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English Family Quick Links
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Family 27: Spanker Mare
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VIEW DESCENT CHART
The first mention of this family is the General Stud Book listing for the Farmer Mare, by King William's White Barb, Chillaby, and out of a Byerley Turk mare who was out of a mare by Spanker. The Farmer Mare has eight foals listed in the General Book, the breeding of all of them credit to Lord Halifax. This would have been George Montagu, Earl Halifax (Second Creation), the nephew of the first Chancellor of the Exchequer and brilliant politican, Charles Montagu, the Earl of Halifax (First Creation).
The Chancellor, who died in 1715, had been a racing fan and horse breeder, whose horses ran in the North and at Newmarket. He purchased the keepership of three parks, combined into an entity called Bushy (sometimes Bushey) Park, at Hampton Court from the Duchess of Cleveland in 1708, and maintained a residence there. It is almost certain that the Farmer Mare was lodged at Bushy Park or Hampton Court; her first listed foal's name is Bushy Molly, and all her foals were by stallions standing at Hampton Court. The younger Montagu was also a keen sportsman whose horses ran with success: Bumper (1718), Red Robin (1720) and Antelope (1726), sons of the Farmer Mare, won races at Newmarket and elsewhere.
The Farmer Mare's dam, a daughter of the Byerley Turk, was bred by Sir William Ramsden of Byram Hall, near Ferrybridge in Yorkshire, a breeder with significant impact on thoroughbred breeding in the years immediately preceding and following the turn of the century. Ramsden owned or controlled the breeding of several mares by the Byerley Turk who subsequently became important in the stud book, including one important early in the family of the Tregonwell Natural Barb (Family 1), who is associated with John Lowther, Viscount Lonsdale, whose daughter was married to Sir William. |
Spanker Mare's
Known Produce:
Mare by Byerley Turk. Dam of
Farmer Mare by Chillaby. Dam of
f. Bushy Molly (1717) by (Hampton Court) Litton (or Lytton) Arabian. Dam of
f. (1732) by Childers
f. (17--) by son of Bartlett's Childers
f. Bushy Molly (1737) by Hampton Court Childers.
c. Bumper (1718) by Litton (or Lytton) Arabian.
c. Red Robin (1720) by Litton (or Lytton) Arabian.
f. Miss Halifax (1724) by Litton (or Lytton) Arabian.
c. Antelope (1726) by Mr. Howe's Persian.
c. Robin (1727) by a foreign horse at Hampton Court called King's Grey Arabian.
f. (1728) by a foreign horse at Hampton Court called King's Grey Arabian.
c. (1731) by the Roan Barb |
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FAMILY #27 NOTABLE DESCENDANTS
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Family #27 Derby Winners
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Phosphorus |
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1837 PHOSPHORUS b.c. 1834
(Lamplighter - Mare by Rubens) |
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Family #27 St. Leger Winners
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Pero Gomez |
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1869 PERO GOMEZ b.c. 1866
(Beadsman - Salamanca) |
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Family #27 Other Family Members
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Adam's Apple |
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Alsab |
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Biribi |
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Brantome |
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Prime Minister |
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Saunterer |
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Semendria |
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Adam's Apple b.c. 1924
(Pommern - Mount Whistle) At 2 he won the Soltykoff Stakes, and was third in two other stakes races; at age 3 he won the 2,000 Guineas, beating a field of twenty-three, including Sickle and Derby winner Call Boy, his only placing in four starts. Sent to stud in Argentina, where he had some success as a sire, getting the good fillies Chimentera (Chilean Oaks) and La Bastille (Chilean Oaks, Chilean Derby). There were a number of good winners in Austria descending from the family of his fourth dam, Salamanca. |
Alsab b.c. 1939
(Good Goods - Winds Chant) Unfashionably-bred colt won 15 of his 22 starts at age 2, including the Champagne Stakes and a match race over 6 1/2 furlongs against Requested, which earned him juvenile champion in the U.S. He went on to run in 25 races at age 3, his best wins the Preakness Stakes, the Withers Stakes, the Lawrence Realization, the American Derby, the New York Handicap. He placed second eleven times, including the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes (both times beaten by Shut Out), and the Jockey Club Gold Cup (beaten by Whirlaway). Despite beating Whirlaway in two of three meetings, he lost the Horse of the Year vote to him in 1942. His offspring included Alaris, who won at age 2, with 19 starts; the good race filly Alsab's Day (Marguerite Stakes, Pollyanna Stakes); the long-running top handicapper Armageddon; and juvenile champion Myrtle Charm, dam of the excellent race filly Myrtle's Jet and third dam, through daughter Fair Charmer, of Seattle Slew. |
Biribi gr. c. 1923
(Rabelais - La Bidouze) A handsome 16.2 hand grey, Biribi won six of his fourteen races at ages 2 and 3, including the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the Prix Royal Oak, and placing second six times, including the Grand Prix de Paris. Sired the top French 3 year old Le Pacha, also winner of the Arc and Prix Royal Oak, among others; the speedy Un Gaillard, who won eleven of twenty races, ages 2 to 5; and other good runners and producers. |
Brantome b. c. 1931
(Blandford - Vitamine) Unbeaten French champion at ages 2 and 3, he ranked "among the best horses ever seen on the French Turf, or indeed in any country." His wins included the French 2,000 Guineas; the Prix Lupin, the Prix Royal Oak, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and eight other races in his fourteen starts. His dam, Vitamine, was a winner of four races at ages 2 and 3. He sired chef de race Vieux Manoir, winner of the Grand Prix de Paris and runner up in the Doncaster St. Leger, and leading sire in France. Also got the winning stayer Omphale (Prix Godolphin), dam of Celadon; good French two year old Dragon Blanc, a sire in Brazil; the winner and producer Aurora Boreale, and many more. |
Pero Gomez br. c. 1866
(Beadsman - Salamanca) Genuine classic horse who won the Middle Park Plate at age 2. At age 3 won the Biennial at Newmarket Craven, the Ascot Derby, the Doncaster St. Leger, the Doncaster Stakes, and several walk-overs, placing second to Pretender in the Derby (later beating him in the St. Leger and Doncaster Stakes); in his last race at 3, a free handicap at Newmarket, he placed third while conceding 32 lbs to the winner and 26 lbs to the horse who ran second. Son Peregrine won the 2,000 Guineas and was runner-up in the Derby. Daughter Titania was ancestress of Chateau Bouscaut and Rodosto; another daughter, Connie, was second dam of Winkipop (2,000 Guineas) and Third Trick, and Santoi (Ascot Gold Cup, sire of stayers) through a second daughter.
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Phosphorus b. c. 1834
(Lamplighter - Mare by Rubens) One of a number of top horses from the unnamed Rubens mare. Started at 3, he won a small race before winning the Epsom Derby, which he ran despite being so lame priot to it that the crack jockey John Day declined the ride on him. Purchased to Hanover by the Duke of Brunswick, he was too lame to race again, and was retired to the Hanover royal stud. His sisters May-day and Firebrand both won the 1,000 Guineas; May-day later broke down in the running of the Oaks, and was shot. Half-sister Care sent the family forward.
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Prime Minister br. c. 1848
(Melbourne - Pantalonade) Hard-knocking horse raced for five years, his wins included the Clearwell Stakes at age 2; several wins and placings in minor races at age 3 (unplaced in the Derby); the Port Stakes at Newmarket and several other plates and handicaps at 4. Got the Chester Cup winner and sire, Knight of the Garter; Pitteri, second dam of 1901 St. Leger winner Doricles; and a few others that bred on. |
Saunterer bl. c. 1854
(Birdcatcher - Ennui) Handsome 15.3 hand tall horse with "blood-like" head and "true Birdcatcher hocks," with legs "always as clean as a foal's." At age 2 he won the Hopeful Stakes at Doncaster, the Eresby Stakes at Richmond, and several other races, placing second in a number of races. At age 3 his best wins were the Eglinton Stakes at Doncaster; the Chester Handicap, and several high stakes match races, but he failed to place in the Derby. At age 4 and under new ownership, he won the Craven Stakes, the Goodwood Cup, the Fitzwilliam Stakes and The Whip at Newmarket. He was a disappointment at stud, but he did get some good fillies, including Oaks winner Gamos, and the French Oaks and Grand St. Leger de France winner Little Agnes. |
Semendria gr. f. 1897
(Le Sancy - Czardas) "One of the great fillies of 20th Century French turf history," she won in France and Germany, including the Grand Prix de Paris, the Grosser Preis von Baden-Baden, and the French 1,000 Guineas. Her only produce of note was daughter La Bidassoa, a decent handicap horse, second dam of Biribi. |
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