Escape (c. 1785) was a British thoroughbred racehorse bred by the Prince of Wales, later George IV. According to M. Dorothy George, by his final races in 1791 he was "reputed the best horse on the turf". In 1791 a sanction from the Jockey Club over two races, one lost as favourite and another a day later won at higher odds, resulted in the prince leaving Newmarket, never to return.
Escape was foaled around 1785, out of Sister to Nanette by Highflyer, in the stables of the Prince of Wales. [1] His pedigree includes King Herod, Squirrel, Tartar, Blank, [1] and the Godolphin Arabian. [2] He was a bay. [3]
The prince sold the as-yet-unnamed colt to a Mr. Franco for 95 guineas in 1786. [1] Franco named the colt Escape after the colt kicked out boards in his stall and one of his legs became trapped, but was freed unharmed, escaping injury. [1]
Escape ran for Franco as a 3-year-old in two races; in his second, in 1789, he beat the prince's horse Canto Baboo, and the prince purchased him back from Franco for 200 guineas. [1] He ran for the prince from then until he retired from racing to stand at stud. [1]
In fifteen starts he had ten wins and three places. [2] According to George, by his final races in 1791 he was "reputed the best horse on the turf". [4]
On 20 October 1791, Escape started the last two miles of Newmarket's Ditch in Course as 2/1 on favourite and finished fourth and last against Mr Dawson's Coriander, Lord Grosvenor's Skylark and Lord Clermont's Pipator, two of which were considered inferior horses, losing a 60 guineas purse. [4] [5] [6]
On 21 October, Escape ran four miles of Newmarket's Beacon Course at odds of 5/1 against Alderman, Chanticleer, Grey Diomed, Harpator, and Skylark, winning 60 guineas. [1] [5]
The reversal of form raised suspicions against the prince's private jockey, Samuel Chifney, of losing on purpose to raise the odds. [7] Jockey Club stewards Charles Bunbury, Ralph Dutton and Thomas Panton told the prince that if he continued to employ Chifney, "no gentleman would start against him". [4] [6] The prince instead announced he would no longer race at all. [1] He sold his stable and, despite pleas from the Jockey Club, never returned to Newmarket. [4] [8]
According to George, the prince's 1831 biographer Robert Huish said the incident had "damaged his reputation as a man of honour more than any other event of his life". [9]
Emigrant (c. 1794) won the July Stakes. Jonah (c.1795) raced until 1801 and was purchased by an American buyer to stand at stud. [1]
Highflyer was an undefeated Thoroughbred racehorse and a very successful sire of the 18th century.
Dutch Oven (1879–1894) was a British Thoroughbred mare that won the 1882 St. Leger Stakes. Raced extensively as a two-year-old, she won nine races and £9429, but her form faltered in her late three and four-year-old seasons. Retired in 1884, Dutch Oven was not considered to be a success in the stud, but her offspring exported to Australia and Argentina did produce successful racehorses.
Samuel "Sam" Chifney, also known as Sam Chifney Sr., Sam Chifney the Elder or Old Sam Chifney to distinguish him from his son, was an English jockey. He was a pioneer of professional race-riding, developing a trademark late finishing style, known as the 'Chifney rush' and was the retained jockey of the Prince of Wales. He became the leading horseman of his day, winning four runnings of the Oaks and one of the Derby, but his career ended in ignominy after a scandal around a ride on the Prince of Wales's horse, Escape. Despite inventing a bit for horses that is still in use today, he died in debtors' prison in London.
Waxy was a British Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1793 Epsom Derby and was an influential sire in the late eighteenth and early part of the nineteenth century. Waxy was bred by Sir Ferdinando Poole and was foaled at Lewes in 1790. He was sired by Pot-8-Os, a son of the foundation stallion Eclipse, whose genetic lineage traced to the Darley Arabian. Waxy's dam, Maria, was sired by the influential stallion Herod and produced one full-brother to Waxy, who was named Worthy. Waxy derived his name from a variety of potato, a choice that was inspired by his sire's name. Trained by Robert Robson, Waxy won nine races out of 15 starts during his four-year racing career, retiring from racing at the age of seven in 1797 after sustaining an injury during his last start.
Plenipotentiary (1831–1854) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from April 1834 to April 1835 he ran seven times and won six races. His most important win came in May 1834 when he won The Derby. His only defeat, in the St Leger at Doncaster later that year, was widely believed to be the result of foul play. After three successes as a four-year-old in 1835 he was retired to stud where his record was disappointing. Plenipotentiary was regarded by racing experts as one of the best British racehorses of his era.
Priam (1827–1847) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from April 1830 to July 1832 he ran nineteen times and won seventeen races, including four walkovers. Unraced as a two-year-old he won seven of his eight starts in 1830 most notably The Derby. He continued to win major races, including successive runnings of the Goodwood Cup for the next two seasons before being retired to stud. He proved to be a successful sire of winners in both Britain and the United States. Priam was regarded by experts as one of the best horses to have raced in England up to that time.
Mameluke was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from April 1827 to October 1829 he ran thirteen times and won seven races. Unraced as a two-year-old, he proved himself to be one of the best colts of his generation in 1827 when he won The Derby and finished second in the St Leger. Both races were surrounded by allegations of race-fixing and corruption. Mameluke raced with some success at four and five before retiring to stud. He was not a great success as a stallion.
Young Eclipse was a Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1781 Epsom Derby. He raced until he was six years old, winning seven races and retiring to stud in 1785. He was not a successful sire.
Tiresias (1816–1837) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from April 1819 to July 1820 he ran thirteen times, all but two of them at Newmarket and won eleven races. Both of his defeats came when he was attempting to concede weight to opponents in match races. His most important win came in May 1819 when he won the Derby. Tiresias's racing career was ended by injury in the summer of 1820, after which he was retired to stud.
Sam was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from April 1818 to May 1819 he ran nine times and won three races. In May 1818 he defeated fifteen opponents to record his most important win in The Derby. His only other wins came in a walkover and a match race. After running without success as a four-year-old, Sam was retired to stud but made no impact as a sire of winners.
Rhadamanthus was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from April 1790 to 1793 he ran nine times and won five races. In the summer of 1790 he proved himself one of the best British colts of his generation, winning The Derby while still undefeated. He raced until the age of six, winning three further races. All of his runs apart from the Derby were at Newmarket.
Skyscraper (1786–1807) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. One of many notable offspring of the great Highflyer, Skyscraper is best known for winning The Derby of 1789. He competed until he was seven, when after losing two races he was retired to stud.
Eager was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. In a career that lasted from April 1791 to July 1795 he ran twenty-two times and won ten races. In 1791 he proved himself one of the best British colts of his generation, by winning The Derby and four other races. Eager won a further four races in 1792, but the level of his form declined thereafter and he won only one race in his last three seasons. Towards the end of his racing career he was gelded.
Sir Thomas was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. In a career that lasted from October 1787 to May 1790 he ran thirteen or fourteen times and won nine or ten races. In 1788 he became the first horse owned by a member of the British royal family to win The Derby, having been bought as a two-year-old by the Prince of Wales who later became King George IV. Following his win in the Derby, Sir Thomas raced in the Prince's ownership with some success until 1790.
Aimwell was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. In a career that lasted from autumn 1784 to spring 1786, he ran eight times and won five races. In 1785, he won the sixth running of the Epsom Derby as well as three races at Newmarket. He was beaten in his only race in 1786, and did not appear in any subsequent records.
Saltram (1780–1802) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from spring 1783 to May 1785 he ran eight times and won four races. In 1783 he won the fourth running of The Derby on his third racecourse appearance. He won one race in 1784 and was then sold to George, Prince of Wales for whom he won a race at Newmarket in 1785 before being retired to stud. After having some success as a stallion in England he was exported to the United States where he died in 1802.
Black Jester (1911–1928) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire, best known for winning the Classic St Leger Stakes in 1914. The colt won nine times from twenty-three races in a track career which lasted from 1913 until October 1915. Black Jester was one of the leading two-year-olds of 1913 when he won both Molecomb Stakes and the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood. As a three-year-old he finished third in the 2000 Guineas and was unplaced in The Derby before winning the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood and the St Leger at Doncaster in September. In 1915 he won the City and Suburban Handicap and the June Stakes, a wartime substitute for the Coronation Cup. He became increasingly difficult to train and at the end of the season he was retired to stud where he became a successful sire of broodmares.
Petrarch was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire who won two British Classic Races in 1876. In a career that lasted from October 1875 to October 1878 he ran sixteen times and won eight races. In 1875, Petrarch won the Middle Park Stakes on his only appearance of the season. As a three-year-old in 1876 he won two of the three races which comprise the Triple Crown, taking the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and the St Leger at Doncaster. He finished unplaced when favourite for The Derby. As a four-year-old he won three races including the two and a half mile Ascot Gold Cup which at that time was regarded as the most important weight-for-age race in the world. Petrarch was regarded by contemporary experts as a brilliant, but inconsistent performer. After winning once as a five-year-old in 1878 he was retired to stud where he became a successful sire of winners.
Sorcery was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won the classic Oaks Stakes at Epsom Downs Racecourse in 1811. In a racing career which lasted from April 1811 to July 1814 the filly ran twenty-six times, winning twelve races and finishing placed on eleven occasions. Sorcery won the Oaks on her third racecourse appearance and went on to win other important races including the Epsom Gold Cup, the Trial Stakes, two editions of the Oatlands Stakes, a King's Plate and several match races. After her retirement from racing she became a successful broodmare, being the dam of the 1828 Epsom Derby winner Cadland.
Samuel Chifney Jr. was an English jockey. He was the younger son of a prominent 18th century jockey, also called Samuel Chifney. In terms of talent, he reportedly outshone all his peers, but "he owned a self-destruct button and had a fatal tendency to press it". This failing meant "his talent was not converted into the kind of concrete achievement that stands the test of time".