Variation (1827–1847) 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 ...
who won the
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 ...
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 ( ...
at
Epsom Downs 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 ...
in 1830. The Oaks was Variation's racing debut and she went on to win a total of eight races from fifteen starts. Her other successes included three match races, the Oatlands Stakes, and two editions of the Garden Stakes at
Newmarket Racecourse
Newmarket Racecourse is a British Thoroughbred horse racing venue in Newmarket, Suffolk, Newmarket, Suffolk, comprising two individual racecourses: the Rowley Mile and the July Course. Newmarket is often referred to as the headquarters of ...
. Her best performance was probably her win in the 1831 Garden Stakes in which she defeated a very strong field over a distance of two miles. She was retired from racing in 1833 and had some success as a broodmare.
Background
Variation was a bay mare bred in 1827 either by Mr Nowell or by William Scott Stonehewer, Sr.
Stonehewer, a "great sporting man" from a "good old Yorkshire family", owned her during her racing career. She was the eighth foal produced by her dam, a daughter of
Beningbrough
Beningbrough is a village and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. The population as taken at the 2011 Census was less than 100. Details are included in the civil parish of Shipton, North Yorkshire.
Beningbroug ...
named Johanna Southcote (1811–1834).
Variation was the only classic winner sired by Bustard, a horse which won the
Dee Stakes at
Chester Racecourse
Chester Racecourse, also known as the Roodee, is a racecourse located in Chester, England. The horse racing venue is officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the "oldest racecourse still in operation". Horse racing in Chester dates ...
in 1816.
Racing career
1830: three-year-old season
Variation made her racecourse debut in the Oaks Stakes over one and a half miles at Epsom on 28 May. She was ridden by George Edwards and started a
28/1 outsider in a field of eighteen
fillies
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 ...
with the
1000 Guineas winner
Charlotte West Western Charlotte or Charlotte West may refer to:
*Charlotte West (horse), a British thoroughbred racehorse
* Charlotte West (electoral district), a defunct provincial electoral district in New Brunswick, Canada
* Western Charlotte, New Brunswick, a ...
being made the 3/1 favourite. She won the classic by two lengths from
Lord Sefton's filly Mouche, with Charlotte West unplaced. Stonehewer reportedly rewarded Edwards with £500 for his riding of the filly. Variation next appeared 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 la ...
in August, where she raced against
colts in the Drawing-room Stakes. Carrying top weight of 122
pounds she finished unplaced behind Erymus.
In autumn Variation had three engagements at
Newmarket's Second October meeting. On the opening day of the meeting she ran a match race at level weights against a colt named Zucharelli. She won the ten
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 ...
match very easily for a prize of 200
guineas
The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from the Guinea region in West Africa, from where m ...
. Four days later she ran in the Newmarket Gold Cup over the Abington Mile course and finished second of the twelve runners, finishing a head behind the four-year-old colt Harold after hanging to the left in the closing stages. On the same day, Variation collected a prize of 100 guineas without having to race, when her scheduled opponent, a filly named Carmine, failed to appear for a match over ten furlongs.
1831: four-year-old season
Variation began her second season on 4 April, the opening day of the Newmarket Craven meeting. She met the Oaks runner-up Mouche in a match race over ten furlongs. Ridden by
James Robinson, she carried three pounds more than her opponent and won the match by half a length to win a prize of 200 guineas. Three days later at the same meeting, the filly carried top weight of 113 pounds in a class of the Oatlands Stakes which was run over the two mile Ditch In course. With Robinson again in the saddle she started the even money favourite and won by three lengths from the colts Donegani and Beagle. At the next Newmarket meeting she started the 4/6 favourite for a sweepstakes over ten furlongs but finished last of the three runners behind Sir Mark Wood's Captain Arthur. The ''Sporting Magazine'' commented on the filly's inconsistency by saying that "she has not her name
ariationfor nothing".
Variation ran twice without success at the meeting 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 la ...
in July. She finished unplaced in the
Goodwood Stakes and last of three runners behind
Priam in the
Goodwood Cup on the following afternoon.
The filly returned to winning form at Newmarket in autumn. On 17 October she contested the two mile Garden Stakes and started at odds of 5/1 in a field of seven runners. Ridden by Robinson she won the £900 prize, beating the
2000 Guineas winner
Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...
with Captain Arthur third and the
Ascot Gold Cup winner
Lucetta fourth. At the Newmarket Houghton meeting on 3 November, Variation ended her season by beating
Lord Wilton The Lord Wilton Guarnerius, sometimes called the ex-Yehudi Menuhin, is an antique and valuable violin fabricated by Italian luthier Bartolomeo Giuseppe "del Gesù" Guarneri (1698–1744), usually called Guarneri del Gesù. The violin was made in 1 ...
's Rough Robin in a 200 guinea match over ten furlongs.
1832: five-year-old season
All of Variation's races in 1832 took place at Newmarket. She began her five-year-old season on 7 May when she finished second, attempting to concede fourteen pounds to General Grosvenor's colt Sarpedon in a sweepstakes over the Ditch In course. The ''Sporting Magazine's'' correspondent felt that a lack of fitness contributed her defeat on this occasion. Later that month she finished unplaced when carrying top weight of 124 pound in a ten furlong
handicap race.
After a break of almost five months, Variation returned in October for a second Garden Stakes. Conceding at least fifteen pounds to her opponents, she won from Colonel Peel's three-year-old colt Sluggard and two others. On 30 October at the Houghton meeting, the mare carried top weight in a two-mile handicap and won from Isaac Day's five-year-old Mazeppa.
1833: six-year-old season
Variation made one appearance as a six-year-old in 1833. On 22 April she started 4/7 favourite for the Optimist Stakes over two miles at Newmarket but was defeated by her only opponent, a mare named Volage. She was then sold to Thomas Thornhill and retired from racing.
Stud record
Variation became a broodmare for Thornhill's stud. She bred eleven live foals for a variety of owners in thirteen years, all but one of them sired by
The Derby winner
Emilius. Variation died in 1847 at the age of 20.
The best of her foals was Pompey (foaled 1840), a colt who won the Great Yorkshire Handicap and finished second in 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 ...
. An unnamed daughter of Variation was the direct female ancestor of Phaeton, a colt who was exported to
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
where he sired King Alfonso, who became a successful breeding stallion.
Pedigree
References
{{Epsom Oaks Winners
1827 racehorse births
1847 racehorse deaths
Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom
Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom
Thoroughbred family 9
Byerley Turk sire line
Epsom Oaks winners