Diamond Jubilee (horse)
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Diamond Jubilee (1897 – 10 July 1923) was a British-bred and British-trained
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 ...
race horse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...
and
sire Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French. The words "sire" a ...
. In a career which lasted from June 1899 until October 1901 he ran sixteen times and won six races. He showed modest form as a two-year-old in 1899 but improved to be the leading colt of his generation in 1900 when he won the British
Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Trip ...
. His other wins included 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 ...
, then one of the most valuable horse races in the world. He was retired to
stud Stud may refer to the following terms: Animals * Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding ** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred Arts and entertainment * Stud (band), a British progressive rock group * The Stud (bar), a gay ba ...
at the end of the 1901 season and was later exported to
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
. Diamond Jubilee was noted throughout his life for his unpredictable and sometimes violent temperament.


Background

Diamond Jubilee was bred by his owner, the
Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...
. He was foaled in the year of
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
's
Diamond Jubilee A diamond jubilee celebrates the 60th anniversary of a significant event related to a person (e.g. accession to the throne or wedding, among others) or the 60th anniversary of an institution's founding. The term is also used for 75th annivers ...
. Diamond Jubilee's sire, St. Simon was an undefeated racehorse who was considered one of the best British runners of the 19th Century. In an outstanding stud career he won nine sires’ championships, having sired ten
Classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class. The word can be an adjective (a ''c ...
winners. Perdita, the
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 ...
of Diamond Jubilee was a successful racehorse who was bought by the Prince on the advice of
John Porter John Porter may refer to: Politicians * John Porter (portreeve), 1390–94, Member of Parliament (MP) for Taunton * John Porter (Illinois politician) (1935–2022), Illinois politician, U.S. Representative * John Porter (MP for Bramber) (died 1599 ...
. As a broodmare she produced, in addition to Diamond Jubilee, the 1896 Derby winner
Persimmon The persimmon is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus ''Diospyros''. The most widely cultivated of these is the Oriental persimmon, ''Diospyros kaki'' ''Diospyros'' is in the family Ebenaceae, and a number of non-pers ...
and the
Jockey Club Cup A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual w ...
winner Florizel II. Such was the quality of Diamond Jubilee's pedigree, and the status of his owner, that his birth was noted in the press.


Racing career


1899: two-year-old season

Diamond Jubilee won only one of his six races as a two-year-old. He was strongly fancied to win the
Coventry Stakes The Coventry Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old horses. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each ...
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 ...
on 13 June, starting 6/5 favourite but finished unplaced behind the
gelding A gelding is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male equine to be calmer and better-behaved, makin ...
Democrat, after behaving badly in the paddock and before the start. Among other unpleasant traits he kicked a spectator, delayed the start of the race by repeatedly "rearing" and attempted to attack and bite his own jockey, the highly experienced John Watts. In the July Stakes at Newmarket the "ramapagious beast" threw Watts and galloped free for several minutes prior to the start before finishing unplaced again. It was decided to replace Watts with
Morny Cannon Herbert Mornington Cannon (1873–1962), commonly referred to as Morny Cannon, was a six-time Champion jockey in the United Kingdom in the 1890s. He holds the records for the most wins by a jockey in the Craven Stakes, Coronation Stakes and Prin ...
.
Gelding A gelding is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male equine to be calmer and better-behaved, makin ...
the colt was also a possible solution, but a veterinary examination revealed that the colt had an undescended testicle, making the operation difficult and potentially dangerous. With Cannon as his jockey, Diamond Jubilee showed much improved form to finish second to Epsom Lad in a Prince of Wales's Stakes at Goodwood in late July, but even then his courage was questioned by critics who accused him of showing "the
white feather The white feather is a widely recognised propaganda symbol. It has, among other things, represented cowardice or conscientious pacifism; as in A. E. W. Mason's 1902 book, ''The Four Feathers''. In Britain during the First World War it was ofte ...
." In autumn, Diamond Jubilee ran three times at Newmarket. He recorded his first win when beating moderate opposition in the Boscawen Stakes, and was then moved back up into top class for the
Middle Park Stakes 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 ...
on 13 October. He was on his best behaviour finished half a length second to Democrat, after which his trainer Richard Marsh was reported to have described him as "the winner of next year's Derby". On his final start of the year two weeks later, he finished second behind Democrat again in the
Dewhurst Stakes The Dewhurst Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), ...
, although he produced an improved effort and gave the winner a more difficult race on this occasion. Despite his relatively modest form Diamond Jubilee was seen as a colt with Classic potential, partly because his pedigree suggested that he would improve with age and distance, whereas Democrat was regarded as essentially a precocious, sprinting type.


1900: three-year-old season


Spring: 2000 Guineas

Diamond Jubilee appeared to thrive during the winter of 1899–1900, and appeared to go particularly well in training for an inexperienced nineteen-year-old jockey named Herbert Jones. When the colt attempted to savage Morny Cannon after a training gallop, Marsh decided to give the ride to Jones. Diamond Jubilee's improved form became well known and when he made his seasonal reappearance in 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 ...
on 2 May he was made 11/4 third favourite in a field of ten runners. He impressed observers before the race with his physical appearance and behaved impeccably. Ridden by Jones, he took the lead after two
furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in hors ...
s and was never in any danger of defeat. He won impressively by four lengths from Bonarosa and Sidus. Two weeks later he ran in the
Newmarket Stakes The Newmarket Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2,012 metres) on t ...
over ten furlongs and started 1/2 favourite against five opponents. Diamond Jubilee took the lead soon after half way and won by a head from Chevening. The fact that Jones never had to use his whip suggested that the win was rather more comfortable than the narrow margin indicated.


Summer: Epsom Derby

At
Epsom Epsom is the principal town of the Borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Saxon landowner. The ...
on 31 May, Diamond Jubilee started 6/4 favourite against twelve opponents, with Forfarshire second choice on 100/30. The crowd was reported to be smaller than usual, possibly because of the cold, windy weather. Jones tracked the leaders on the royal colt and turned into the straight disputing second place. Two furlongs from the finish, Jones sent Diamond Jubilee into the lead and he stayed on strongly to win by half a length from Simon Dale, with Disguise third. The royal victory was warmly received with the sky reportedly turning "black with hats" thrown into the air at the finish. Diamond Jubilee's winning time of 2:42.0 equalled the race record set by his brother Persimmon. At Newmarket the colt started 4/5 favourite for the £10,000
Princess of Wales's Stakes The Princess of Wales's Stakes is a Group 2 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 1 mile and 4 furlo ...
over one mile on 5 July, for which as the Derby winner, he had to carry a weight penalty. He was unable to give twenty pounds to the filly Merry Gal, who led from the start and won by four lengths, but finished ahead of some good horses and was felt to have run creditably. On his next appearance he again had to carry a penalty in the ten furlong
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 ...
at
Sandown Sandown is a seaside resort and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom with the resort of Shanklin to the south and the settlement of Lake, Isle of Wight, Lake in between. Together ...
on 20 July. He produced his most impressive performance to date, taking the lead in the straight and winning decisively from Chevening, to whom he was conceding ten pounds. His winning time of 2:07.4 was a new course record.


Autumn: St Leger

On 12 September, Diamond Jubilee attempted to become the ninth horse to complete the Triple Crown in the
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 ...
at
Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...
. His temperamental problems returned to the fore as he sweated profusely and took twenty minutes to be saddled. In the race, for which he started 2/7 favourite, he led after half a mile and after being briefly challenged by Elopement in the straight, won easily by a length and a half. On his final start of the season, he ran in the
Jockey Club Stakes The Jockey Club Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs (2,414 metres) on t ...
at Newmarket. Once again, his behaviour caused problems as he delayed the race for several minutes by refusing to leave the paddock. On this occasion however, he was unable to reproduce his best form, and after racing prominently for part of the way, he dropped out in the closing stages and finished unplaced behind Disguise. After the St Leger, Diamond Jubilee was described as "the undoubted champion of England". Although he was admired for his "bulldog courage" he was considered clearly inferior to his brother Persimmon. Diamond Jubilee's earnings of £27,985 were largely responsible for ensuring that the Prince of Wales was the leading owner, in terms of money won for the 1900 British season. He was also instrumental in securing the trainers' championship for Richard Marsh and the Sires' Championship for St. Simon


1901: four-year-old season

When the Prince of Wales became King Edward VII in January 1901, he leased all his racehorses to the
Duke of Devonshire Duke of Devonshire is a title in the Peerage of England held by members of the Cavendish family. This (now the senior) branch of the Cavendish family has been one of the wealthiest British aristocratic families since the 16th century and has be ...
for the rest of the year. Diamond Jubilee was reported to have made good progress over the winter and was expected to have another successful season. Diamond Jubilee ran only three times, in three of the season's most valuable races (the "Ten Thousand Pounders"). He had some training problems in spring which affected his progress and his trainer was not optimistic when the royal colt made his first appearance. In the Princess of Wales's Stakes on 4 July he finished second to Epsom Lad, who was winning his first race since beating Diamond Jubilee as a two-year-old. In the Eclipse Stakes later in the month, Diamond Jubilee delayed the start with his familiar antics, but ran well to finish a close fourth in a "blanket finish" behind Epsom Lad, to whom he was conceding three pounds. Diamond Jubilee ran his last race on 3 October at Newmarket when he finished third to Pietermaritzburg and Epsom Lad in the Jockey Club Stakes, after which he was retired to stud.


Stud record

Diamond Jubilee began his stud career at standing at the Royal Studs at
Sandringham, Norfolk Sandringham is a village and civil parish in the north of the English county of Norfolk. The village is situated south of Dersingham, north of King's Lynn and north-west of Norwich.Ordnance Survey (2002). ''OS Explorer Map 250 - Norfolk Coast W ...
, at a fee of 300
guineas The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from t ...
. He was considered no more than a "qualified success" in England and late in 1905 he was sold for 30,000 guineas and exported to
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
early the following year. The best of Diamond Jubilee's English-bred offspring were the colt Sancy (
Prince of Wales's Stakes The Prince of Wales's Stakes is a Group 1 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 1 furlong and 212 yards (2,004 met ...
) and the filly Jubilee (
Park Hill Stakes The Park Hill Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 115 yards (2 ...
). In Argentina, Diamond Jubilee announced his arrival at the Haras las Ortigas by attempting to savage the stud manager, but settled down to become a highly successful second career, being the Champion sire in Argentina on four occasions (1914, 1915, 1916 and 1921). Diamond Jubilee retained his unpredictable temper until the end of his life. A few months before his death he escaped from the stud farm and galloped through the neighbouring town of Morón before being recaptured. He died in 1923 at the age of twenty-six.


Pedigree


References

*
Diamond Jubilee's pedigree and racing statsDiamond Jubilee at the National Horseracing Museum
{{St Leger Winners 1897 racehorse births 1923 racehorse deaths Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing winners Thoroughbred family 7-f Epsom Derby winners 2000 Guineas winners St Leger winners