Scuttle (1925 – March 1934) 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 and
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 showed considerable promise as a two-year-old in 1925 when she won three races including the
Cheveley Park Stakes
The Cheveley Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it i ...
as well as finishing second in the
Queen Mary Stakes
The Queen Mary Stakes is a Group races, Group 2 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old Filly, fillies. It is run at Ascot Racecourse, Ascot over a distance o ...
. In the following spring she won on her seasonal debut and then recorded a popular and impressive victory in the
1000 Guineas
The 1000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 ...
. In her subsequent races she finished second in the
Epsom Oaks
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, ...
, third in the
Coronation Stakes
The Coronation Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 7 furlong and 213 yards (1,603 metres), and it is schedul ...
and second in the
Nassau Stakes
The Nassau Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile, 1 furlong a ...
. She was then retired to become a broodmare but died in 1934 at the age of nine. She was the first and only
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 ...
winner owned by
King George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
Born during the reign of his grandmother Que ...
.
Background
Scuttle was a bay mare with a narrow white
blaze bred at the Royal Stud at
Sandringham Sandringham can refer to:
Places
* Sandringham, New South Wales, Australia
* Sandringham, Queensland, Australia
* Sandringham, Victoria, Australia
**Sandringham railway line
**Sandringham railway station
**Electoral district of Sandringham
* Sand ...
by Major Fetherstonhaugh on behalf of
King George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
Born during the reign of his grandmother Que ...
. She was sent into training with William Rose "Willie" Jarvis at his Egerton House stable in
Newmarket, Suffolk
Newmarket is a market town and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. Located (14 miles) west of Bury St Edmunds and (14 miles) northeast of Cambridge. It is considered the birthplace and global centre of thoroughbred hor ...
.
She was from the first crop of foals sired by Captain Cuttle, who won the
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, also known as the Epsom Derby or the Derby, and as the Cazoo Derby for sponsorship reasons, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey o ...
in 1922, making her a representative of the
Godolphin Arabian
The Godolphin Arabian (–1753), also known as the Godolphin Barb, was an Arabian horse who was one of three stallions that founded the modern Thoroughbred (the others were the Darley Arabian and the Byerley Turk). He was named after his best-kno ...
sire line. Captain Cuttle's subsequent stud career was disappointing and Scuttle was his only
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 ...
winner. Scuttle's dam Stained Glass showed promise but fractured her pelvis in a training gallop and it was only after lengthy rest and treatment that she was saved for broodmare duty.
She was a great-granddaughter of Stone Clink, a top-class racemare who won the
Northumberland Plate
The Northumberland Plate is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Newcastle over a distance of 2 miles and 56 yards (3,270 metres), and i ...
and the
Cesarewitch Handicap
The Cesarewitch Handicap is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Newmarket over a distance of 2 miles and 2 furlongs (3,621 metres ...
in 1886.
Racing career
1927: two-year-old season
On 20 May 1927 Scuttle was well-supported in the betting for the Fitzwilliam Stakes 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 ...
and won from eight opponents. She looked to be an unlucky loser when running second to Stadacona in the
Queen Mary Stakes
The Queen Mary Stakes is a Group races, Group 2 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old Filly, fillies. It is run at Ascot Racecourse, Ascot over a distance o ...
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 ...
before winning the Berkshire Foal Plate at
Newbury Racecourse
Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse and events venue in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps. It hosts one of Great Britain's 36 annual Group 1 flat r ...
.
In October she was ridden by
Joe Childs
Joseph Childs (1884–1958) was a French-born, British-based flat racing jockey. He won fifteen British Classics in a 35-year career, the last ten years of which were spent as jockey to King George V. He was known for riding a slow, waiting ra ...
in the Cheveley Park Stakes and won at odds of
5/1 from Tetrill.
On her final start of the season she finished unplaced in the Wilbraham Stakes at
Newmarket.
She ended the year with a record of three wins in five races and earnings of £2,947.
1928: three-year-old season
![King George 1923 LCCN2014715558 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/King_George_1923_LCCN2014715558_%28cropped%29.jpg)
In the early spring of 1928 Scuttle was reported to be underweight and lacking in appetite but recovered after receiving "
ultra-violet ray treatment" from the
Jockey Club
The Jockey Club is the largest commercial horse racing organisation in the United Kingdom. It owns 15 of Britain's famous racecourses, including Aintree, Cheltenham, Epsom Downs and both the Rowley Mile and July Course in Newmarket, amo ...
's veterinary surgeon Mr V. Pryde-Jones. The filly began her second season by winning the Brandon Handicap over nine furlongs at Newmarket in April. On 4 May, with Childs in the saddle, Scuttle contested the 115th running of the 1000 Guineas over the
Rowley Mile
Newmarket Racecourse is a British Thoroughbred horse racing venue in Newmarket, Suffolk, comprising two individual racecourses: the Rowley Mile and the July Course. Newmarket is often referred to as the headquarters of British horseracin ...
and started at the
15/8 favourite against thirteen runners. The crowd at Newmarket included her owner the King and 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 ...
.
The filly looked restless before the start and when the contest began she was left behind the other runners before settling towards the rear of the field. Grand Vixen set the early pace before giving way to Jurisdiction two furlongs out, at which point the favourite began to make rapid progress. Scuttle moved alongside Jurisdiction entering the final furlong and then "forged ahead"
to win amid loud cheering and cries of "the King wins!"
by a
length
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 Interna ...
with a gap of six lengths back to
Lord Derby
Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, (29 March 1799 – 23 October 1869, known before 1834 as Edward Stanley, and from 1834 to 1851 as Lord Stanley) was a British statesman, three-time Prime Minister of the United Kingdom ...
's
Toboggan
A toboggan is a simple sled traditionally used by children. It is also a traditional form of transport used by the Innu and Cree of northern Canada.
In modern times, it is used on snow to carry one or more people (often children) down a hill o ...
in third. Childs, who was given great credit for his calm and intelligent ride, commented "I knew this would come. I was in no hurry, especially as
heis a good stayer".
Scuttle was stepped up in distance at
Epsom Racecourse
Epsom Downs is a Grade 1 racecourse on the hills associated with Epsom in Surrey, England which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. The "Downs" referred to in the name are part of the North Downs.
The course, which has a crowd capacity of 13 ...
on 8 of June and started favourite for the Oaks Stakes over one and half miles. She tracked Toboggan for most of the way but was unable to make any impression on her rival in the straight and finished second, beaten four
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 ...
by the winner. At Royal Ascot late that month, Scuttle was dropped back in distance for the one-mile
Coronation Stakes
The Coronation Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 7 furlong and 213 yards (1,603 metres), and it is schedul ...
and finished third behind Toboggan and the lightly-weighted outsider Romany Queen. At
Goodwood Racecourse
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 lat ...
in late July or early August, she was beaten in the ten-furlong Nassau Stakes by the
Alec Taylor Jr.-trained La Sologne, to whom she was conceding sixteen pounds in weight.
Assessment and honours
In their book, ''A Century of Champions'', based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Scuttle an "inferior" winner of the 1000 Guineas.
Breeding record
At the end of her racing career, Scuttle was retired to become a broodmare at the Royal Stud. She produced at least two live foals:
*Fairlead, a bay filly, foaled in 1932, sired by
Fairway.
*Canvas, bay filly, 1933, by
Solario
Solario (1922–1945) was a successful United Kingdom, British Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse and influential Horse breeding#Terminology, sire.
Background
Bred in Ireland by the Windham Wyndham-Quin, 4th Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl, ...
.
In March 1934 Scuttle developed a rupture after producing a filly-foal by
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
. A haemorrhage ensued and despite the attendance of a leading veterinary surgeon, she died shortly afterwards.
Pedigree
* Scuttle 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 Sainfoin, meaning that this stallion appears twice in fourth generation of her pedigree.
References
{{1000 Guineas Winners
1925 racehorse births
1934 racehorse deaths
Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom
Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom
Thoroughbred family 16
1000 Guineas winners
Godolphin Arabian sire line