Sire Sultan Dam Cobweb Foaled 1833 Species Equus caballus Sex Stallion | Grandsire Selim Damsire Phantom Died 17 November 1857 Parents Sultan | |
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Country United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Owners George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey, Lord George Bentinck Children Andover, The Flying Dutchman | ||
Bay Middleton (1833 – 17 November 1857) was an undefeated Thoroughbred racehorse whose victories included two British Classic Races. He was twice the Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland.
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Breeding
Bay Middleton's breeding was superb. His sire, Sultan, ran from age two to eight, winning the July Stakes, the Trial Stakes (Newmarket) twice, and came second in the Derby. At stud, he was Leading Sire from 1832 to 1837, during which time he sired Glencoe, Achmet, Ibrahim, Augustus, Galata, Green Mantle and Destiny. Selim, was not only beautiful, but won several races including Newmarket's Oatlands twice.
Bay Middleton's dam, Cobweb, was referred to as the "Queen of racing mares." She was undefeated on the turf, winning the Oaks and the 1000 Guineas. Cobweb was a granddaughter of the great mare, Web, who also produced the Derby winner Middleton, the influential Trampoline (1825, also dam of the 2000 Guineas winner Glencoe), and Cobweb's dam Filagree (1815). Bay Middleton was Cobweb's seventh foal.
Filagree went on to produce two 1000 Guineas winners: Charlotte West and Clementina. Clementia was also a successful broodmare, and from her descends the filly Jest, the St. Leger Stakes winner Black Jester, Royal Palace, 2000 Guineas and Grand Prix de Paris winner Paradox, and the broodmare La Troienne. Filagree also produced two 2000 Guineas winning sons, Riddlesworth and Achment (1834); six winners of the Riddlesworth Stakes, and the stallion Young Emilius (1828, by Emilius), who was sold to France where he got Prix du Jockey Club winner Amalfi and Fitz-Emilius.
Conformation
Bay Middleton had, as his name suggests, a bay coat, which was mottled and darkened as he aged, and three white coronary bands. He had a good shoulder, well laid back, and strong hindquarters and gaskins, but the 16 hands and 1½ inches high colt also had weak loins and a very short back. Like his grandsire, Selim, he had a beautiful head and arching neck.
Racing record
Bay Middleton was a difficult horse to ride, and Lord Jersey had to beg the great jockey James Robinson (who had ridden five Derby winners) to try him. Their first ride did not go well, as Bay Middleton broke his martingale and bolted. However, Robinson continued to ride the horse throughout his one-season career, in 1836.
In his first race, the Riddlesworth Stakes (Newmarket Craven) he defeated five other horses in the "commonest of canters. " He was in good company that day, beating Mendicant, the 1000 Guineas winner Destiny (by Sultan), and Magician (by Zinganee). Bay Middleton won his second race with walk over, for £150, before taking the 2000 Guineas (Newmarket), defeated Elis and four others at a speed which was is debated to have been a new record. He then won the Epsom Derby by two lengths, to beat 21 horses including Gladiator, Slane, and Venison. His next race was in the Buckhurst Stakes at Ascot, where he won in a canter.
At the Grand Duke Michael Stakes, 21 horses withdrew to leave only Bay Middleton and St. Leger winner Elis. Bay Middleton pulled ahead, being hit once with the whip—the single time it was used in his career—to win by a length. The colt finished his race career with a match at Newmarket Houghton against Muezzin for 300 guineas. Despite carrying the greater weight, he won "with ridiculous ease."
Following this race, he was sold to Lord George Bentinck for 4000 guineas, who wished to run the colt in the Ascot Gold Cup. However, this dream was never realized as Bay Middleton had physical problems with one of his forelegs, attributed to either the tendons or to a broken bone in his hoof. So he was retired and sent to stud.
Stud record
Due to his fine bloodlines and excellent track record, Bay Middleton covered some very good quality mares. However, his get were average, and he was considered a failure at stud. Despite this fact, he managed to make to be the Leading Sire for two years: 1844 (48 winners) and 1849 (28 winners). He also got four classic winners, in The Flying Dutchman, The Hermit, Andover, and Aphrodite, but many of his get had a tendency to roar, and he also seemed to pass on club-footedness to his offspring (possibly due to the Soothsayer blood in his veins).
Bay Middleton stood at the brand-new Bentinck's stud, first for a fee of 30 guineas, which would drop during his breeding career to 10 guineas, before it reached 50 guineas at the end of his career. His ownership also changed during this time, as he was sold to E.L. Mostyn after Bentinck died in 1848. He died himself after an illness on 17 November 1857, and was buried near his stall door.
His important progeny included: