Amphion (1886 – 30 October 1906) was a British

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse. He won some minor races as a two-year-old, but was not entered into any of the

Classics Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

. As a three-year-old he won several races including the Great Jubilee Stakes. He improved again as a four-year-old, winning the

Hardwicke Stakes The Hardwicke Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards (2,406 metres), and ...

Lancashire Plate The Lancashire Plate was a flat horse race in Great Britain open to Thoroughbreds aged two years and over. It was run over seven furlongs at Manchester Racecourse in September from 1888 to 1893. It was one of the most valuable races in the country ...

and

Champion Stakes The Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlong ...

, beating several classic winners in the process. He remained in training as a five-year-old, winning the March Stakes and

Rous Memorial Stakes The Rous Memorial Stakes was a flat horse race in Great Britain open to Thoroughbreds aged three years and over. It was run at Ascot Racecourse in June. History The Rous Memorial Stakes at Ascot was first run in 1878 as a one-mile race with a sub ...

. Amphion was trained by Mr. Chandler and owned by General Byrne. As a stallion he sired several top class horses including the sprinter Sundridge, Champion Stakes winner Dieudonne and

Eclipse Stakes The Eclipse Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown P ...

winner Lally.

Background

Amphion was a

chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. The unrelat ...

colt Colt(s) or COLT may refer to: *Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age People * Colt (given name) *Colt (surname) Places *Colt, Arkansas, United States *Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United States ...

foaled in 1886 and bred by G. S. Thompson. He was sired by either Speculum or his son Rosebery. Speculum was champion sire of Great Britain in 1878, when his son Sefton won the

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...

. Rosebery won both the Cesarewitch Handicap and Cambridgeshire Handicap in 1876. The uncertainty over his paternity was due to Speculum dying shortly after covering Amphion's

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...

. His dam then came in

heat In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is al ...

and she was covered again by Rosebery. Amphion's dam was Suicide, a daughter of

Hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Ch ...

. Amphion was purchased for General Byrne by Mr. Chandler as a

yearling Yearling may refer to: *Yearling (horse), a horse between one and two years old *''The Yearling ''The Yearling'' is a novel by American writer Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, published in March 1938. It was the main selection of the Book of the Mo ...

for 350 guineas. Chandler trained him throughout his racing career.

Racing career

1888: Two-year-old season

Amphion's first race was the five-furlong Spring Two-year-old Race at Croyden on 20 April 1888. He started as the 2/1 favourite, with

L'Abbesse de Jouarre L'Abbesse de Jouarre (1886 – 6 March 1897) was a Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1889 Epsom Oaks. The horse was owned by Lord Randolph Churchill and the Earl of Dunraven during her three-year racing career. She was nicknamed "Absces ...

next at 5/2. Amphion won the race by three

lengths Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the Intern ...

from Ravenswood, with third placed Outcry a further two lengths behind. On 27 June he started as the odds-on favourite for the Champagne Stakes at Stockbridge. He was near the fore in the early stages of the five-furlong race and in the last few hundred yards he pulled away to win by a length from Kettlebury. One month later Amphion started as the 1/2 favourite for the Great Kingston Two-year-old race at

Sandown Park Sandown Park is a horse racing course and leisure venue in Esher, Surrey, England, located in the outer suburbs of London. It hosts 5 Grade One National Hunt races and one Group 1 flat race, the Eclipse Stakes. It regularly has horse racing ...

. Ridden by Tom Cannon, he won the race easily by two lengths from Yard Arm. In October he carried top weight for the seven-furlong Champion Nursery Handicap at Kempton Park. He was near the rear of the field from the start of the race and never challenged the leaders, finishing in seventh place behind winner Fleur de Lys. In his final race of the season he carried top weight again for the Chesterfield Nursery Handicap at the Derby November Meeting. The race was won by Eulalia and Amphion was unable to finish in the top ten.

1889: Three-year-old season

In April 1889 he started as the 5/2 favourite to win the Doveridge Handicap at Derby. He got to the front with a quarter of a mile left to run and went on to win by one and a half lengths from the colt Johnny Morgan. In May he started as a 100/8 outsider for the Great Jubilee Stakes, run over one mile at Kempton Park. He got away to a good start and led the field, but was soon overtaken by Screech Owl, with

Orbit In celestial mechanics, an orbit is the curved trajectory of an object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an artificial satellite around an object or position in space such as a p ...

following Amphion in third place. The first two places remained unchanged and Amphion moved up and overtook Screech Owl with about 300 yards left to run. Amphion then pulled away to win by three lengths from Screech Owl, with The Rejected a similar distance behind Screech Owl in third place. At

Royal Ascot Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races and ...

he started as the odds-on favourite for the five-furlong Fern Hill Stakes. In the early stages of the race he was second, behind leader L'Abbe Morin. Amphion closed right up to L'Abbe Morin with a quarter of a mile left to run. He overtook him in the closing stages to win easily by one and a half lengths. At

Glorious Goodwood Goodwood Racecourse is a horse-racing track five miles north of Chichester, West Sussex, in England controlled by the family of the Duke of Richmond, whose seat is nearby Goodwood House. It hosts the annual Glorious Goodwood meeting in late ...

he started at the odds of 100/14 for the six-furlong Stewards' Cup. As the field entered the closing stages of the race he closing in on leader Dog Rose (who was carrying a stone less weight), but just failed to catch him by a neck. Noble Chieftain was three quarters of a lengths behind Amphion in third place. At the Newmarket Houghton Meeting, Amphion finished second in the Free Handicap Sweepstakes, two lengths behind winner Ormuz. His final race as a three-year-old came in late November in the Manchester Handicap, run over one mile and six furlongs at Manchester Racecourse. He could not challenge the leaders and finished a long way behind winner Fallow Chat.

1890: Four-year-old season

On 25 April 1890 he carried top wright in the Esher Stakes at Sandown Park. He never challenged the leaders but kept on to finish fourth behind winner Sainfoin. In May he attempted to win a second Great Jubilee Stakes and was challenging until the final furlong, when he faded and finished in fifth place behind winner The Imp. On 19 June at Royal Ascot, Lord George was his only opponent for the New Biennial Stakes. Amphion stayed behind Lord George until they entered the final furlong, where he pulled clear to win by one and a half lengths. The following day he started in the

. Sainfoin, who had since won the

, was the even money favourite.

Surefoot Surefoot (1887 – 1904) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire whose exceptional racing ability was combined with a violent and unpredictable temperament. As a juvenile in 1889 he was regarded as the best colt of his generation in E ...

, who had won the

2000 Guineas The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) and scheduled to take place each year at ...

, was next in the betting at 2/1. Amphion was priced at 6/1, with the other two runners, Hayraddin and Nunthorpe both on offer at 20/1. Hayraddin led Sainfoin and Amphion away from the start. After half a mile had been run Surefoot took third as Amphion dropped back. In the finishing straight Sainfoin pulled clear and was followed by Surefoot and Amphion. With one furlong left to run Surefoot began to fade and Amphion had drawn level with Sainfoin. Amphion took the lead and won by a length from Sainfoin, with Surefoot a further four lengths back in third place. On 8 September he started as the 11/8 favourite for the £11,000

at Manchester and was ridden by Tom Cannon. After the nine-runner field had run a furlong Amphion was in sixth place, with the

filly A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, t ...

by Foxhall leading the race by a couple of lengths. As they turned into the finishing straight, the Foxhall filly was just leading from Martago, with

Orvieto Orvieto () is a city and ''comune'' in the Province of Terni, southwestern Umbria, Italy, situated on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff. The city rises dramatically above the almost-vertical faces of tuff cliffs that are compl ...

in third place. At this point Orvieto swerved off the racing line and cut back in again. This caused interference to Amphion (who was nearly brought down), St. Serf and Orion. For a short time Cannon lost hold of the reins, but soon recovered. As they entered the final furlong, Margaton drew up to the long-time leader, the pair being just in front of Amphion. Cannon then asked Amphion for an effort and he took the lead and went on to win by one and a half lengths from Margaton. The Foxhall filly was third and Orion fourth. On 9 October, it was sunny at Newmarket, and the ground was hard. Only Amphion, Blue Green and Memoir started in the

Champion Stakes The Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlong ...

. Blue Green led from Memoir in the early stages, with Amphion a couple of lengths behind the pair. Blue Green faded away with over two furlongs to run and Memoir took over the lead. Amphion then closed up to Memoir and drew past to win easily by three lengths from Memoir, with Blue Green (who finished lame) a distant third. At the Newmarket Houghton meeting he finished second to Sheen in a £1,000 Plate. The pair had started as joint-favourites, but Sheen pulled away in the final two furlongs to win by three lengths.

1891: Five-year-old season

Amphion reappeared as a four-year-old in the March Stakes at Newmarket on 30 April 1891. He started as the 5/2 favourite for the one-mile race, in which Cannon placed him at the rear of the field, which was led by Star and Le Nord. At the halfway point, Amphion had made up some ground and was just behind the leaders. He then went past them and won by one and a half lengths from the colt Mark Price, who was a neck in front of third placed Mons Meg. At Royal Ascot in June he faced only two rivals in the

. He started as a long odds-on favourite and had the race won by the halfway point, cantering home to win by two lengths from Signorina. He then walked over for the Stockbridge Cup later in the month. On 23 September he ran in the Leicestershire Royal Handicap, which was run over about one mile at Leicester Racecourse. He was assigned a weight of 10 st 7 lb, with the next horse in the weights being Reverend at 8 st 12 lb. By the end of his racing career he was won 14 of his 24 starts and earned almost £21,000 in prize money.

Assessment

At the end of 1889 many people thought Amphion was a better horse than

Donovan Donovan Phillips Leitch (born 10 May 1946), known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter, and record producer. He developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelic rock and world mus ...

, who had won several top races that year, including the Derby,

St. Leger The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a d ...

and Lancashire Plate.

Stud career

General Byrne declined an offer of 20,000 guineas for Amphion. By the beginning of 1892 he had a full book of

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

s for both the 1892 and 1893 seasons at a fee of 150 guineas. In 1894 he moved from the Royal Stud to Compton Stud in Sandley near Gillingham. He became a successful stallion and his best racing progeny were: * Amphora (1893) – won the

Gimcrack Stakes The Gimcrack Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts and geldings. It is run at York over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to t ...

as a two-year-old and the Stewards' Cup as a four-year-old. * Altesse (1894) – won the Stewards' Cup in 1898. * Dieudonne (1895) – won the

Middle Park Plate The Middle Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is s ...

in 1897, the St. George Stakes in 1898 and the Champion Stakes in 1899. * Sundridge (1898) – a top sprinter whose wins included three

July Cup The July Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres ...

s and two King's Stand Stakes. Sundridge was also a successful stallion, becoming champion sire of Great Britain in 1911, the year his son

Sunstar ''SunStar'' (also written as ''Sun Star''), stylized as SUNSTAR (formerly SUN•STAR), is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines. The newspaper is based in Cebu City Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sug ...

won the 2000 Guineas and Derby. * Lally (1903) – won the

Eclipse Stakes The Eclipse Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown P ...

. Amphion had to be put down on 30 October 1906, after suffering from

paralysis Paralysis (also known as plegia) is a loss of motor function in one or more muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage. In the United States, roughly 1 in 50 ...

in his hind quarters.

Pedigree

''Note: b. =

Bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...

, br. =

Brown Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing or painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors orange and black. In the RGB color model used ...

, ch. =

Chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. The unrelat ...

'' * Amphion was inbred 4 × 4 × 5 to Touchstone. This means that the stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree. He was also inbred 3 × 3 to Newminster.

References

{{reflist, colwidth=30em 1886 racehorse births 1906 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Thoroughbred family 12-c