St. Gatien
Encyclopedia
St. Gatien was a British Thoroughbred
racehorse and sire. In 1884 he was involved in the second and final dead heat
in the history of the Epsom Derby
, part of an unbeaten sequence of twelve races. St. Gatien went on to become a dominant stayer, winning the Gold Cup
and the Alexandra Plate
at Royal Ascot, the Cesarewitch Handicap
carrying a record weight, and three successive running of the Jockey Club Cup
.
Between 1883 and 1886 he ran nineteen times, won sixteen races and was never beaten at level weights. He was regarded by contemporary experts as one of the greatest horses of the 19th Century. At the end of the 1886 season he was retired to stud where he had success in England, Germany and the United States.
and three white socks, bred by Major E. Brace. Brace made several unsuccessful attempts to sell the colt for as little as £100, before putting him into training with Robert Sherwood at his Exeter House stable at Newmarket, Suffolk. Sherwood agreed to train the horse at a reduced rate of thirty shillings a week instead of the usual fifty as he had very few horses in his stable at the time. At the end of 1883, Brace succeeded in selling St Gatien for £1,400 to Jack Hammond, a former stable-boy who had made his fortune as a professional gambler, who owned him for the rest of his racing career. In 1885, St Gatien was moved to the stable of James Waugh.
St. Gatien’s pedigree was obscure and controversial as his dam, a former carriage-horse called Saint Editha, may have covered by two stallions in the year of his conception. She was originally sent to a stallion named Rotherhill at Worcester Park, but when the covering appeared to have been unsuccessful, she was covered by The Rover, a "stilty-legged, broken down" horse, who happened to be at the same farm. Most contemporary commentators believed that St. Gatien’s sire was The Rover, but it is possible that he was sired by Rotherhill. Neither stallion got any other horses of notable racing merit. The success of St. Gatien provoked interest in The Rover, who was found to have been sold for £50 and was standing in Ireland at a fee of 3 guineas
. On November 19 1884 The Rover was killed when his throat was cut in his stable at Listowel. His death was the subject of a court case the following year in which his bankrupt owner was accused of the “malicious destruction” of the stallion to prevent him falling into the hands of his creditors.
St. Gatien was ridden in most of his races by Charles Wood who won the Championship
in 1887. Wood was a controversial figure who was later “warned off” (banned from racing) for almost nine years for his involvement in illegal betting and suspected race-fixing.
, the John O’Gaunt Plate at Manchester Racecourse and the Little John Plate at Nottingham
. The combined value of the three was less than £500.
, being backed at odds of 40/1. A correspondent for Bell's Life had little to say in his favour at this time, pointing out that the races he had won had been very poorly contested. The Sportsman
noted that he was supposedly a difficult horse to ride, but admitted that his connections were among the "shrewdest people on the turf" and would be unlikely to waste their money backing a horse with no chance.
St Gatien, who had not been entered for the 2000 Guineas made his three-year-old debut in the Epsom Derby
. The customary huge crowd was in attendance, despite the “cold and cheerless” weather. St. Gatien was not a popular choice with the public but was reportedly backed by the "sharps" (those with inside knowledge) and started at odds of 100/8 in a field of fifteen, the filly Queen Adelaide going off the 5/2 favourite. St. Gatien was one of the early leaders before being settled by his jockey, Charles Wood. At Tattenham corner, St Gatien moved into contention again on the outside as the field was led by Borneo and Richmond. Shortly after the turn into the straight Wood sent St Gatien into the lead, closely followed by Sam Loates on Harvester
. The two colts pulled clear of their opponents and a “tremendous struggle” ensued as they raced “locked together” throughout the closing stages. Well inside the final furlong St. Gatien took a half length advantage but Harvester produced a final effort and the two leaders crossed the line together. Queen Adelaide finished strongly to take third after being blocked at a crucial stage. The judge was unable to separate St. Gatien and Harvester and after a brief delay a dead heat
was called. The common practice at the time was for dead heats to be settled by the two horses immediately running again over the same course, although the prize could be shared if both owners agreed. Hammond, who stood to take £30,000 in winning bets, offered to divide the stakes and Harvester’s owners accepted,
Shortly after the race a protest was lodged against St Gatien on the grounds of "insufficient entry"- apparently a reference to his uncertain pedigree, but this was quickly withdrawn.
, in which he faced the top class older horses Corrie Roy (who started favourite) and Tristan at weight-for-age over two miles. Corrie Roy made the running until the straight, when Wood moved St Gatien up to challenge. The Derby winner quickly settled the race and pulled away to win easily by four lengths from Corrie Roy, with Tristan a remote third. Later at the same meeting Corrie Roy won the Alexandra Plate
, while Tristan beat Harvester in the Hardwicke Stakes
.
St Gatien, who had not been entered in the St Leger
, did not reappear until October 7 when he ran in the Cesarewitch Stakes
at Newmarket
. In the two and a quarter mile handicap he was assigned a weight of 122 pounds, meaning that he gave weight to all the other runners except the six year old Corrie Roy and the four year old Florence, the winner of the Grosser Preis von Baden
. No three-year-old had ever won the race with such a weight, the previous record being 118 carried by Robert the Devil
in 1880. Wood settled St Gatien, who looked "magnificent" before the race, towards the back of the twenty runner field before moving him into contention two furlongs out. He was unable to obtain a clear run and had to be switched to the outside as the lead was disputed by Polemic and the French-trained Archiduc. Once in the clear, St Gatien settled the race in a "very few strides" and drew clear with "ridiculous ease" to win impressively by four lengths from Polemic (carrying 85 pounds) and Archiduc (117). His win was described by one correspondent as "the greatest that has ever been accomplished within in the memory of racing men," while others took the race as evidence for a radical reformation of the weight-for-age scale. Jack Hammond reportedly took £40,000 on winning bets on this occasion.
Although St. Gatien was entered in the Cambridgeshire Handicap
at the next Newmarket meeting, he would have been required to carry 139 pounds, and his connections decided not to run, instead targeting the ten furlong Free Handicap at the same meeting on October 22. He started odds-on favourite and successfully conceded three pounds to the top class Duke of Richmond, winning comfortably by three quarters of a length. On his final start of the year he won at Newmarket for the third time when taking the Jockey Club Cup
.
Hopes for a meeting between St. Gatien and the other outstanding horse of his generation St. Simon
were put in doubt when it appeared that the latter would be retired. Although St. Simon did stay in training in 1885, he was unable to run and the much-anticipated meeting of the "two Saints" never materialised.
St. Gatien made a good recovery, and made his debut in the Gold Cup
over two and a half miles at Royal Ascot on June 18. Much interest in the Gold Cup was created by a "sealed entry" in the race by the Duke of Portland
, with hopes that it would contain the name of St. Simon. St. Simon did not appear, but St. Gatien's opponents for the race included Eole, the outstanding older horse in America in 1883, and the 1884 2000 Guineas winner Scot Free. St. Gatien, who started the 1/3 favourite was always going easily and overtook Eole a furlong out before pulling clear to win "in a canter" by three lengths. On the following day he faced Eole again in the three mile Alexandra Plate
which also attracted the leading French colt Hermitage. St. Gatien raced in last place for much of the way before moving up to take the lead two furlongs out and drawing away to win by six lengths.
At about this time there was a serious disagreement between Jack Hammond and Robert Sherwood, which resulted in Hammond removing all his horses, including St. Gatien from Sherwood's stable and moving them across Newmarket to the Middleton Cottage stable of James Waugh.
In autumn Lord Hastings, the owner of the 1885 Derby winner Melton
issued a challenge to Jack Hammond for £1,000 a match race between his horse and St. Gatien, with Melton to receive nine pounds. The challenge was declined, as St Gatien had already been heavily backed for the Cambridgeshire Handicap
, a race in which he had been assigned 136 pounds. St. Gatien returned to the racecourse after a break of four months in Her Majesty's Plate over two miles at Newmarket on October 12. The race proved meaningless as a contest, as his only opponent was a three-year-old filly called Jane who had finished runner-up in the 1000 Guineas. St. Gatien started at odds of 1/33 and won with predictable ease by twenty lengths.
In the Cambridgeshire over nine furlongs on 27 October, St. Gatien, now undefeated in eleven races, started 2/1 favourite in a field of twenty-seven. He was prominent throughout the race but could never get on terms with the filly Plaisanterie
who won inpressively by two lengths carrying 124 pounds. St. Gatien was involved in a close race for the minor places and finished fifth, just behind Bendigo, Eastern Emperor and Caltha. He had no chance with the winner, but may have been unlucky not to finish second. Two days after losing his unbeaten record, St. Gatien returned to his favoured staying distance in the Jockey Club Cup. He started at odds of 1/8 and won the race very easily, beating Lavaret by fifteen lengths.
After St Gatien's defeat in the Cambridgeshire, Hammond responded to to the earlier challenge of Lord Hastings by suggesting a level-weight match race between St. Gatien and Melton at some point in the following season for a stake of between £5,000 and £20,000.
at Sandown in July, which offered a then record prize of £10,000. From the start of the year, St. Gatien was seen as one of the leading contenders for the new race together with Bendigo and Minting. For the second year in succession, St. Gatien's spring preparation was disrupted, this time by injury, although he was able to resume his training in time for Royal Asot. It was reported that St Gatien had been defeated by Melton in a private trial race in early 1886, but there are few details and it is unclear whether or not this was a serious contest.
At Ascot, St. Gatien bypassed the staying events and ran instead in a Rous Memorial Stakes over one mile. He raced in third before taking the lead in the straight and in a well-contested finish, he held off the three-year-old St. Michael, to whom he was conceding twenty-four ponds, to win by a head. The Eclipse Stakes took place on July 23 over ten furlongs, at weight-for-age, with the winners of major races carrying extra weight "penalties". St. Gatien started at 9/4 in a field of twelve, with Bendigo, receiving three pounds, going off the 6/4 favourite. St. Gatien started well and was settled by Wood to race just behind the leaders. In the straight he made his challenge but could never reach the lead and finished third, beaten three lengths and half a length by Bendigo and Candlemas.
St. Gatien returned to Newmarket on October 12 to attempt to win a second Cesarewitch. On this occasion, he was assigned a weight of 131 pounds, twenty-three pounds more than any of the seventeen other runners. He made little show in the race and finished unplaced behind Stone Clink. Two days later, St. Gatien was given a chance to redeem his reputation when he met Stone Clink again in Her Majesty's Plate over two miles. This race was at level weights and St. Gatien had no difficulty justifying his position as 4/9 favourite, taking the lead a furlong from the finish and winning very easily by three lengths.
St. Gatien's last race came on October 29 when he finally met Melton in an official race. The race was effectively a match, with the only other runner starting at 100/1. St. Gatien, who started a slight favourite, gave Melton three pounds and was never in danger of defeat. After taking the lead just after half way he "polished off" Melton in the easiest fashion and won unchallenged by eight lengths to record his third successive victory in the race.
carried out a poll of one hundred experts to create a ranking of the best British racehorses of the 19th Century. St. Gatien was ranked seventh, having being placed in the top ten by thirty-six of the contributors. Lists published later in the year by Baily's Magazine and others also placed St. Gatien among the best of "modern times". At least one English writer considered him the "Horse of the Century" and believed that on the day he won his third Jockey Club Cup, he would have beaten Ormonde.
In 1884, St. Gatien earned £7,342, the highest for any horse in Britain.
Mathew Dawson
, who trained the winners of twenty-eight Classics said of St. Gatien and St. Simon that "two better animals never trod the turf." The "vexed question" of which of the two was the better, was never resolved on the racecourse.
. He returned to England to stand at the Cobham stud until 1898 when he was exported to the United States and sold privately to James Ben Ali Haggin
. He stood at Rancho del Paso, California
until its closure in 1905. St. Gatien was repurchased by Haggin for $500 at the Rancho del Paso dispersal sale in December 1905, and he was relocated to Haggin's Elmendorf Farm
. He was sold to George J. Long in January 1906 and was moved to Louisville, Kentucky
. The best of St. Gatien's progeny was probably Meddler
who was a leading two-year-old in Britain where his wins included the Dewhurst Stakes
. He was exported to the United States where he was twice Leading sire in North America
.
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 1884 he was involved in the second and final dead heat
Tie (draw)
To tie or draw is to finish a competition with identical or inconclusive results. The word "tie" is usually used in North America for sports such as American football. "Draw" is usually used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Commonwealth of Nations and it is usually used for sports such as...
in the history of 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...
, part of an unbeaten sequence of twelve races. St. Gatien went on to become a dominant stayer, winning the Gold Cup
Ascot Gold Cup
The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
and the Alexandra Plate
Queen Alexandra Stakes
The Queen Alexandra Stakes is a flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles, 5 furlongs and 159 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
at Royal Ascot, 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...
carrying a record weight, and three successive running of the Jockey Club Cup
Jockey Club Cup
The British Champions Long Distance Cup, formerly known as the Jockey Club Cup, is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles...
.
Between 1883 and 1886 he ran nineteen times, won sixteen races and was never beaten at level weights. He was regarded by contemporary experts as one of the greatest horses of the 19th Century. At the end of the 1886 season he was retired to stud where he had success in England, Germany and the United States.
Background
St Gatien’s was a "grand, lengthy" bay horse with a white blazeHorse markings
Markings on horses usually are distinctive white areas on an otherwise dark base coat color. Most horses have some markings, and they help to identify the horse as a unique individual. Markings are present at birth and do not change over the course of the horse's life...
and three white socks, bred by Major E. Brace. Brace made several unsuccessful attempts to sell the colt for as little as £100, before putting him into training with Robert Sherwood at his Exeter House stable at Newmarket, Suffolk. Sherwood agreed to train the horse at a reduced rate of thirty shillings a week instead of the usual fifty as he had very few horses in his stable at the time. At the end of 1883, Brace succeeded in selling St Gatien for £1,400 to Jack Hammond, a former stable-boy who had made his fortune as a professional gambler, who owned him for the rest of his racing career. In 1885, St Gatien was moved to the stable of James Waugh.
St. Gatien’s pedigree was obscure and controversial as his dam, a former carriage-horse called Saint Editha, may have covered by two stallions in the year of his conception. She was originally sent to a stallion named Rotherhill at Worcester Park, but when the covering appeared to have been unsuccessful, she was covered by The Rover, a "stilty-legged, broken down" horse, who happened to be at the same farm. Most contemporary commentators believed that St. Gatien’s sire was The Rover, but it is possible that he was sired by Rotherhill. Neither stallion got any other horses of notable racing merit. The success of St. Gatien provoked interest in The Rover, who was found to have been sold for £50 and was standing in Ireland at a fee of 3 guineas
Guinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
. On November 19 1884 The Rover was killed when his throat was cut in his stable at Listowel. His death was the subject of a court case the following year in which his bankrupt owner was accused of the “malicious destruction” of the stallion to prevent him falling into the hands of his creditors.
St. Gatien was ridden in most of his races by Charles Wood who won the Championship
British flat racing Champion Jockey
The Champion Jockey of flat racing in Great Britain is the jockey who has ridden the most winning horses during a season. The list below shows the Champion Jockey and the number of winners for each year since 1840...
in 1887. Wood was a controversial figure who was later “warned off” (banned from racing) for almost nine years for his involvement in illegal betting and suspected race-fixing.
1883: two-year-old season
St. Gatien was unbeaten in three minor races as a two-year-old. His wins were in the Teddington Plate at KemptonKempton Park Racecourse
Kempton Park Racecourse is a horse racing track in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England, which is a western suburb of London 16 miles from the city centre. The site is set in of land....
, the John O’Gaunt Plate at Manchester Racecourse and the Little John Plate at Nottingham
Nottingham Racecourse
Nottingham Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. It is situated at Colwick Park, close to the River Trent and about 3 km east of the city centre....
. The combined value of the three was less than £500.
Epsom Derby
In April, St Gatien made his first appearance in the betting lists for the Epsom DerbyEpsom 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...
, being backed at odds of 40/1. A correspondent for Bell's Life had little to say in his favour at this time, pointing out that the races he had won had been very poorly contested. The Sportsman
The Sportsman (1865 newspaper)
The first British newspaper titled The Sportsman began publishing from 1865, some six years after the Sporting Life. It ran until 1924....
noted that he was supposedly a difficult horse to ride, but admitted that his connections were among the "shrewdest people on the turf" and would be unlikely to waste their money backing a horse with no chance.
St Gatien, who had not been entered for the 2000 Guineas made his three-year-old debut in 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...
. The customary huge crowd was in attendance, despite the “cold and cheerless” weather. St. Gatien was not a popular choice with the public but was reportedly backed by the "sharps" (those with inside knowledge) and started at odds of 100/8 in a field of fifteen, the filly Queen Adelaide going off the 5/2 favourite. St. Gatien was one of the early leaders before being settled by his jockey, Charles Wood. At Tattenham corner, St Gatien moved into contention again on the outside as the field was led by Borneo and Richmond. Shortly after the turn into the straight Wood sent St Gatien into the lead, closely followed by Sam Loates on Harvester
Harvester (horse)
Harvester was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1883 to 1884 he ran thirteen times and won five races. In 1884 he was involved in the second, and most recent dead heat in the history of the Epsom Derby. At the end of his racing career, Harvester was sold and...
. The two colts pulled clear of their opponents and a “tremendous struggle” ensued as they raced “locked together” throughout the closing stages. Well inside the final furlong St. Gatien took a half length advantage but Harvester produced a final effort and the two leaders crossed the line together. Queen Adelaide finished strongly to take third after being blocked at a crucial stage. The judge was unable to separate St. Gatien and Harvester and after a brief delay a dead heat
Tie (draw)
To tie or draw is to finish a competition with identical or inconclusive results. The word "tie" is usually used in North America for sports such as American football. "Draw" is usually used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Commonwealth of Nations and it is usually used for sports such as...
was called. The common practice at the time was for dead heats to be settled by the two horses immediately running again over the same course, although the prize could be shared if both owners agreed. Hammond, who stood to take £30,000 in winning bets, offered to divide the stakes and Harvester’s owners accepted,
Shortly after the race a protest was lodged against St Gatien on the grounds of "insufficient entry"- apparently a reference to his uncertain pedigree, but this was quickly withdrawn.
After Epsom
On his first start after the Derby, St. Gatien was sent to Royal Ascot for the Gold VaseQueen'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:...
, in which he faced the top class older horses Corrie Roy (who started favourite) and Tristan at weight-for-age over two miles. Corrie Roy made the running until the straight, when Wood moved St Gatien up to challenge. The Derby winner quickly settled the race and pulled away to win easily by four lengths from Corrie Roy, with Tristan a remote third. Later at the same meeting Corrie Roy won the Alexandra Plate
Queen Alexandra Stakes
The Queen Alexandra Stakes is a flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles, 5 furlongs and 159 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
, while Tristan beat Harvester in the Hardwicke Stakes
Hardwicke Stakes
The Hardwicke Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. 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.-History:...
.
St Gatien, who had not been entered 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...
, did not reappear until October 7 when he ran in the Cesarewitch Stakes
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...
at 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 the two and a quarter mile handicap he was assigned a weight of 122 pounds, meaning that he gave weight to all the other runners except the six year old Corrie Roy and the four year old Florence, the winner of the Grosser Preis von Baden
Grosser Preis von Baden
The Grosser Preis von Baden is a Group 1 flat horse race in Germany which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Baden-Baden over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early September.-History:The event was established in 1858, and it...
. No three-year-old had ever won the race with such a weight, the previous record being 118 carried by Robert the Devil
Robert the Devil
Robert the Devil is a legend of medieval origin. Robert is the devil's own child, for his mother, despairing of heaven's aid in order to obtain a son, has addressed herself to the devil...
in 1880. Wood settled St Gatien, who looked "magnificent" before the race, towards the back of the twenty runner field before moving him into contention two furlongs out. He was unable to obtain a clear run and had to be switched to the outside as the lead was disputed by Polemic and the French-trained Archiduc. Once in the clear, St Gatien settled the race in a "very few strides" and drew clear with "ridiculous ease" to win impressively by four lengths from Polemic (carrying 85 pounds) and Archiduc (117). His win was described by one correspondent as "the greatest that has ever been accomplished within in the memory of racing men," while others took the race as evidence for a radical reformation of the weight-for-age scale. Jack Hammond reportedly took £40,000 on winning bets on this occasion.
Although St. Gatien was entered in the Cambridgeshire Handicap
Cambridgeshire Handicap
The Cambridgeshire Handicap is a flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile and 1 furlong , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September or early October.The event...
at the next Newmarket meeting, he would have been required to carry 139 pounds, and his connections decided not to run, instead targeting the ten furlong Free Handicap at the same meeting on October 22. He started odds-on favourite and successfully conceded three pounds to the top class Duke of Richmond, winning comfortably by three quarters of a length. On his final start of the year he won at Newmarket for the third time when taking the Jockey Club Cup
Jockey Club Cup
The British Champions Long Distance Cup, formerly known as the Jockey Club Cup, is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles...
.
Hopes for a meeting between St. Gatien and the other outstanding horse of his generation St. Simon
St. Simon (horse)
St. Simon was an undefeated British Thoroughbred racehorse and one of the most successful sires in the history of the Thoroughbred. In May 1886 The Sporting Times carried out a poll of one hundred experts to create a ranking of the best British racehorses of the 19th Century. St...
were put in doubt when it appeared that the latter would be retired. Although St. Simon did stay in training in 1885, he was unable to run and the much-anticipated meeting of the "two Saints" never materialised.
1885: four-year-old season
Before the start of the 1885 season, Hammond announced that St. Gatien would be entered for the most important handicap races, but would be mainly aimed at the major staying races. In spring however, all of Hammond's plans were place in jeopardy when St. Gatien fell seriously ill with what was described as "pleuro-pneumonia", placing his future as a racehorse, if not his life, in considerable doubt.St. Gatien made a good recovery, and made his debut in the Gold Cup
Ascot Gold Cup
The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
over two and a half miles at Royal Ascot on June 18. Much interest in the Gold Cup was created by a "sealed entry" in the race by the Duke of Portland
William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland
William John Arthur Charles James Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland KG, GCVO, PC, TD, DL , known as William Cavendish-Bentinck until 1879, was a British landowner, courtier and Conservative politician...
, with hopes that it would contain the name of St. Simon. St. Simon did not appear, but St. Gatien's opponents for the race included Eole, the outstanding older horse in America in 1883, and the 1884 2000 Guineas winner Scot Free. St. Gatien, who started the 1/3 favourite was always going easily and overtook Eole a furlong out before pulling clear to win "in a canter" by three lengths. On the following day he faced Eole again in the three mile Alexandra Plate
Queen Alexandra Stakes
The Queen Alexandra Stakes is a flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles, 5 furlongs and 159 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
which also attracted the leading French colt Hermitage. St. Gatien raced in last place for much of the way before moving up to take the lead two furlongs out and drawing away to win by six lengths.
At about this time there was a serious disagreement between Jack Hammond and Robert Sherwood, which resulted in Hammond removing all his horses, including St. Gatien from Sherwood's stable and moving them across Newmarket to the Middleton Cottage stable of James Waugh.
In autumn Lord Hastings, the owner of the 1885 Derby winner Melton
Melton (horse)
Melton was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1884 to 1886 he ran eighteen times and won eleven races. In 1885 he won the second two legs of the English Triple Crown, the Derby at Epsom and the St Leger at Doncaster...
issued a challenge to Jack Hammond for £1,000 a match race between his horse and St. Gatien, with Melton to receive nine pounds. The challenge was declined, as St Gatien had already been heavily backed for the Cambridgeshire Handicap
Cambridgeshire Handicap
The Cambridgeshire Handicap is a flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile and 1 furlong , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September or early October.The event...
, a race in which he had been assigned 136 pounds. St. Gatien returned to the racecourse after a break of four months in Her Majesty's Plate over two miles at Newmarket on October 12. The race proved meaningless as a contest, as his only opponent was a three-year-old filly called Jane who had finished runner-up in the 1000 Guineas. St. Gatien started at odds of 1/33 and won with predictable ease by twenty lengths.
In the Cambridgeshire over nine furlongs on 27 October, St. Gatien, now undefeated in eleven races, started 2/1 favourite in a field of twenty-seven. He was prominent throughout the race but could never get on terms with the filly Plaisanterie
Plaisanterie
Plaisanterie was a Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by the Comte de Dauger, she was sold in England for FF825 at the Tattersalls September yearling sale. She was purchased by trainer Thomas Carter, Jr., a member of the renowned English Racing Colony at Chantilly , in equal partnership with...
who won inpressively by two lengths carrying 124 pounds. St. Gatien was involved in a close race for the minor places and finished fifth, just behind Bendigo, Eastern Emperor and Caltha. He had no chance with the winner, but may have been unlucky not to finish second. Two days after losing his unbeaten record, St. Gatien returned to his favoured staying distance in the Jockey Club Cup. He started at odds of 1/8 and won the race very easily, beating Lavaret by fifteen lengths.
After St Gatien's defeat in the Cambridgeshire, Hammond responded to to the earlier challenge of Lord Hastings by suggesting a level-weight match race between St. Gatien and Melton at some point in the following season for a stake of between £5,000 and £20,000.
1886: five-year-old season
Much of the interest in the 1886 season concerned the newly inaugurated Eclipse StakesEclipse Stakes
The Eclipse Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 7 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early July.-History:The event is named after Eclipse, a...
at Sandown in July, which offered a then record prize of £10,000. From the start of the year, St. Gatien was seen as one of the leading contenders for the new race together with Bendigo and Minting. For the second year in succession, St. Gatien's spring preparation was disrupted, this time by injury, although he was able to resume his training in time for Royal Asot. It was reported that St Gatien had been defeated by Melton in a private trial race in early 1886, but there are few details and it is unclear whether or not this was a serious contest.
At Ascot, St. Gatien bypassed the staying events and ran instead in a Rous Memorial Stakes over one mile. He raced in third before taking the lead in the straight and in a well-contested finish, he held off the three-year-old St. Michael, to whom he was conceding twenty-four ponds, to win by a head. The Eclipse Stakes took place on July 23 over ten furlongs, at weight-for-age, with the winners of major races carrying extra weight "penalties". St. Gatien started at 9/4 in a field of twelve, with Bendigo, receiving three pounds, going off the 6/4 favourite. St. Gatien started well and was settled by Wood to race just behind the leaders. In the straight he made his challenge but could never reach the lead and finished third, beaten three lengths and half a length by Bendigo and Candlemas.
St. Gatien returned to Newmarket on October 12 to attempt to win a second Cesarewitch. On this occasion, he was assigned a weight of 131 pounds, twenty-three pounds more than any of the seventeen other runners. He made little show in the race and finished unplaced behind Stone Clink. Two days later, St. Gatien was given a chance to redeem his reputation when he met Stone Clink again in Her Majesty's Plate over two miles. This race was at level weights and St. Gatien had no difficulty justifying his position as 4/9 favourite, taking the lead a furlong from the finish and winning very easily by three lengths.
St. Gatien's last race came on October 29 when he finally met Melton in an official race. The race was effectively a match, with the only other runner starting at 100/1. St. Gatien, who started a slight favourite, gave Melton three pounds and was never in danger of defeat. After taking the lead just after half way he "polished off" Melton in the easiest fashion and won unchallenged by eight lengths to record his third successive victory in the race.
Assessment
In May 1886 The Sporting TimesThe Sporting Times
The Sporting Times was a weekly British newspaper devoted chiefly to sport, and in particular to horse racing...
carried out a poll of one hundred experts to create a ranking of the best British racehorses of the 19th Century. St. Gatien was ranked seventh, having being placed in the top ten by thirty-six of the contributors. Lists published later in the year by Baily's Magazine and others also placed St. Gatien among the best of "modern times". At least one English writer considered him the "Horse of the Century" and believed that on the day he won his third Jockey Club Cup, he would have beaten Ormonde.
In 1884, St. Gatien earned £7,342, the highest for any horse in Britain.
Mathew Dawson
Mathew Dawson
Mathew Dawson was a British racehorse trainer. In a career which lasted from 1840 until his death in 1898 he trained the winners of twenty-eight British Classic Races, a figure surpassed by only two other men. He was significant as one of the first trainers to run a public stable, rather than...
, who trained the winners of twenty-eight Classics said of St. Gatien and St. Simon that "two better animals never trod the turf." The "vexed question" of which of the two was the better, was never resolved on the racecourse.
Stud career
St Gatien retired to the Heath Stud at Newmarket where he stood at an initial fee of 50 guineas. He remained in England until the summer 1890 when he was sold to the German government for £14,000 and exported to stand at GraditzGraditz
Graditz is a village of 250 inhabitants in the Nordsachsen landkreis of Saxony. Since 1994 it has been a quarter of Torgau....
. He returned to England to stand at the Cobham stud until 1898 when he was exported to the United States and sold privately to James Ben Ali Haggin
James Ben Ali Haggin
James Ben Ali Haggin was an Turkish Americanattorney, rancher, investor and a major owner/breeder in the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing...
. He stood at Rancho del Paso, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
until its closure in 1905. St. Gatien was repurchased by Haggin for $500 at the Rancho del Paso dispersal sale in December 1905, and he was relocated to Haggin's Elmendorf Farm
Elmendorf Farm
Elmendorf Farm is a Kentucky Thoroughbred horse farm in Fayette County, Kentucky, and has been involved with horse racing since the early 19th century...
. He was sold to George J. Long in January 1906 and was moved to Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. The best of St. Gatien's progeny was probably Meddler
Meddler (horse)
Meddler was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who was a leading two-year-old in England and a Leading sire in North America in 1904 and 1906. Bred and raced by George Baird, his sire, St. Gatien, dead heated for the win in the 1884 Epsom Derby and won the 1885 Ascot Gold Cup...
who was a leading two-year-old in Britain where his wins included the Dewhurst Stakes
Dewhurst Stakes
The Dewhurst Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.The event was established in 1875, and it...
. He was exported to the United States where he was twice Leading sire in North America
Leading sire in North America
The list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prizemoney won by the sire's progeny during the year...
.