Unquestionably the best English colt of his crop and the winner of the 1928 St. Leger Stakes, Fairway might be remembered as even more had he not possessed a high-strung nature that probably cost him the 1928 Derby Stakes. He missed the 1928 Two Thousand Guineas after developing abscesses in his mouth and was also forced to forgo the 1930 Ascot Gold Cup due to injury, leaving an inferior stablemate to take the honors. Fairway was a great success at stud, but—ironically for a horse considered an excellent stayer—was best known for founding a line of brilliant sprinter-milers. In the Americas, his male line was especially influential in the Southern Hemisphere.
Race record
15 starts, 12 wins, 1 second, 0 thirds, £42,722
1927:
1928:
1929:
Honors
Assessments
Co-highweighted on the Free Handicap for English juveniles of 1927 at 126 pounds with Hermit II and Buland.
In their book A Century of Champions (1999, Portway Press, Ltd.), British experts John Randall and Tony Morris rated Fairway as the 12th-best horse to be trained in Great Britain during the 20th century and the 35th-best horse in the world during the same period.
As an individual
A dark bay, Fairway was a lengthy, light-framed, somewhat leggy horse of great quality with a rather high-strung temperament and an effortless way of going.
As a stallion
Fairway led the English general sire list in 1936, 1939, 1943, and 1944; he was also second in 1935, 1937 and 1942, third in 1946 and fifth in 1938 and 1945. He was also the champion English/Irish broodmare sire of 1946 and 1947 and ranked among the top 10 English/Irish broodmare sires on another nine occasions. In addition, Fairway led the English juvenile sire list in 1936, 1937 and 1943. Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (Churchill, Reichard and Rogers) credits Fairway with 44 stakes winners. His progeny tended to have rather delicate constitutions and high-strung temperaments and in general did not stay quite as well as their sire. Fairway is a Brilliant chef-de-race in the Roman dosage system.
Notable progeny
Annetta (GB), Blue Peter (GB), Celestial Way (GB), Fair Copy (GB), Fair Fame (GB), Fair Trial (GB), Full Sail (GB), Garden Path (GB), Hairan (GB), Honeyway (GB), Kingsway II (GB), Meadow (GB), Pay Up (GB), Piccadilly (GB), Portmarnock (GB), Ribbon (GB), Solferino (GB), The Yuvaraj (GB), Tide-Way (GB), Vicinity (GB), Watling Street (GB)
Notable progeny of daughters
Gulf Stream (GB)
Connections
Fairway was bred and owned by the 17th Earl of Derby. He was trained by George Lambton as a juvenile and by Frank Butters at 3 and 4. Fairway was kept in training at age 5 with the Ascot Gold Cup as his target but injured a tendon in training and was retired; his stablemate Bosworth (beaten by Fairway in a trial over the full Cup distance) won the race in Fairway's absence. Entering stud at age 6, Fairway stood at the Earl's Woodlands Stud near Newmarket. He was destroyed in November 1948 after developing paralysis of the hindquarters.
Pedigree notes
Fairway is inbred 4x3 to nine-time English champion sire St. Simon, an unbeaten champion on the race course. He is a full brother to Pharos, a champion sire in both England and France, and to Fair Isle, winner of the 1930 One Thousand Guineas and dam of the good stakes winner St. Magnus (by Sansovino), a good sire in Australia. Fairway is also a half brother to Spithead (by John o' Gaunt), a winner of the Chester Cup.
Scapa Flow, the dam of Fairway and his siblings, was a late-maturing staying filly who won the 1917 Scarborough Stakes (a minor event) at Newmarket as a 3-year-old. She is a half sister to Rothesay Bay (by Bayardo), dam of 1925 Yorkshire Oaks winner Brodick Bay (by Swynford), who in turn is the dam of Eclipse Stakes winner Miracle (by Manna). Through another daughter, stakes-placed Pladda (by Phalaris), Rothesay Bay is also the second dam of Coronation Cup winner Plassy (by Bosworth). In addition, Rothesay Bay produced Sayani Hill (by Sayani), whose daughter Sugihime (by Hindostan) won the 1961 Oka Sho (Japanese One Thousand Guineas).
Scapa Flow's dam Anchora was a rugged, late-maturing, rather coarse mare best described as a mid-level staying handicapper. She was sired by the 1896 Ascot Gold Cup winner Love Wisely from the non-winner Eryholme (by Hazlehatch) and was a half sister to Flying Home (by Flying Orb), dam of three stakes winners.
Books and media
Fun facts
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the collection of Quarter Horse Record (Susan Larkin); used by permission.
Last updated: June 8, 2021
Race record
15 starts, 12 wins, 1 second, 0 thirds, £42,722
1927:
- Won Coventry Stakes (ENG, 6FT, Ascot)
- Won July Stakes (ENG, 6FT, Newmarket)
- Won Champagne Stakes (ENG, 6FT, Doncaster)
1928:
- Won Newmarket Stakes (ENG, 10FT, Newmarket)
- Won Eclipse Stakes (ENG, 10FT, Sandown)
- Won St. Leger Stakes (ENG, 14f+132yT, Doncaster)
- Won Champion Stakes (ENG, 10FT, Newmarket)
1929:
- Won Burwell Stakes (ENG, 12FT, Newmarket)
- Won Rous Memorial Stakes (ENG, Ascot)
- Won Princess of Wales's Stakes (ENG, 12FT, Newmarket)
- Won Champion Stakes (ENG, 10FT, Newmarket)
- Won Jockey Club Cup (ENG, 18FT, Newmarket)
- 2nd Eclipse Stakes (ENG, 10FT, Sandown)
Honors
- 1927 English co-champion 2-year-old male
- 1928 English champion 3-year-old male
- 1929 English champion older male.
Assessments
Co-highweighted on the Free Handicap for English juveniles of 1927 at 126 pounds with Hermit II and Buland.
In their book A Century of Champions (1999, Portway Press, Ltd.), British experts John Randall and Tony Morris rated Fairway as the 12th-best horse to be trained in Great Britain during the 20th century and the 35th-best horse in the world during the same period.
As an individual
A dark bay, Fairway was a lengthy, light-framed, somewhat leggy horse of great quality with a rather high-strung temperament and an effortless way of going.
As a stallion
Fairway led the English general sire list in 1936, 1939, 1943, and 1944; he was also second in 1935, 1937 and 1942, third in 1946 and fifth in 1938 and 1945. He was also the champion English/Irish broodmare sire of 1946 and 1947 and ranked among the top 10 English/Irish broodmare sires on another nine occasions. In addition, Fairway led the English juvenile sire list in 1936, 1937 and 1943. Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (Churchill, Reichard and Rogers) credits Fairway with 44 stakes winners. His progeny tended to have rather delicate constitutions and high-strung temperaments and in general did not stay quite as well as their sire. Fairway is a Brilliant chef-de-race in the Roman dosage system.
Notable progeny
Annetta (GB), Blue Peter (GB), Celestial Way (GB), Fair Copy (GB), Fair Fame (GB), Fair Trial (GB), Full Sail (GB), Garden Path (GB), Hairan (GB), Honeyway (GB), Kingsway II (GB), Meadow (GB), Pay Up (GB), Piccadilly (GB), Portmarnock (GB), Ribbon (GB), Solferino (GB), The Yuvaraj (GB), Tide-Way (GB), Vicinity (GB), Watling Street (GB)
Notable progeny of daughters
Gulf Stream (GB)
Connections
Fairway was bred and owned by the 17th Earl of Derby. He was trained by George Lambton as a juvenile and by Frank Butters at 3 and 4. Fairway was kept in training at age 5 with the Ascot Gold Cup as his target but injured a tendon in training and was retired; his stablemate Bosworth (beaten by Fairway in a trial over the full Cup distance) won the race in Fairway's absence. Entering stud at age 6, Fairway stood at the Earl's Woodlands Stud near Newmarket. He was destroyed in November 1948 after developing paralysis of the hindquarters.
Pedigree notes
Fairway is inbred 4x3 to nine-time English champion sire St. Simon, an unbeaten champion on the race course. He is a full brother to Pharos, a champion sire in both England and France, and to Fair Isle, winner of the 1930 One Thousand Guineas and dam of the good stakes winner St. Magnus (by Sansovino), a good sire in Australia. Fairway is also a half brother to Spithead (by John o' Gaunt), a winner of the Chester Cup.
Scapa Flow, the dam of Fairway and his siblings, was a late-maturing staying filly who won the 1917 Scarborough Stakes (a minor event) at Newmarket as a 3-year-old. She is a half sister to Rothesay Bay (by Bayardo), dam of 1925 Yorkshire Oaks winner Brodick Bay (by Swynford), who in turn is the dam of Eclipse Stakes winner Miracle (by Manna). Through another daughter, stakes-placed Pladda (by Phalaris), Rothesay Bay is also the second dam of Coronation Cup winner Plassy (by Bosworth). In addition, Rothesay Bay produced Sayani Hill (by Sayani), whose daughter Sugihime (by Hindostan) won the 1961 Oka Sho (Japanese One Thousand Guineas).
Scapa Flow's dam Anchora was a rugged, late-maturing, rather coarse mare best described as a mid-level staying handicapper. She was sired by the 1896 Ascot Gold Cup winner Love Wisely from the non-winner Eryholme (by Hazlehatch) and was a half sister to Flying Home (by Flying Orb), dam of three stakes winners.
Books and media
- Fairway is one of 205 stallions whose accomplishments at stud are profiled in Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, The Australian Bloodhorse Review), a massive reference work written by Jennifer Churchill, Andrew Reichard and Byron Rogers.
- Fairway is profiled in Chapter 29 of Abram S. Hewitt's Sire Lines (1977, The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association; updated and re-released by Eclipse Press in 2006).
Fun facts
- Fairway may have owed his Derby Stakes loss to an unruly crowd. As he left the paddock to go to the race course, the colt was mobbed by adoring fans who went so far as to pull hairs from their hero's tail as souvenirs. Fairway became extremely upset and never gave a true account of himself during the race.
- Fairway was actually the mate Federico Tesio sought for his prized mare Nogara in 1934, but Tesio was turned away on the grounds that the stallion's book was already full. Tesio's next choice was Fairway's full brother Pharos, and the result was Nearco, an unbeaten champion on the track, a two-time champion sire in England, and the male-line progenitor of most modern Thoroughbreds.
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the collection of Quarter Horse Record (Susan Larkin); used by permission.
Last updated: June 8, 2021