James Octavius Machell
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Captain James Octavius Machell (1837–1902) was an influential figure in British
horse racing 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 p ...
during the final decades of the 19th century. He was a respected judge of horses and an astute and highly successful gambler. During a career that lasted almost forty years he managed and trained eleven
English classic The English Classic was a professional golf tournament which was played annually from 1979 to 1983. It was a fixture on the European Tour schedule, and hosted at The Belfry in Wishaw, Warwickshire, England. Two of the five winners were major ch ...
winners and was himself the owner of a record three
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 ...
winners.


Early life

James Machell was born at Etton Rectory near
Beverley Beverley is a market town, market and minster (church), minster town and a civil parishes in England, civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, of which it is the county town. The town centre is located south-east of York's centre ...
on 5 December 1837, the youngest child of the Reverend Robert and Eliza Machell. He attended
Rossall School Rossall School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) for 0–18 year olds, between Cleveleys and Fleetwood, Lancashire. Rossall was founded in 1844 by St Vincent Beechey as a sister school to Marlborough College ...
near Fleetwood Lancashire from 1846 to 1854. In 1857 he joined the army and was posted 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 ...
, becoming involved with the suppression of the
Indian mutiny The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...
. His regiment returned home to be quartered on The
Curragh The Curragh ( ; ga, An Currach ) is a flat open plain of almost of common land in County Kildare. This area is well known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the ...
in
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 ...
where Machell spent the next seven years. During this period he participated in horse racing and in 1862 became the leading owner in Ireland. The same year he was promoted from Lieutenant to Captain by purchase on 29 July. When his army life and racing started to conflict, he resigned his commission and took stables in Kennet near
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 ...
with a small string of horses. He would bring off a betting coup at the 1864 Newmarket spring meeting with ''Bacchus'', a horse he had owned and run in Ireland. The funds from this and further wins enabled Machell to purchase Bedford Cottage stables in Newmarket. Here he employed George Bloss to act as trainer, whilst he retained strategic control and management of the horses and stables. Later trainers were Joe Cannon and James Jewitt. In 1884 he purchased the adjacent Bedford Lodge stables and leased these to
George Alexander Baird George Alexander Baird (30 September 1861 – 18 March 1893) was a wealthy British race horse owner, breeder and the most successful amateur jockey (gentleman rider) of his day, who rode under the assumed name of Mr Abington. He was a controver ...
. Machell was aware of the potential for Irish-bred horses and many of his future successes would come from Irish yearlings sent to him by Charles Blake of Heath House Stables, Maryborough (
Portlaoise Portlaoise ( ), or Port Laoise (), is the county town of County Laois, Ireland. It is located in the Midland Region, Ireland, South Midlands in the province of Leinster. The 2016 census shows that the town's population increased by 9.5% to 22,050 ...
). Machell was a good athlete when young and during his army days would make wagers on his ability to perform feats of strength and agility. When he moved to Newmarket in 1864 he beat the local running champion in a 100 yards sprint.


Career achievements

During his career Machell won 11 English Classic races for his clients plus other major races including four
Ascot Gold Cup The Gold Cup 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 2 miles 3 furlongs and 210 yards (4,014 ...
s and five Stewards' Cups at Goodwood as well as the four
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 ...
s at Aintree and the
Scottish Grand National The Scottish Grand National is a Grade 3 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Ayr, Scotland, over a distance of about 4 miles (3 ...
. His patrons included Lord Henry Chaplin, Sir George Chetwynd, the Duke of Devonshire, Lord Calthorpe, Sir Charles Legard, the third and fourth Earls of Lonsdale, Colonel Owen Williams, Captain Prime, Lord Hastings, Lord Gerard, the Duke of Beaufort, Lord Strathnairn, Lord Aylesford, Mr C. J. Blake, Lord Rodney and Colonel Harry McCalmont. Some of the great horses he managed were ''Hermit'', ''Petronel'', ''Belphoebe'', ''Pilgrimage'', ''Seabreeze'', ''Harvester'', ''Kilwarlin'' and the triple crown winner, ''Isinglass''.


Epsom Derby

In 1865 Machell became the racing manager for Henry Chaplin. Machell had three of Chaplin's horses - ''Breadalbane'', ''Broomielaw'' and ''Hermit'' - transferred to Bedford Cottage from William Goater’s yard in
Findon, West Sussex Findon is a semi-rural clustered village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Worthing. Governance An electoral ward in the same name. This ward stretches south west to Patching with ...
. ''Hermit'' was entered for the 1867
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 ...
but suffered severe bleeding from the nose during training and it appeared unlikely he would be fit enough to run. However, he responded well to treatment and recovered in time to race, going on to take the Derby and make considerable money for the connections. This was to be the first of three Derby wins for the Machell stables, the others being ''Harvester'' (1884) and ''Isinglass'' (1893). ''Harvester's'' win was a
dead heat A dead heat is a rare situation in various racing sports in which the performances of competitors are judged to be so close that no difference between them can be resolved. The result is declared a Tie (draw), tie and the competitors are awarde ...
with '' St. Gatien''.


Grand National

Machell had a good eye for steeplechasers and he became the most successful owner in the history of The Grand National with three winners: ''Disturbance'' (1873), ''Reugny'' (1874) and ''Regal'' (1876). The first two were ridden and trained by
John Maunsell Richardson John Maunsell Richardson JP DL (Great Limber, Caistor, Lincolnshire 12 June 1846 – Westminster, London, 22 January 1912), known to his friends as the "Cat", was a cricketer who played First-class cricket for Cambridge University, Member o ...
at Limba Magna who rode as an amateur (gentleman rider). Richardson, who had previously won the 1871 Scottish Grand National for Machell, became unhappy with Machell’s attempts to influence the betting market and parted company with him. Machell moved his jumpers to Joe Cannon at Kentford. Cannon would ride ''Regal'' to victory in the 1876 National. A further National win was secured for owner John Manners-Sutton, 3rd Baron Manners who had wagered that he could buy and ride the winner of the
1882 Grand National The 1882 Grand National was the 44th renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree near Liverpool, England, on 24 March 1882. The race was held on 24 March in some of the worst conditions ever seen in the race's history. ...
with just a few months preparation. The horse he chose was ''Seaman'', purchased in Ireland and trained on by Machell and Jimmy Jewitt. The race - run in a snow storm - was won by ''Seaman'' even though he sustained an injury at the final fence.


Gambling

Machell was renowned for making large and often successful wagers and for manipulating the betting market in his favour. John Maunsell Richardson had been so ''"disgusted with the sordid nature"'' of Machell's manipulation that he withdrew from public riding after his 1874 Grand National win on Reugny. His experience was not unique, in ''Turf Memories of Sixty Years'', Alexander Scott provides other examples of how Machell would use questionable tactics, and
Lillie Langtry Emilie Charlotte, Lady de Bathe (née Le Breton, formerly Langtry; 13 October 1853 – 12 February 1929), known as Lillie (or Lily) Langtry and nicknamed "The Jersey Lily", was a British socialite, stage actress and producer. Born on the isl ...
in her memoirs relates stories told to her by Machell about money making schemes connected with selling plate races.


Final years

In 1887 Machell lost his friend jockey Fred Archer who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Machell had been angry with Archer when they last met and he suffered guilt and remorse for months after the death. In the 1890s Machell's health began to fail him and in 1893 he suffered a breakdown. In 1896 he relinquished his interest in the
Gatwick Racecourse Gatwick Racecourse was a racecourse in the county of Surrey, England near to Horley and Lowfield Heath. It was in use from 1891 to 1940 when it was closed at the start of the Second World War. The land is now part of London Gatwick Airport. ...
(he had joined the syndicate in 1890). When his friend and trainer, James Jewitt, died in 1899, he sold the Bedford Cottage stables to
Harry McCalmont Colonel Harry Leslie Blundell McCalmont, CB (30 May 1861 – 8 December 1902) was a British army officer, race-horse owner, yachtsman and Conservative party politician. Life He was the son of Hugh Barklie Blundell McCalmont, and was educated ...
, wealthy owner of ''Isinglass''. He retained some horses at his Chetwynd House stables, trained by George Chaloner, and continued to run horses in Ireland.
Lillie Langtry Emilie Charlotte, Lady de Bathe (née Le Breton, formerly Langtry; 13 October 1853 – 12 February 1929), known as Lillie (or Lily) Langtry and nicknamed "The Jersey Lily", was a British socialite, stage actress and producer. Born on the isl ...
related visits from Captain Machell to her Regal Lodge residence in Kentford, where they were neighbours. This was after 1895 when Langtry first owned the house. She says Machell taught her much about the sport, but horses and racing filled his mind to obsession, his literature consisted of sporting papers and he passed a good part of his time making imaginary handicaps. He carried a little book in his waistcoat pocket that contained details and values of all his assets, including his horses. Captain James Octavius Machell died on 11 May 1902 in
Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...
and was buried in Newmarket. * Chetwynd House, constructed for jockey Charles Wood and later purchased by Machell is now called Machell Place.


Crackenthorpe Hall

Crackenthorpe Hall in
Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumb ...
had been the ancestral home of the Machell family for five centuries but was sold to Lord Lonsdale in 1786. In 1877 Captain Machell bought back the Hall, restoring and adding to it. Machell, who never married, left the hall to his nephew Percy Machell who was killed at the Battle of the Somme in July 1916. His wife, Lady Valda Machell, daughter of
Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg Admiral Prince Victor Ferdinand Franz Eugen Gustaf Adolf Constantin Friedrich of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, (11 December 1833 – 31 December 1891), also known as Count von Gleichen, was an officer in the Royal Navy, and a sculptor. Biography He wa ...
, continued to live at the Hall until about 1928.


References


Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Machell, James Octavius 1837 births 1902 deaths British racehorse owners and breeders British racehorse trainers People educated at Rossall School People from Beverley