" colt standing 15.2 handsHand (unit)
The hand is a non-SI unit of measurement of length, now used only for the measurement of the height of horses in some English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. With origins in ancient Egypt, it was originally based on the breadth of a human hand...
high bred at Wytham
Wytham
Wytham is a village and civil parish on Seacourt Stream, a branch of the River Thames, about northwest of Oxford. It is just west of the Western By-Pass Road, part of the Oxford Ring Road ....
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
by Lord Norreys
Montagu Bertie, 7th Earl of Abingdon
Montagu Arthur Bertie, 7th Earl of Abingdon was an English peer.-Background:He was the fifth child of Montagu Bertie, 6th Earl of Abingdon and Elizabeth Lavinia Vernon-Harcourt.-Family:...
. He was sold to Lionel de Rothschild
Lionel de Rothschild
Baron Lionel Nathan de Rothschild was a British banker and politician.-Biography:The son of Nathan Mayer Rothschild and Hanna Barent Cohen, he was a member of the prominent Rothschild family....
, who used the name “Mr Acton” for his racing interests. Sir Bevys was sent into training with Rothschild’s private trainer Joseph Hayhoe at the Palace House stable at Newmarket, Suffolk.
Sir Bevys’s sire, Favonius, a male-line descendant of the Byerley Turk, had won the Derby for Meyer de Rothschild in 1871, but sired few other notable horses. His dam, Lady Langden, was an unraced half sister to the St Leger winner Caller Ou. Apart from Sir Bevys, she was notable for producing Hampton
Hampton (horse)
Hampton was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and Champion sire. Bred by Lord Norreys, he was sired by 1863 St. Leger Stakes winner, Lord Clifden. His dam was Lady Langden whose sire, Kettledrum, won the 1861 Epsom Derby...
, an outstanding stayer who became a successful and influential sire.
1878: two-year-old season
Sir Bevys won one race from four starts as a two-year-old. He began his career by running unplaced in the Fernhill Stakes at AscotAscot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races...
and a minor race Newmarket
Newmarket Racecourse
The town of Newmarket, in Suffolk, England, is the headquarters of British horseracing, home to the largest cluster of training yards in the country and many key horse racing organisations. Newmarket Racecourse has two courses - the Rowley Mile Course and the July Course. Both are wide, galloping...
in summer. In autumn, he returned to Newmarket and ran twice in two days. On 1 October he won a £187 selling race and on the following day he finished second to Out of Bounds in the Ditch Mile Nursery Handicap.
1879: three-year-old season
Sir Bevys appeared in the betting lists for the Derby in April, when he was offered at odds of 50/1. He was backed down to 25/1, but drifted out again after appearing to lack the "dash" of a Derby winner, although in May Bell's Life reported that his performances in training had improved.Sir Bevys made his 1879 debut on 28 May in the 100th Derby at Epsom
Epsom Downs Racecourse
Epsom Downs is a Grade 1 racecourse near Epsom, Surrey, England. The "downs" referred to in the name are part of the North Downs. The course is best known for hosting the Epsom Derby, the United Kingdom's premier thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old colts and fillies, over a mile and a half...
, where the large crowd included the Prince and Princess of Wales and other members of the Royal Family. The day was sunny and warm, but the ground was very soft after previous heavy rain. He started at odds of 20/1 in a field of twenty-three, with Cadogan being made the 9/2 favourite. Ridden by George Fordham
George Fordham
George Fordham was a British jockey. From 1855-63 he was the leading jockey, and had a career high of 165 wins in 1862. He the Epsom Derby in 1879, and won the Oaks five times, and the Grand Prix de Paris three times....
, Sir Bevys broke badly and was left many lengths behind the other runners, who were led in the early stages by Protectionaist and Caxtonian. Fordham made up the lost ground gradually and was just behind the leading group at the turn into the straight. In the last quarter mile Visconti went to the front and looked the likely winner, but Sir Bevys appeared "from goodness knows where" to take the lead and then hold off the challenge of the 100/1 outsider Palmbearer to win by three-quarters of a length. Despite the defeat of the more fancied runners, the result was a popular one, mainly on account of the winning jockey: Fordham was a veteran who had returned from illness, alcoholism and near bankuptcy to win his first Derby at the age of 41. The best contemporary explanation offered for the upset, apart from the generally low quality of the race, was that Sir Bevys was the only horse to cope successfully with the very heavy conditions. A much later report credits Fordham with having identified a stretch of better ground on which to make his decisive move. The winning time was the slowest for more than twenty-years and remains the second slowest ever recorded.
The identity of "Mr Acton", the winning owner, was not entirely clear: it was known that he was a member of the Rothschild family, but many seemed to believe "Mr Acton" was in fact Lionel's son, Leopold de Rothschild
Leopold de Rothschild
Leopold de Rothschild CVO was a British banker, thoroughbred race horse breeder, and a member of the prominent Rothschild family.-Education and career:...
, who was known to wave won several very large bets on the race. Subsequent events made the issue less clear: the death of Lionel de Rothschild on 3 June 1879, was reported to have made all of Sir Bevys's entries void, preventing him from running in the Grand Prix de Paris
Grand Prix de Paris
The Grand Prix de Paris is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.-History:...
on 8 June, but the colt's entry for the St Leger
St. Leger Stakes
The St. Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 132 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.Established in 1776, the St. Leger...
was apparently unaffected.
In the St Leger
St. Leger Stakes
The St. Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 132 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.Established in 1776, the St. Leger...
at Doncaster
Doncaster Racecourse
Doncaster Racecourse is a racecourse in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It hosts two of Great Britain's 31 Group 1 flat races, the St Leger Stakes and the Racing Post Trophy.- History :...
on 10 September Sir Bevys started 3/1 joint favourite with Rayon d'Or
Rayon d'Or
Rayon d'Or was an French Thoroughbred racehorse and Champion sire in the United States. Bred by Frédéric de Lagrange at his Haras de Dangu stud farm in Dangu, Eure, he was sired by Flageolet whose wins included the Prix Morny , Goodwood Cup and Jockey Club Cup and whom Rayon d'Or would help make...
. Ridden by Tom Cannon, he settled towards the middle of the seventeen horse field but made no progress in the later stages and finished a remote eighth behind Rayon d'Or. The fact that both Palmbearer and Visconti were also unplaced convinced some observers that the Derby form was virtually worthless. By late autumn Sir Bevys had developed respiratory problems (a "roaring ailment") and was retired from racing.
Assessment
Sir Bevys has been described as “very moderate”, and as possibly “the worst ever” winner of the Derby.Stud career
Sir Bevys retired to stud at a modest fee of 10 guineas. The best of his offspring was probably the black colt Morglay, who won the Ascot DerbyKing Edward VII Stakes
The King Edward VII Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
and the Queen's Vase
Queen's Vase
The Queen's Vase is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.-History:...
at Royal Ascot in 1889, although his biggest winner was the filly Primrose Day who won the Cesarewitch Handicap
Cesarewitch Handicap
The Cesarewitch Handicap is a flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Newmarket over a distance of 2 miles and 2 furlongs , and the latter part is on the Rowley Mile. It is scheduled to take place each year in October.The event was...
in the same year. Sir Bevys died in March 1896 following a "general break-up of his system."