Parasol (1800–1826) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

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 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 ...

. In total she won twenty of her thirty-five races, including two Newmarket First October King's Plates, the Jockey-Club Plate and a

match race A match race is a race between two competitors, going head-to-head. In sailboat racing it is differentiated from a fleet race, which almost always involves three or more competitors competing against each other, and team racing where teams consis ...

against

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 ...

winner

Cardinal Beaufort Cardinal Henry Beaufort (c. 1375 – 11 April 1447), Bishop of Winchester, was an English prelate and statesman who held the offices of Bishop of Lincoln (1398) then Bishop of Winchester (1404) and was from 1426 a Cardinal of the Church of Ro ...

. Her only race away from Newmarket was for her début, in the

Oaks Stakes The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards (2 ...

in 1803. She was bred and owned by Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton. As a

broodmare 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 ...

she foaled the

stallion A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded (castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" nec ...

Partisan,

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 ...

winner

Pindarrie Pindarrie (foaled 1817) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. He raced five times and won the Riddlesworth Stakes and 2000 Guineas Stakes. He was owned by George FitzRoy, 4th Duke of Grafton, and trained by Robert Robson. He only raced in 1820 ...

and

Pastille A pastille is a type of sweet or medicinal pill made of a thick liquid that has been solidified and is meant to be consumed by light chewing and allowing it to dissolve in the mouth. The term is also used to describe certain forms of incense. A ...

, who won both the 2000 Guineas and the Oaks.

Background

Parasol was a

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 ...

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 ...

bred by Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, and foaled in 1800. She was sired by the successful racehorse

Pot-8-Os Potoooooooo or variations of Pot-8-Os (1773 – November 1800) was an 18th-century thoroughbred racehorse who won over 30 races and defeated some of the greatest racehorses of his time. He went on to be an important Stud (animal), sire, whose le ...

. Pot-8-Os won many races including the 1200 Guineas Stakes and

Craven Stakes The Craven Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) ...

. He later became a top sire, with his progeny including the three

winners Waxy,

Champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, an ...

and

Tyrant A tyrant (), in the modern English usage of the word, is an absolute ruler who is unrestrained by law, or one who has usurped a legitimate ruler's sovereignty. Often portrayed as cruel, tyrants may defend their positions by resorting to rep ...

. Parasol'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 ...

was the leading broodmare Prunella, a daughter of the undefeated

Highflyer Highflyer, highflier or high flyer may refer to: * Highflyer (horse), a British Thoroughbred racehorse * High flyer (fishing), a vertical floating pole used to locate fishing lines * HMS ''Highflyer'', various Royal Navy ships * Yamhill High Fly ...

. Prunella foaled the Oaks winner

Pelisse A pelisse was originally a short fur-trimmed jacket which hussar light-cavalry soldiers from the 17th century onwards usually wore hanging loose over the left shoulder, ostensibly to prevent sword cuts. The name also came to refer to a fashionab ...

and Derby winner

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

. She also produced the top broodmares

Penelope Penelope ( ; Ancient Greek: Πηνελόπεια, ''Pēnelópeia'', or el, Πηνελόπη, ''Pēnelópē'') is a character in Homer's ''Odyssey.'' She was the queen of Ithaca and was the daughter of Spartan king Icarius and naiad Periboea. Pe ...

, Pledge, Pawn,

Pope Joan Pope Joan (''Ioannes Anglicus'', 855–857) was, according to legend, a woman who reigned as pope for two years during the Middle Ages. Her story first appeared in chronicles in the 13th century and subsequently spread throughout Europe. The s ...

and Prudence. Parasol was Prunella's third foal.

Racing career

1803: Three-year-old season

Parasol made her first appearance on the track at

Epsom Downs Epsom Downs is an area of chalk downland, chalk upland near Epsom, Surrey; in the North Downs. Part of the area is taken up by the Epsom Downs Racecourse, racecourse, the gallops are part of the land purchased by Stanly Wootton in 1925 and are ...

in the

Oaks Stakes The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards (2 ...

on 27 May, when she started as the 2/1 favourite. The race was won by Theophania, with a sister to Allegranti in second and Parasol in third place. At Newmarket's July meeting she won the Town Plate from Rumbo and two others. In October she was due to face three horses in a 100

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 ...

Sweepstakes at Newmarket, but all three paid a forfeit and the race never took place. The next day she won a race for One-third of a Subscription of 25 guineas each, beating four rivals. At the Second October meeting she beat the

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 ...

Orlando to win a £50 Subscription Plate. At the Third October meeting Parasol was due to face the filly Elizabeth in a

, but Elizabeth was withdrawn.

1804: Four-year-old season

Her first race of the 1804 season was the Second Class of the Oatlands Stakes at Newmarket. After starting the race favourite, she won from Hard-bargain in second, Lignum Vitae in third, and three others. Later in the month she was due to race 1802

runner-up Young Eclipse, but Young Eclipse's owner paid a forfeit and the race never took place. At the same meeting she was due to race Eagle, but was withdrawn. In early May at Newmarket she received another forfeit, this time from the horse Malta, before beating Enchanter in a match race over one mile. Parasol didn't run again until Newmarket's First October meeting, when, starting as the odds-on favourite, she beat three rivals to win One third of a Subscription of 25 guineas each. Two days later she beat Sir Harry Dimsdale and

Walton Walton may refer to: People * Walton (given name) * Walton (surname) * Susana, Lady Walton (1926–2010), Argentine writer Places Canada *Walton, Nova Scotia, a community ** Walton River (Nova Scotia) *Walton, Ontario, a hamlet United Kingdom ...

to win the King's Plate, run over almost four miles. She also collected a forfeit from

Baron Foley Baron Foley is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Great Britain, both times for members of the same family. The first creation came in 1712 in favour of Thomas Foley, who had earlier represented Stafford in the House of Co ...

's Watery, from a race that was due to be run later in the day. At the Second October meeting Parasol beat Buss in a two-mile match race. Later in the week she was entered in the Second Class of the October Oatlands Stakes, but never lined up. In her final race of the year she was beaten by Lennox over four miles.

1805: Five-year-old season

Like in 1804, Parasol started the 1805 season in the Second Class of the Oatlands Stakes. She started the race as the favourite, but could only finish third, behind winner Giles and runner-up Duxbury. On 30 April at the Newmarket First Spring meeting she finished last of the three runners, behind winner Walton, in a £50 Subscription race over one mile. Later in the day she walked over for the King's Plate for five-year-old mares. On 1 May she won a £50 Subscription, where Hippocampus finished second and Houghton Lass third. At the Second Spring meeting she faced Walton and Petruchio in the Jockey-Club Plate. Walton started the race as the 4/6 favourite, with Parasol second in the betting at 7/4. Parasol won the race from Walton, with Petruchio finishing last. After a few months off, Parasol returned to the track for the First October meeting. On the first day of the meeting she walked over for a Subscription of 5 guineas each, before collecting a forfeit from Pipylin. Two days later she walked over for a race work 50 guineas over the four-mile Beacon course. Another day later she walked over to win the King's Plate for the second year running. At the Second October meeting she beat Sir Harry Dimsdale to win a race for One-third Subscription of 25 guineas each over the Beacon course. This turned out to be her last race of the season, as she was withdrawn from the October Oatlands Stakes.

1806: Six-year-old season

In the spring of 1806 Parasol received a forfeit from Hippocampus, and then received forfeits from the two other subscribers in a Sweepstakes of 200 guineas each at Newmarket. She made her reappearance on 22 April at Newmarket, where she beat Margery and Gloriana to win the King's Plate for mares. In the following race she beat Antipater in a £50 Subscription. In May she started as the odds-on favourite for the Jockey Club Plate at Newmarket, but could only finish third of the five runners. The race was won by

Staveley Staveley may refer to: Places * Staveley, Cumbria, village in the former county of Westmorland and now in Cumbria, England ** Staveley railway station * Staveley-in-Cartmel, village formerly in Lancashire, now in Cumbria, England * Staveley, D ...

. At Newmarket's July meeting she lost a match to Jerboa, before beating Sir Charles Bunbury's filly Lydia in a race worth £50 the next day. As in previous years Parasol didn't run again until the Newmarket First October meeting, where she started at 3/1 in a 50 guineas race over four miles. The race was won by Orville, with Parasol second and Staveley third. The following day she received a 50 guineas forfeit Czar Peter. At the Second October meeting she beat Derby winner

in a 200 guineas match race over the Beacon course. She was entered in the first class of the October Oatlands Stakes, which was run on the same day, but she was withdrawn. Selim won the race. At the Houghton meeting Parasol lost a match against Slipper and three days later she ran unplaced behind winner

in a Subscription Handicap Plate.

1807: Seven-year-old season

Parasol started as the 2/1 favourite for the first class of the Oatlands Stakes on 30 March 1807. She finished the race in third place behind Hippomenes and Houghton Lass. There were four other runners in the race, including Orville and

Quiz A quiz is a form of game or mind sport in which players attempt to answer questions correctly on one or several specific topics. Quizzes can be used as a brief Educational assessment, assessment in education and similar fields to measure growth ...

. This was her only run until the First October meeting, where she was beaten by Brainworm. The days later she was made favourite for the King's Plate. The race was won by Canopus, with Parasol second and Thumper finishing last of the three runners. At the second October meeting Parasol lost to Orville in a four-mile race for one third of a Subscription of 25 guineas each.

1808: Eight-year-old season

In her first start as an eight-year-old, Parasol finished runner-up to Violante in the second class of the Oatlands Stakes. At the First Spring meeting she lost a match to Bacchanal, before beating Taurus over the Beacon course to win 100 guineas. This turned out to be her final race as her intended opponent, Thorn, was withdrawn from their match race to be run at the Second Spring meeting.

Stud career

As a broodmare, Parasol produced twelve foals. They were: * Parachute – 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 foaled in 1809 and sired by Sorcerer. * Promise – a bay filly foaled in 1810 and sired by

. She was sent to

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. * Partisan – a bay stallion foaled in 1811 and sired by Walton. He won several races at Newmarket and later became a stallion. His son Gladiator sired

Doncaster Cup The Doncaster Cup is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 2 miles 1 furlong and 197 yards (3,600 metr ...

winner

Sweetmeat Confectionery is the art of making confections, which are food items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. Exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confectionery is divided into two broad and somewhat overlapping categories ...

. * Walton colt – a bay colt foaled in 1812 who died young. * 1813 Barren to Vandyke * 1814 Barren to Walton * Picaroon – a bay colt foaled in 1815 and sired by Selim. He died without siring a foal. * 1816 Barren to Waxy *

– a bay colt foaled in 1817 and sired by

Phantom Phantom may refer to: * Spirit (animating force), the vital principle or animating force within all living things ** Ghost, the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear to the living Aircraft * Boeing Phantom Ray, a stealthy un ...

. He won the

in 1820 and was later sent to

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. * Polygar – a chestnut stallion foaled in 1818 and sired by Walton. His daughter Ada was the dam of Doncaster Cup winner Sabreur. *

– a bay filly foaled in 1819 and sired by

Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens (; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque traditio ...

. She won the 2000 Guineas and Oaks in 1822. * Rubens filly – a chestnut filly foaled in 1820. * 1821 Barren to

* Election filly – a chestnut filly foaled in 1822 who died as a foal. * Parapluise – a bay filly foaled in 1823 and sired by Merlin. * Paramour – a bay colt foaled in 1824 and sired by Merlin. He was sent abroad. * 1825 Barren to Merlin * 1826 Barren to Centaur Parasol was shot in the autumn of 1826. She had been covered by the stallion Sam in the spring.

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 ...

'' * Parasol was

inbred Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and o ...

4 × 4 to Blank. This means that the stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of her pedigree.

References

{{reflist, colwidth=30em 1800 racehorse births 1826 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in the Kingdom of Great Britain Racehorses trained in the Kingdom of Great Britain Thoroughbred family 1-e