The Founding Fathers of all Thoroughbreds racing today.
A brief guide
(set to view on Mobiles)
DARLEY ARABIAN. b.c. 1700.
Champion Sire 1722. 15 hands, bought by Thomas Darley, a Merchant Agent in Aleppo, Syria. Stood near York.
Sire of Flying Childers b,c 1714, the first truly great racehorse, and his older brother Bartlet’s Childers b.c. 1716, ex Betty Leeds and both Champion Sires.
BYERLEY TURK br.c 1684.
Thought to be an Arabian taken from the Turkish Army at Buda in 1687.
Ridden by Captain Robert Byerley in the Battle of the Boyne 1690 and later stood near York 1697. His most notable offspring was Jigg (-. c. c 1701) ex daughter of Spanker, the sire of Partner (ch. 1718), won 4 races and four-times Champion Sire between 1737-1743).
ALCOCK ARABIAN gr.c. 1704.
Champion Sire 1728.
Purchased in 1722 by the 2nd Duke of Ancaster.
Except for a tiny minority every grey thoroughbred we see today inherits their greyness, generation by generation from the Alcock Arabian.
His most notable offspring was Crab gr.c. 1722, Champion Sire in 1748, 1749, 1750.
GODOLPHIN ARABIAN b.c. 1724. Champion Sire 1738, 1745 and 1747.
Foaled in Yemen. 14.3 hands. One of four horses presented to the King of France by the Bey of Tunis.
Fifty years from his death in 1753, every one of the first 76 British Classic winners had at least one strain of him in their pedigree.
Godolphin Arabian (b.c. 1724)
For more racing history see Michael’s Books for Sale.
To see Michael’s TV interviews go to the foot of About Michael