Sir Hercules (1826–1855) was an Irish-bred
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 ...
racehorse, and was later a successful sire.
Pedigree
Sir Hercules was by the great sire
Whalebone, winner of
The Derby, out of Peri (1822) by Wanderer. Peri was bred to Whalebone at the age of three and Sir Hercules, her first foal, was born in 1826 at Petworth Stud. Sir Hercules was a half brother to Langford (by Starch) who was exported as a stallion to America.
Black with white ticking, Sir Hercules was 15
hands 2 inches high, and had a compact build, with identical length "...From the centre of the breast to the hind part of the shoulder, from hind part of shoulder to the hip, and from hip to whirl-bone," with "no more than room for a saddle on his back."
Race record
As a two-year-old: 1828
* Undefeated in Ireland where he won one race and a match race.
As a three-year-old: 1829
Sir Hercules was taken to England where he won a Sweepstakes at York on 7 May. In September at Doncaster he finished third to
Rowton and
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity—es ...
in the St Leger and won a sweepstakes over one mile three days later.
As a four-year-old: 1830
* won the Claret Stakes which appears to have been his only start that season.
As a five-year-old: 1831
He was unplaced in Liverpool's Stand Cup which was his last start.
Stud record
Sir Hercules was purchased by Hercules Landford Rowley, the second
Baron Langford
Baron Langford, of Summerhill in the County of Meath, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 1 July 1800 for Clotworthy Rowley, who had earlier represented Trim and County Meath in the Irish House of Commons. Born Clotworthy Ta ...
of Summerhill in 1831 and was retired to Langford stud at Summer Hill in
County Meath
County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the ...
, Ireland. Initially he stood for a fee of £10 (). However, few Englishmen wished to breed their mares to him, and the young stallion was moved in 1832 to Rossmore Lodge at the Curragh. Sir Hercules was then sent to England in 1833 with the rest of Rowley's racing stud to be auctioned at Tattersalls. He was sold to America for 750 guineas, but it was decided that it was too late in the season to ship him overseas, and the stallion was resold to H.O. Weatherby.
Weatherby sent him to stand at stud at
George Tattersall's stud, Dawley Wall Farm. In 1838, he was sent to East Acton, where he stood for a fee of £30 (). However, Weatherby died and Sir Hercules was sold to Sydney Herbert (later Lord Lea). In 1844, Herbert sent the stallion to Tattersall's Willesden Paddocks, where he was available to public mares. Soon, however, Herbert broke up his stud and sold Sir Hercules to Mr. Phillips of Bushbury Stud, where the stallion eventually died at the age of thirty.
Sir Hercules was influential in siring both flat and
steeplechase race horses, including one winner of the
Grand National
The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap st ...
. Both his sons and daughters had a profound impact on the bloodlines of horses in
Australia, England, Ireland, the United States, and
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
.
Notable progeny include:
*
Birdcatcher, his most famous son
* Coronation: won
The Derby Stakes and Ascot Derby
*
Faugh-a-Ballagh
Faugh-a-Ballagh (foaled 1841 in Ireland) was a Thoroughbred racehorse. A brother to Birdcatcher, Faugh-a-Ballagh was sold to E. J. Erwin in 1842. He ran once as a two-year-old at the Doncaster's Champagne Stakes, finishing third to The Cure an ...
, won
St. Leger Stakes
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 ...
,
Grand Duke Michael Stakes, and
Cesarewitch Stakes
* Gaslight (1850) exported to Australia and produced four stakes-winners for 16 stakes-wins.
* Gemma di Vergy (1854) won the Fernhill Stakes, the Reading Stakes, the Avon Stakes, the Nursery Handicap, the Whittlebury Stakes and the Racing Stakes, sire of Gemma-di-Vergy (1863) who was exported in utero to Australia where he was a sire.
* Hyllus, won
Goodwood Cup* Paraguay, exported to Australia, dam of Sir Hercules (1843 by Cap-a-Pie, a good sire) and Whalebone (1844, another good sire)
*Lady Lift (1844), dam of Consul (won FR Two Thousand Guineas and FR Prix du Jockey Club) and Le Marechal (won GB Gimcrack Stakes)
* The Corsair, won
Two Thousand GuineasSir Hercules (GB) 1826
Retrieved 2010-3-13
* Venus (1840), dam of Aphrodite (won GB One Thousand Guineas)
* Arkle (1957), three-times winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlongs (3 ...
.
References
{{Reflist
External links
Thoroughbred Heritage – Sir Hercules
*https://web.archive.org/web/20120928205541/http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/articles/bushbury/families/phillips.htm
1826 racehorse births
1855 racehorse deaths
Racehorses bred in Ireland
Racehorses trained in Ireland
Thoroughbred family 2-t