Leamington (GB)
1853 – May 6, 1878
Faugh-a-Ballagh (IRE) x Pantaloon Mare (GB), by Pantaloon (GB)
Family 14
1853 – May 6, 1878
Faugh-a-Ballagh (IRE) x Pantaloon Mare (GB), by Pantaloon (GB)
Family 14
Precocious enough to be a good winner at 2, Leamington developed into one of the better English stayers of his day. He might have developed a still higher reputation had he not been the victim of both illness and possible betting manipulations as a 3-year-old. His years at stud in England were relatively nonproductive, but it was a different story following his export to the United States. In spite of limited patronage at first, he rose to become America's leading sire in 1875, ending the 15-year reign of Lexington. He went on to lead the American general sire list three more times and got a number of good sire sons.
Race record
25 starts, 8 wins, £6,830
1855:
1856:
1857:
1859:
Assessments
In 1859, after his ability had been fully exposed, Leamington was assigned 114 pounds for the Chester Cup against 126 on Fisherman, who had won the previous year's Ascot Gold Cup and would win the great staying race again in 1859. Leamington won this race easily and had also defeated Fisherman with a 6-pound pull in the weights in the 1857 Goodwood Stakes. On the other side, Leamington was assigned 130 pounds for the 1858 Cesarewitch Stakes, 30 more than was given to Prioress, who was coming in off a win in the Great Yorkshire Handicap. Leamington finished unplaced in this race but was conceding 42 pounds to the winner, while Prioress finished in a dead heat for second and would win the race the following year. Taken as a whole, these results suggest that on his day, Leamington was not far off the best stayers of his generation but was not an absolutely top-class horse.
As an individual
A dark brown horse, Leamington stood over 16 hands. He was considered an exceptionally handsome and well-made individual with clean legs and powerful hindquarters. His action was reportedly excellent. He was game and versatile on the race course, winning at distances from a half-mile to 2½ miles, but his soundness as an older horse may have been questionable as he only managed to make nine starts during his last three full seasons as a racehorse. He was known for a dangerously nasty temperament as a stallion but was affectionate toward his stud groom at Erdenheim Stud, John McClosky, leaving the question open as to how much of his disposition was due to his previous handlers' treatment.
As a stallion
Leamington led the American general sire list in 1875, 1877, 1879 and 1881 and is credited with 25 American-bred stakes winners by Clio Hogan's Index to Stakes Winners 1865-1967; this list does not include Iroquois, who raced in England. Leamington's stud career in England may have been adversely affected by the fact that he stood at the same stud as the popular Newminster, a two-time leading sire in England. His American progeny were noted for their sire's combination of precocity and stamina but were often of questionable soundness and rather coarse. Leamington was noted for being particularly effective when bred to daughters of Lexington, with 16 of his American-bred stakes winners resulting from this cross.
Notable progeny
Aristides (USA), Enquirer (USA), Eolus (USA), Harold (USA), Iroquois (USA), Longfellow (USA), Olitipa (USA), Onondaga (USA), Parole (USA), Saunterer (USA), Sensation (USA), Spinaway (USA)
Connections
Leamington was bred by a Mr. Halford, who sold the colt to a Mr. Higgins after Leamington had won his first race. Following his sale, Leamington was trained by Tom and Edward Parr. Leamington broke down in training as a 7-year-old without having started that year and entered stud at Rawcliffe Paddocks in 1860. In 1865, the Rawcliffe Stud Company was dissolved and Leamington was purchased for 1500 guineas by Sir Roderick Cameron, arriving in New York in the fall of 1865 in a shipment that included the stallions Hartington and Warminster and the mares Jerusalem, Casement, Barta and Eleanor. He stood the 1866 season at General Abe Buford's Bosque Bonita Stud in Woodford County, Kentucky, then spent the next five seasons at various locations in New York and New Jersey. Leamington was purchased by Aristides Welch in 1872 and spent the rest of his life at Welch's Erdenheim Stud near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Pedigree notes
Leamington is inbred 5x5 to the late 18th century sires Alexander, Woodpecker (a four-time runner-up on the English general sire list) and Bagot. His unnamed dam was by the good racehorse and better sire Pantaloon and was produced from Daphne, a daughter of 1828 Doncaster Cup winner Laurel.
Fun facts
Race record
25 starts, 8 wins, £6,830
1855:
- Won Woodcote Stakes (ENG, Warwick)
- Won Chesterfield Stakes (ENG, Derby)
1856:
- Won Wrottesley Stakes (ENG, 4FT, Wolverhampton)
- Won Town Plate (ENG, Warwick)
- Won Stewards' Cup (ENG, 8FT, Shrewsbury)
1857:
- Won Goodwood Stakes (ENG, 20FT, Goodwood)
- Won Chester Cup (ENG, 18FT, Chester)
1859:
- Won Chester Cup (ENG, 18FT, Chester)
- 2nd Queen's Gold Vase (ENG, 16FT, Ascot)
Assessments
In 1859, after his ability had been fully exposed, Leamington was assigned 114 pounds for the Chester Cup against 126 on Fisherman, who had won the previous year's Ascot Gold Cup and would win the great staying race again in 1859. Leamington won this race easily and had also defeated Fisherman with a 6-pound pull in the weights in the 1857 Goodwood Stakes. On the other side, Leamington was assigned 130 pounds for the 1858 Cesarewitch Stakes, 30 more than was given to Prioress, who was coming in off a win in the Great Yorkshire Handicap. Leamington finished unplaced in this race but was conceding 42 pounds to the winner, while Prioress finished in a dead heat for second and would win the race the following year. Taken as a whole, these results suggest that on his day, Leamington was not far off the best stayers of his generation but was not an absolutely top-class horse.
As an individual
A dark brown horse, Leamington stood over 16 hands. He was considered an exceptionally handsome and well-made individual with clean legs and powerful hindquarters. His action was reportedly excellent. He was game and versatile on the race course, winning at distances from a half-mile to 2½ miles, but his soundness as an older horse may have been questionable as he only managed to make nine starts during his last three full seasons as a racehorse. He was known for a dangerously nasty temperament as a stallion but was affectionate toward his stud groom at Erdenheim Stud, John McClosky, leaving the question open as to how much of his disposition was due to his previous handlers' treatment.
As a stallion
Leamington led the American general sire list in 1875, 1877, 1879 and 1881 and is credited with 25 American-bred stakes winners by Clio Hogan's Index to Stakes Winners 1865-1967; this list does not include Iroquois, who raced in England. Leamington's stud career in England may have been adversely affected by the fact that he stood at the same stud as the popular Newminster, a two-time leading sire in England. His American progeny were noted for their sire's combination of precocity and stamina but were often of questionable soundness and rather coarse. Leamington was noted for being particularly effective when bred to daughters of Lexington, with 16 of his American-bred stakes winners resulting from this cross.
Notable progeny
Aristides (USA), Enquirer (USA), Eolus (USA), Harold (USA), Iroquois (USA), Longfellow (USA), Olitipa (USA), Onondaga (USA), Parole (USA), Saunterer (USA), Sensation (USA), Spinaway (USA)
Connections
Leamington was bred by a Mr. Halford, who sold the colt to a Mr. Higgins after Leamington had won his first race. Following his sale, Leamington was trained by Tom and Edward Parr. Leamington broke down in training as a 7-year-old without having started that year and entered stud at Rawcliffe Paddocks in 1860. In 1865, the Rawcliffe Stud Company was dissolved and Leamington was purchased for 1500 guineas by Sir Roderick Cameron, arriving in New York in the fall of 1865 in a shipment that included the stallions Hartington and Warminster and the mares Jerusalem, Casement, Barta and Eleanor. He stood the 1866 season at General Abe Buford's Bosque Bonita Stud in Woodford County, Kentucky, then spent the next five seasons at various locations in New York and New Jersey. Leamington was purchased by Aristides Welch in 1872 and spent the rest of his life at Welch's Erdenheim Stud near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Pedigree notes
Leamington is inbred 5x5 to the late 18th century sires Alexander, Woodpecker (a four-time runner-up on the English general sire list) and Bagot. His unnamed dam was by the good racehorse and better sire Pantaloon and was produced from Daphne, a daughter of 1828 Doncaster Cup winner Laurel.
Fun facts
- Leamington became the first horse to sire winners of both the Kentucky Derby (Aristides, 1875) and Derby Stakes (Iroquois, 1881).
- The New York Times ran an obituary on Leamington following the stallion's death in 1878. This source shows him as having run five times at 2, 10 times at 3, five times at 4, once at 5, and four times at 6, for a total of 25 starts.