Gustavus (1818–1840) was a Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1821 Epsom Derby. Gustavus was the first grey horse to win the Epsom Derby. He raced until he was four years old and was retired to stud in 1823. Gustavus was exported to Prussia in 1836, at the age of 18. Gustavus was not a successful sire.
Gustavus
Gustavus in a painting by Robert Pollard, c. 1821.
Gustavus was foaled in 1818 at the Hampton Court Stud. Gustavus was bred by the Prince Regent and was sired by the 1807 Derby winner Election. Election was a successful racehorse that was bred by the Earl of Egremont and was bought by the Prince of Wales after his racing career to stand at Hampton Court. His dam, Lady Grey, was bred by Colonel Childers at Cantley House in Yorkshire[1] and was one of the Prince's famous "half-dozen grey mares" that were housed at Hampton-Court.[2] Lady Grey's sire, Stamford, was a full-brother to the Epsom Derby winners Paris and Archduke.
In addition to breeding racehorses, the Prince also bred grey Thoroughbreds that would be "sufficiently powerful for his own riding,"[3] with Lady Grey purchased specifically for this purpose.[2] Gustavus was a small yearling and the Prince did not think he would be a suitable riding horse.[3] Gustavus was sold to Mr. Hunter[4] for 25 guineas as a yearling. Hunter was reportedly unsatisfied with his purchase and attempted to sell the "shabby little gray"[5] at a loss for 15 guineas, but he could not find a buyer for the colt.[3] Gustavus was retained by Hunter and raced in his name for his entire racing career.
Racing career
Gustavus was trained at Six-Mile Bottom in Newmarket by Crouch.[6] Gustavus first raced as a two-year-old for the July Stakes. The Derby was his most significant win and he raced until he was four years-old, winning seven races in 14 starts. He was retired to stud in 1823.
1820: two-year-old season
Gustavus's first career start occurred on 10 July at the July Meeting in Newmarket for the July Stakes. Gustavus won the race by half a length from an unnamed colt by Soothsayer and seven other horses, winning 1,950 guineas.[7] The run for the July Stakes was Gustavus' only start as a two-year-old.
1821: three-year-old season
Gustavus (third from left) behind the frontrunner Reginald in the 1821 Epsom Derby in a painting by Théodore Géricault.
At the First Spring Meeting at Newmarket in May, Gustavus won the Newmarket Stakes, beating the colts Tressilian and Fleur de Lis.[8]
In his second start of the season, Gustavus ran in the Derby Stakes at Epsom against a field of twelve other horses. Gustavus was the betting favorite for the running, starting the race with 2 to 1[9] or 7.5 to 4 odds depending on the bookmaking operation. The Duke of Grafton's colt Reginald (the winner of the 2,000 Guineas Stakes) initially took the lead and "made the running" with Gustavus initiating "some play" with Reginald at Tattenham Corner[10] and the two horses "worked together from end to end in the Derby, as if it was run a match."[11] Gustavus was ridden by Sam Day and Reginald's jockey was Francis Buckle. Buckle's "nerve rather went" while Day "kept close to his girths,"[11] allowing Gustavus to overtake Reginald in the final stretch to win the race by half a length.[10] Reginald finished second and the colt Sir Huldibrand third.[10] Day described the finish graphically: "We wound in and out, for all the world like a dog at a fair."[11] Gustavus was the first grey horse to win the Derby[12][13] and one of only four grey horses to win the event.[14] Hunter reportedly won "a very considerable sum" by betting on Gustavus in the Derby, while two brothers reportedly "lost twenty-six thousand pounds" between them but "handsomely paid the debt" when it was due.[1] The 1821 Derby was portrayed in a painting (right) by French artist Théodore Géricault. The depicted, dramatized scene occurred shortly before the race finish, with Gustavus in third place following closely behind the frontrunner Reginald.
Gustavus was unplaced in the St. Leger Stakes run on 17 September at Doncaster, which was won by the colt Jack Spiggot.[15] A few days later, Gustavus finished second to the filly My Lady in the 1000-guinea Gascoigne Stakes run over the St. Leger course. The third runner and the betting favorite in the race, a colt named Sandbeck, was disqualified after running into a post and falling.[16] At the Houghton meeting on 29 October, Gustavus won a mile-long, 150-guinea match race against Mr. Fox's horse Pancha,[17] and a few days later, Gustavus won 200 guineas after beating Lord Exeter's unnamed colt sired by Androssan in a match race.[18]
1822: four-year-old season
At Newmarket-Craven meeting in April, Gustavus won the 1600-guinea Claret Stakes, beating the Duke of Grafton's colt Carbonaro.[19] A few weeks later at the First Spring Meeting, Gustavus finished third in a 100-guinea sweepstakes race to the colts Godolphin and Centaur.[20] Gustavus was beaten in a 6 May match race at Newmarket by Lord Foley's horse Sultan.[21] At the First October Meeting at Newmarket on 30 September, Gustavus finished second to the Duke of Grafton's colt Guerilla in the Trial Stakes.[22] Guerilla won the race by half a length[23] and was an unanticipated winner, with one commenter in the Sporting Magazine stating, "The Trial Stakes, which should have set every body right, set every body wrong."[24] Later the same day, Gustavus beat Lord Egremont's colt Black-and-all-Black in a match race.[25] At the Second October Meeting on 14 October, Gustavus was second in the 50-guinea Post Sweepstakes to the filly Augusta (the winner of the 1821 Epsom Oaks).[26] Two days later in the final start of his racing career, Gustavus was unplaced in the first class of the Oatlands Stakes, the race being won by the filly Whizgig.[27] Gustavus was retired to stud at the end of the racing season.
Stud career
Gustavus was retired to stud in 1823, first standing near Newmarket at the Six-mile Cottage for a fee of eight sovereigns per mare.[28] His fee was increased to 10 guineas for the 1824 breeding season.[29] Gustavus was exported to Prussia in March 1836 at the age of 18 years.[30] Gustavus stood at Baron Maltzahn's stud farm in Kummerow, where Bloomsbury later stood beginning in 1842.[31] Gustavus died in 1840.[32] Gustavus was not a successful sire, with the colt Forester (a July and Newmarket Stakes winner) and the filly Chantilly being his only progeny of note.[33]
Gustavus was inbred 4 × 4 × 4 × 4 to Herod and 4 × 4 to Eclipse meaning that these horses appear four times and twice, respectively, in the fourth generation of his pedigree.
^Staff (8 April 1927). "History of gray horses". The Daily Racing Form. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
^Black, Robert (1893). Horse-racing in England: a synoptical review. London: Richard Bently and Son. p. 249. gustavus crouch trainer.
^Staff (1820). "The racing calendar". The Sporting Magazine. 6: 47. hdl:2027/nyp.33433066599402.
^Weatherby, James and Edward (1821). "Newmarket". Racing Calendar. 49: 26. hdl:2027/nyp.33433066591227.
^Weatherby, James and Edward (1821). "Epsom". Racing Calendar. 49: 42. hdl:2027/nyp.33433066591227.
^ abcStaff (1821). "The racing calendar". The Sporting Magazine. 8: 32. hdl:2027/nyp.33433066599394.
^ abcDixon, Henry Hall (1914). Scott and Sebright. London: Frederick Warne and Co. p. 16. shabby little grey gustavus.
^Sidney, Samuel and James Sinclair, William Charles and Arlington Blew (1893). The book of the horse. London: Cassell & Co. p. 67. gustavus derby grey.
^. Epsomderby.org. Archived from the original on 23 December 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
^Beesley, Mike (24 May 2008). "Heads – and odd tales! GREAT DAYS AT EPSOM Lord Derby's luck held on spin of coin". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
^Weatherby, James and Edward (1821). "Doncaster". Racing Calendar. 49: 136. hdl:2027/nyp.33433066591227.
^Weatherby, James and Edward (1821). "Doncaster". Racing Calendar. 49: 138. hdl:2027/nyp.33433066591227.
^Weatherby, James and Edward (1821). "Houghton". Racing Calendar. 49: 185. hdl:2027/nyp.33433066591227.
^Weatherby, James and Edward (1821). "Houghton". Racing Calendar. 49: 188. hdl:2027/nyp.33433066591227.
^Weatherby, James and Edward (1822). "Newmarket-Craven". Racing Calendar. 50: 10. hdl:2027/nyp.33433066591219.
^Weatherby, James and Edward (1822). "Newmarket". Racing Calendar. 50: 22. hdl:2027/nyp.33433066591219.
^Weatherby, James and Edward (1822). "Newmarket". Racing Calendar. 50: 26. hdl:2027/nyp.33433066591219.
^Weatherby, James and Edward (1822). "Newmarket". Racing Calendar. 50: 159. hdl:2027/nyp.33433066591219.
^Staff (1822). "The racing calendar". The Sporting Magazine. 11: 14. hdl:2027/nyp.33433066599360.
^Observator (1822). "Newmarket October meetings". The Sporting Magazine. 11: 59. hdl:2027/nyp.33433066599360.
^Weatherby, James and Edward (1822). "Newmarket". Racing Calendar. 50: 160. hdl:2027/nyp.33433066591219.
^Weatherby, James and Edward (1822). "Newmarket". Racing Calendar. 50: 173. hdl:2027/nyp.33433066591219.
^Weatherby, James and Edward (1822). "Newmarket". Racing Calendar. 50: 174. hdl:2027/nyp.33433066591219.
^Weatherby, James and Edward (1823). "Advertisements of stallions". Racing Calendar. 51: 487. hdl:2027/nyp.33433066591201.
^Weatherby, James and Edward (1823). "Advertisements of stallions". Racing Calendar. 51: 501. hdl:2027/nyp.33433066591193.
^Weatherby, Edward and James (1840). "Stallions sent abroad". The General Stud Book. 4: vii. hdl:2027/coo.31924066667076.
^M. W. (February 1842). "Notes of a sporting ramble in the north of Germany". New Sporting Magazine. 3 (14): 82.
^Vogler, C.H. (1847). Allgemeines Gestüt-Buch: ein Verzeichnis der Vollblut-Pferde nebst ihrer Abstammung. Erster Band, Volume 1. p. 313.
^Erigero, Patricia. "Gohanna". Thoroughbred Heritage. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
^Staff. "Gustavus 5x Pedigree". Retrieved 3 February 2012.
January 21, 2023
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Gustavus 1818 1840 was a Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1821 Epsom Derby Gustavus was the first grey horse to win the Epsom Derby He raced until he was four years old and was retired to stud in 1823 Gustavus was exported to Prussia in 1836 at the age of 18 Gustavus was not a successful sire GustavusGustavus in a painting by Robert Pollard c 1821 SireElectionGrandsireGohannaDamLady GreyDamsireStamfordSexStallionFoaled1818CountryUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and IrelandColourGreyBreederPrince of WalesOwnerMr HunterTrainerCrouchRecord14 7 4 1Major winsJuly Stakes 1820 Epsom Derby 1821 Contents 1 Background 2 Racing career 2 1 1820 two year old season 2 2 1821 three year old season 2 3 1822 four year old season 3 Stud career 4 Pedigree 5 ReferencesBackground EditGustavus was foaled in 1818 at the Hampton Court Stud Gustavus was bred by the Prince Regent and was sired by the 1807 Derby winner Election Election was a successful racehorse that was bred by the Earl of Egremont and was bought by the Prince of Wales after his racing career to stand at Hampton Court His dam Lady Grey was bred by Colonel Childers at Cantley House in Yorkshire 1 and was one of the Prince s famous half dozen grey mares that were housed at Hampton Court 2 Lady Grey s sire Stamford was a full brother to the Epsom Derby winners Paris and Archduke In addition to breeding racehorses the Prince also bred grey Thoroughbreds that would be sufficiently powerful for his own riding 3 with Lady Grey purchased specifically for this purpose 2 Gustavus was a small yearling and the Prince did not think he would be a suitable riding horse 3 Gustavus was sold to Mr Hunter 4 for 25 guineas as a yearling Hunter was reportedly unsatisfied with his purchase and attempted to sell the shabby little gray 5 at a loss for 15 guineas but he could not find a buyer for the colt 3 Gustavus was retained by Hunter and raced in his name for his entire racing career Racing career EditGustavus was trained at Six Mile Bottom in Newmarket by Crouch 6 Gustavus first raced as a two year old for the July Stakes The Derby was his most significant win and he raced until he was four years old winning seven races in 14 starts He was retired to stud in 1823 1820 two year old season Edit Gustavus s first career start occurred on 10 July at the July Meeting in Newmarket for the July Stakes Gustavus won the race by half a length from an unnamed colt by Soothsayer and seven other horses winning 1 950 guineas 7 The run for the July Stakes was Gustavus only start as a two year old 1821 three year old season Edit Gustavus third from left behind the frontrunner Reginald in the 1821 Epsom Derby in a painting by Theodore Gericault At the First Spring Meeting at Newmarket in May Gustavus won the Newmarket Stakes beating the colts Tressilian and Fleur de Lis 8 In his second start of the season Gustavus ran in the Derby Stakes at Epsom against a field of twelve other horses Gustavus was the betting favorite for the running starting the race with 2 to 1 9 or 7 5 to 4 odds depending on the bookmaking operation The Duke of Grafton s colt Reginald the winner of the 2 000 Guineas Stakes initially took the lead and made the running with Gustavus initiating some play with Reginald at Tattenham Corner 10 and the two horses worked together from end to end in the Derby as if it was run a match 11 Gustavus was ridden by Sam Day and Reginald s jockey was Francis Buckle Buckle s nerve rather went while Day kept close to his girths 11 allowing Gustavus to overtake Reginald in the final stretch to win the race by half a length 10 Reginald finished second and the colt Sir Huldibrand third 10 Day described the finish graphically We wound in and out for all the world like a dog at a fair 11 Gustavus was the first grey horse to win the Derby 12 13 and one of only four grey horses to win the event 14 Hunter reportedly won a very considerable sum by betting on Gustavus in the Derby while two brothers reportedly lost twenty six thousand pounds between them but handsomely paid the debt when it was due 1 The 1821 Derby was portrayed in a painting right by French artist Theodore Gericault The depicted dramatized scene occurred shortly before the race finish with Gustavus in third place following closely behind the frontrunner Reginald Gustavus was unplaced in the St Leger Stakes run on 17 September at Doncaster which was won by the colt Jack Spiggot 15 A few days later Gustavus finished second to the filly My Lady in the 1000 guinea Gascoigne Stakes run over the St Leger course The third runner and the betting favorite in the race a colt named Sandbeck was disqualified after running into a post and falling 16 At the Houghton meeting on 29 October Gustavus won a mile long 150 guinea match race against Mr Fox s horse Pancha 17 and a few days later Gustavus won 200 guineas after beating Lord Exeter s unnamed colt sired by Androssan in a match race 18 1822 four year old season Edit At Newmarket Craven meeting in April Gustavus won the 1600 guinea Claret Stakes beating the Duke of Grafton s colt Carbonaro 19 A few weeks later at the First Spring Meeting Gustavus finished third in a 100 guinea sweepstakes race to the colts Godolphin and Centaur 20 Gustavus was beaten in a 6 May match race at Newmarket by Lord Foley s horse Sultan 21 At the First October Meeting at Newmarket on 30 September Gustavus finished second to the Duke of Grafton s colt Guerilla in the Trial Stakes 22 Guerilla won the race by half a length 23 and was an unanticipated winner with one commenter in the Sporting Magazine stating The Trial Stakes which should have set every body right set every body wrong 24 Later the same day Gustavus beat Lord Egremont s colt Black and all Black in a match race 25 At the Second October Meeting on 14 October Gustavus was second in the 50 guinea Post Sweepstakes to the filly Augusta the winner of the 1821 Epsom Oaks 26 Two days later in the final start of his racing career Gustavus was unplaced in the first class of the Oatlands Stakes the race being won by the filly Whizgig 27 Gustavus was retired to stud at the end of the racing season Stud career EditGustavus was retired to stud in 1823 first standing near Newmarket at the Six mile Cottage for a fee of eight sovereigns per mare 28 His fee was increased to 10 guineas for the 1824 breeding season 29 Gustavus was exported to Prussia in March 1836 at the age of 18 years 30 Gustavus stood at Baron Maltzahn s stud farm in Kummerow where Bloomsbury later stood beginning in 1842 31 Gustavus died in 1840 32 Gustavus was not a successful sire with the colt Forester a July and Newmarket Stakes winner and the filly Chantilly being his only progeny of note 33 Pedigree EditPedigree of Gustavus GB Grey Colt 1818 34 SireElection GB Chestnut 1804 Gohanna1790 Mercury EclipseTartar MareDundas Herod Mare HerodMaidenChestnut Skim1794 Woodpecker HerodMiss RamsdenMilsintowns Herod Mare HerodYoung HagDamLady GreyGrey 1806 Stamford1794 Sir Peter Teazle HighflyerPapillonHoratia EclipseCountessBourdeaux Mare1787 Bourdeaux HerodCygnet MareProphet Mare ProphetViragoGustavus was inbred 4 4 4 4 to Herod and 4 4 to Eclipse meaning that these horses appear four times and twice respectively in the fourth generation of his pedigree References Edit a b Staff 1822 Sporting Intelligence Sporting Magazine 8 144 hdl 2027 nyp 33433066599394 a b Staff April 1899 Some breeding stud reminiscences Baily s Magazine of Sports amp Pastimes 71 274 a b c Youatt William and Cornelius Tongue 1860 The horse London Routledge Warne amp Routledge p 31 gustavus germany derby stallions Staff 1821 Sporting intelligence Sporting Magazine 8 143 hdl 2027 nyp 33433066599394 Staff 8 April 1927 History of gray horses The Daily Racing Form Retrieved 4 February 2012 Black Robert 1893 Horse racing in England a synoptical review London Richard Bently and Son p 249 gustavus crouch trainer Staff 1820 The racing calendar The Sporting Magazine 6 47 hdl 2027 nyp 33433066599402 Weatherby James and Edward 1821 Newmarket Racing Calendar 49 26 hdl 2027 nyp 33433066591227 Weatherby James and Edward 1821 Epsom Racing Calendar 49 42 hdl 2027 nyp 33433066591227 a b c Staff 1821 The racing calendar The Sporting Magazine 8 32 hdl 2027 nyp 33433066599394 a b c Dixon Henry Hall 1914 Scott and Sebright London Frederick Warne and Co p 16 shabby little grey gustavus Sidney Samuel and James Sinclair William Charles and Arlington Blew 1893 The book of the horse London Cassell amp Co p 67 gustavus derby grey Facts and Figures Epsomderby org Archived from the original on 23 December 2011 Retrieved 5 February 2012 Beesley Mike 24 May 2008 Heads and odd tales GREAT DAYS AT EPSOM Lord Derby s luck held on spin of coin Birmingham Mail Retrieved 4 February 2012 Weatherby James and Edward 1821 Doncaster Racing Calendar 49 136 hdl 2027 nyp 33433066591227 Weatherby James and Edward 1821 Doncaster Racing Calendar 49 138 hdl 2027 nyp 33433066591227 Weatherby James and Edward 1821 Houghton Racing Calendar 49 185 hdl 2027 nyp 33433066591227 Weatherby James and Edward 1821 Houghton Racing Calendar 49 188 hdl 2027 nyp 33433066591227 Weatherby James and Edward 1822 Newmarket Craven Racing Calendar 50 10 hdl 2027 nyp 33433066591219 Weatherby James and Edward 1822 Newmarket Racing Calendar 50 22 hdl 2027 nyp 33433066591219 Weatherby James and Edward 1822 Newmarket Racing Calendar 50 26 hdl 2027 nyp 33433066591219 Weatherby James and Edward 1822 Newmarket Racing Calendar 50 159 hdl 2027 nyp 33433066591219 Staff 1822 The racing calendar The Sporting Magazine 11 14 hdl 2027 nyp 33433066599360 Observator 1822 Newmarket October meetings The Sporting Magazine 11 59 hdl 2027 nyp 33433066599360 Weatherby James and Edward 1822 Newmarket Racing Calendar 50 160 hdl 2027 nyp 33433066591219 Weatherby James and Edward 1822 Newmarket Racing Calendar 50 173 hdl 2027 nyp 33433066591219 Weatherby James and Edward 1822 Newmarket Racing Calendar 50 174 hdl 2027 nyp 33433066591219 Weatherby James and Edward 1823 Advertisements of stallions Racing Calendar 51 487 hdl 2027 nyp 33433066591201 Weatherby James and Edward 1823 Advertisements of stallions Racing Calendar 51 501 hdl 2027 nyp 33433066591193 Weatherby Edward and James 1840 Stallions sent abroad The General Stud Book 4 vii hdl 2027 coo 31924066667076 M W February 1842 Notes of a sporting ramble in the north of Germany New Sporting Magazine 3 14 82 Vogler C H 1847 Allgemeines Gestut Buch ein Verzeichnis der Vollblut Pferde nebst ihrer Abstammung Erster Band Volume 1 p 313 Erigero Patricia Gohanna Thoroughbred Heritage Retrieved 4 February 2012 Staff Gustavus 5x Pedigree Retrieved 3 February 2012 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gustavus horse amp oldid 1095725983, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
