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by William Lathrop © The sun was breaking through the clouds, and it promised to be a lovely spring day. The year was 1899, and a new century was on the horizon. An early morning shower had sweetened the air and left puddles of water dotting the sides of the wide Macadamized lane. A shiny new Daimler automobile chugged along the compressed gravel surface, its occupants engaged in lively conversation. One was a young American visiting England for the first time, the other, a distant cousin of the younger man, was driving the "new-fangled" machine. Looming before them was a complex of buildings that surrounded a very large main residence. This was Welbeck Abbey, the ancestral home of the Dukes of Portland. An audience with the current master of Welbeck, the 6th Duke, and an examination of some of his world renowned stable of racing Thoroughbreds was the object of the young man's long journey. Passing through the opened wrought-iron gates, and eventually locating the stable area, the visitors exited the "horseless carriage" and made their way to a cobblestoned expanse where two men were examining a young horse held on a tether by a groom. One man was running his hands expertly over the animal, stopping briefly at the knees, then picking up the legs individually while examining the hooves. The young American's eyes swept over the young colt. "Not much to look at" he offered. The assessment was correct; the colt was small and slightly built, giving no clue to his splendid ancestry. Docile and calm, he allowed himself to be examined without resistance. As the examination went on, the young bay equine looked over at the two new attendees with quiet intelligent eyes, eyes that gave a glimpse of more within the animal than could be seen by casual observance. At this point I beg you to please indulge me, because the young American and his relative never existed; they were just a means of introducing you to Welbeck, the era, and a young Thoroughbred. This young son of the great St. Simon would later be named William The Third, and he would go on to prove his mettle both on the turf and in the breeding shed. Slow to develop, he made only one start as a two-year-old, being unplaced in Newmarket's Criterion Stakes (eight runners-won by Exedo). He matured dramatically between his two- and three-year-old years and grew to a full 16 hands. At three, he won five stakes and was runner-up in the Epsom Derby to Volodyovski (25 runners). At four, he was, as quoted from "Ulbrich's Peerage" "an individual of superb quality, with a beautiful and intelligent looking head….while his hard looking legs could not have been improved upon". During his four-year-old campaign he won the Gold Cup at Ascot (2.5 miles), by five lengths, defeating one of the strongest fields ever assembled for that race, and where he turned the tables on the Derby winner Volodyovski. THE FOLLOWING DAY he won the Alexandra Plate (3 miles) by six lengths. He was victorious in several other races that year, and ran second in the Jockey Club Cup in his last race. He was considered the "finest stayer of his era". He was retired to stud to Hunciecroft Paddocks at Welbeck where he stood for a fee of 400 guineas (groom's fee one guinea). Applications for his services were to be made to Col. the Hon. Claude Willoughby, Welbeck Estate Office. He was second in the list of leading sires in 1914 and the Leading Sire of Broodmares in 1922. The three outstanding sons of Pocahontas; King Tom, Rataplan and Stockwell, are found 4x5/5 in his pedigree. His dam, Gravity (1884) by Wisdom, was unplaced (raced only as a two-year-old), and who, in addition to William The Third, produced his full sister, the stakes winner and producer Gravitation (1899). Gravity's dam Enigma (1872) was also the dam of Florence (1880) by Wisdom, who was considered one of the best handicap mares in training at four years, and dam of Tact, herself dam of the Prince of Wales Stakes winner Manners (1896), by St. Simon. One of Gravitation's foals was the unraced Lady Carnot (1913) by Radium who was sent to America and introduced the family to the U.S.. One of Gravitation's daughters, the unraced Gravitate (1919) by Rock View, bred 16 foals, 13 runners and 10 winners, one of which was the stakes winer Sir Andrew. Gravity's sire, Wisdom, failed to win in 12 starts, but was runner-up in Ascot's New Stakes, Newmarket's Craven Stakes, and the Epsom Cup. He was purchased as a stallion for 50 guineas, but as his success at stud increased, so did his fee, up to 200 guineas, four times his purchase price. A few of William The Third's progeny who impacted future generations are, Ardentive (1905), a stakes winner (third in the Irish Derby), who was sent to Germany, Bill And Coo (1909), who ran third in the Epsom Oaks and is tail female ancestor of Secretariat, Alleged, Nonoalco and Elocutionist among others. Additionally, William The Third sired the stakes winner and producer Harriet Graham (in Australia), stakes winner Karenza who was dam of the sire Ethnarch, who in turn was the sire of Khaled who was the sire of Swaps. Other offspring include King William, winner of the Ascot Derby and Dewhurst Stakes, Mount Whistle, who was never trained for racing, and was the dam of 2000 Guineas winner Adams Apple. William The Third also sired the stakes winner and sire Nassovian, who ran third in the 2000 Guineas. Nassovian sired Cicuta, who in turn was the dam of the "Iron Horse" Display, who was the sire of Discovery. Going on, we have Pilliwinkie, winner of the Ascot Derby (now the King Edward VII Stakes) and his full sisters Winkipop and Third Trick. Third Trick was a stakes winner and produced the stakes winner First Spear. Winkipop won the 1000 Guineas, and was sent to the U.S. in the 1920's. She was a dam of stakes winners in both the U.S. and Great Britain. More of William The Third's progeny are Willonyx, who won 10 of 20 starts, including the Ascot Gold Cup. Yippingale, sent to Australia, proved to be an influence on the breed "down under". One of William The Third's sons, Sandal (1908), was sent to Argentina where he sired Cote d'Or, (1928), one of the best horses of her generation in that country, and Macon (1922), the outstanding colt of his generation in Argentina. Macon was undefeated in 14 starts at three and four. I must mention one more of this great stallion's offspring, the mare Trimestral (1914), dam of Trimdon who won the Ascot Gold Cup twice, and was the sire of Marsyas II, considered the best stayer ever to compete in France. Trimestral also produced the stakes winner Foxhunter, a noted influence for stamina, who was sent to Argentina, and Trilogy, second in the 1000 Guineas, who was a producer of stakes winners. There are many, many more examples of excellence that could be included, however it is obvious that William The Third was a success, and his influence has triumphed over time. William John Arthur Charles James Cavendish-Bentinck, the sixth Duke of Portland, was one of the pre-eminent breeders and owners of his day. The great turf star and sire, St. Simon, was purchased from the estate of Prince Batthany of Hungary (St. Simon's breeder), on behalf of the Duke, by famed trainer Matthew Dawson. After a superlative racing career, St Simon eventually stood at the Duke's Welbeck Stud. The Duke later acquired the great sire, Carbine, to breed to his St. Simon mares. The sixth Duke of Portland descends from a storied and interesting family. The third Duke of Portland was Prime Minister of England. The fourth Duke was one of the great horsemen of his time, and was highly regarded for his kindness and charitable work. The fifth Duke of Portland was as interesting a character as you could find in history. William John Cavendish-Bentinck-Scott, was the second son of the fourth Duke of Portland, and being the second son was educated at home rather than at school. He spent the years between 1818 and 1834 in the Army, and owing to the death of his older brother, he became Marquis of Titchfield in 1824. In 1854, upon the death of his father, he became the fifth Duke of Portland. Throughout his life, he was widely acknowledged among the best judges of horseflesh in England. He loved animals, especially dogs and horses. He also loved opera and as a young man proposed to the love of his life, opera singer Adelaide Kemble. Sadly, she turned him down and burdened with a broken heart, he never married. He was a kind man, and good to those in his employ, but he became increasingly reclusive and eccentric, as he grew older. He constructed miles of underground tunnels beneath Welbeck Abbey, and confined his living quarters to five rooms, all painted pink. He built a huge underground ballroom, also pink. He would take his carriage, underground, through a tunnel to the railway station, and have it lifted onto the train, while he remained firmly ensconced within the carriage. He also insisted that a chicken must be roasting at all times in the kitchen, so he could steal in late at night for a snack. He was very thoughtful of his servants and was concerned for their well being. When roller-skating became popular, he built a rink for them to use, so they would get sufficient exercise. He would often muck out the stalls in the stable along side his help. A novel, called "Underground Man", was written by Mick Jackson, and was based on the life of this strange man. When the fifth Duke died a bachelor without producing an heir, the title went to his cousin, who became the sixth Duke of Portland in 1879. The sixth Duke was married, in 1889, to Winifred Anne Dallas-Yorke, and they had three children, two boys and a girl. The eldest son, William Arthur Henry, eventually became the seventh Duke. Winifred was a very altruistic woman, and was ardently involved in the care and protection of animals. The Duchess was instrumental in the establishment of "The Home of Rest for Horses", where pensioned draft and hack horses were saved and cared for. Space was also provided for the poor to stable their horses, and stock was available to be lent out in emergencies. The sixth Duke of Portland served as the first president of the organization. This charity is still in existence. In 1903, a successful limited company called Kingsclere Stables was formed to train horses at Park House, with the Duke of Portland, the Duke of Westminster, a Mr. Frederick Gretton and famed trainer John Porter, listed as participants. This facility is in operation today, and is one of the oldest private training establishments in Great Britain. As the years passed the Duke gradually lost interest in racing as his achievements waned, and he nearly retired from the sport. Times were changing and the costs of maintaining such a large estate became increasingly burdensome, and the Duke was informed that he must take measures to reduce expenses. He was advised that one of the measures he might consider was to dispense with one of his Italian pastry cooks, to which he replied, "What! Can't a fellow have a biscuit anymore?" Eventually, in 1945, the estate was turned over to the government and utilized as a military college, which continues today as Welbeck College. In 1990, His Grace, Victor Frederick William Cavendish-Bentinck, ninth Duke of Portland, died without leaving an heir, and the title of Duke of Portland is now extinct. The impact on the Thoroughbred, as a breed, that the sixth Duke of Portland, and the many great champions that he owned, and bred, cannot be minimized. The Duke is dead but his legacy survives. Acknowledgments. December, 2, 2001. Copyright by Bill Lathrop 2001. |
