Bend Or

Not to be confused with Bend, Oregon.

Bend Or

Sire	Doncaster
Grandsire	Stockwell
Dam	Rouge Rose or Clemence
Damsire	Thormanby
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1877
Country	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Colour	Chestnut
Breeder	Eaton Stud
Owner	1st Duke of Westminster
Trainer	Robert Peck
Record	14: 10–2–0
Earnings	£16,466
Major wins
Chesterfield Stakes (1879) Richmond Stakes (1879) Epsom Derby (1880) St. James's Palace Stakes (1880) City and Suburban Handicap (1881) Epsom Gold Cup (1881) Champion Stakes (1881)
Awards
Leading broodmare sire in Britain & Ireland (1901, 1902)
Last updated on 6 November 2009

Bend Or (1877–1903) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1880 Epsom Derby. His regular jockey Fred Archer, winner of thirteen consecutive British jockey titles, said Bend Or was probably the greatest horse he had ever ridden.

Nomenclature

Azure, a bend or, the ancient Grosvenor arms before the 1389 lawsuit Scrope v Grosvenor

His name is the heraldic term for "a bend (i.e. diagonal stripe) which is golden or yellow in color", and is a reference to the ancient former arms of the Grosvenor family which were adjudged against them in 1389 to the Scrope family in the most famous case ever heard before the Court of Chivalry, known as Scrope v Grosvenor. The Duke also awarded it as a lifelong family nickname to his grandson Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster (1879–1953), born in the year before the Derby win.

Breeding

Bred and foaled at the 1st Duke of Westminster's Eaton Stud, Bend Or grew to be a large stallion but was noted for his unusual docility. He was a chestnut colt who stood 16.1 hands (65 inches, 165 cm) and had a white blaze.^[1] He was sired by Doncaster, a son of Stockwell, out of the mare, Rouge Rose by Thormanby.^[2] Thormanby won the 1860 Epsom Derby and the 1861 Ascot Gold Cup and was in 1869 the leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland.

Racing career

1879: Two-year-old Season

Bend Or made his first racecourse appearance in July 1879 in the Chesterfield Stakes at Newmarket. Starting as the 9/4 favourite he won easily by a length.^[3] He then won the Richmond Stakes carrying a 6-pound weight penalty. After these wins he started to 1/2 favourite for the Prince of Wales Stakes at York. He led from the outset and won easily by half a length.^[4] After York he was already being quoted at 7/1 for the 1880 Epsom Derby.^[5] Bend Or finished the season by winning the Triennial Produce Stakes and the Rous Memorial Stakes, both at Newmarket.

1880:Three-year-old Season

The Derby

Bend Or was not entered for the 2000 Guineas, but in early march he was the 5/1 favourite for the Epsom Derby.^[6] He started his three-year-old campaign in the Derby. He was ridden by Fred Archer and started as the 2/1 favourite in a field of 19. After the start he was in a prominent position, but was dropped back into mid-division by Archer. At Tattenham Corner Robert the Devil was leading from Von der Tann, Bend Or being in about sixth position. In the straight Bend Or passed some of the horses to move into third. The second placed Mask then began to fade as he was passed by Bend Or, who went off in pursuit of Robert the Devil. Bend Or won the Derby by a head from Robert the Devil, with Mask a further six lengths back in third.^[7]

St. James's Palace Stakes

After the Derby he went to Royal Ascot for the St. James's Palace Stakes, starting at the odds of 30/100. The race was run at a slow early pace. Bend Or won by a head from Fernandez, the two finishing clear of the rest of the field.^[8] After Ascot he had to be given a few months rest due to shin problems exacerbated in his Derby win.

Challenge to Pedigree

Hugh Grosvenor (1st Duke of Westminster), the owner of Bend Or

In the summer a challenge was lodged by the owners of Robert the Devil against Bend Or's Derby win on the grounds of him being entered under the wrong description. It was alleged that his dam was not Rouge Rose, but a mare called Clemence. At Eaton Stud, both Rouge Rose and Clemence had a foal by Doncaster in 1877. It was suggested that the two foals had been mixed up and that it was the horse registered as Tadcaster (i.e. the Clemence foal) that won the Derby. The accusation came from a former groom who formerly worked for the Duke. In the investigation the Eaton Stud book was produced, but was found to contain a number of errors.^[9] The objection was overruled by the Jockey Club,^[10] but controversy still remains today. Recent research which compared DNA of Bend Or to that of Tadcaster relatives suggested the two had indeed been switched as foals.^[11]

Clemence was a daughter of Newminster and Eulogy. Newminster was the son of Touchstone and Beeswing. Eulogy was the daughter of Euclid and Martha Lynn.

The Autumn

The shin injury affected him for most of the remainder of the year as was evident in his first loss when he returned to racing for September's St Leger Stakes, where he finished fifth behind winner Robert the Devil. His next start came in the Great Foal Stakes. In the race Robert the Devil made the running, with Bend Or held up in the rear. At the bushes Bend Or moved up to third behind Robert the Devil and Muriel. Bend Or then overtook Muriel and challenged Robert the Devil. Bend Or seemed to have the race won with 50 yards to go, but he swerved badly and lost by a head. He faced Robert the Devil again in the Champion Stakes. Robert the Devil started the 11/10 favourite, with Bend Or at 5/4. Robert the Devil led from the start and was never caught. He won by 10 lengths from Bend Or, with the other two runners a further 10 lengths back.^[12]

1881: Four-year-old Season

Returning to the track at age four, Bend Or won the City and Suburban Handicap at Epsom Downs carrying 9 stone.^[13] He then avenged his defeats to Robert the Devil in the Epsom Gold Cup. Only the two horses ran, with Bend Or winning by a neck. Bend Or then won the Champion Stakes easily by ¾ length from Scobell, with the 1881 Derby winner Iroquois a bad third. Bend Or's next start came in the Cambridgeshire Stakes where, under Archer, he carried 9 st 8 lb. During the closing stages the weight began to tell and he was eased by Archer, finishing in seventh.^[14] He was then retired to breeding duties at his owner's Eaton Stud.^[15]

Race record

Date	Race name	D(f)	Course	Prize (£)	Odds	Runners	Place	Margin	Winner/Runner-up	Time	Jockey
000000001879-07-01-0000July 1879	Chesterfield Stakes	05 5	Newmarket	1130	02.25 9/4	11	1	1	Petal	059 0:59	Charles Wood
000000001879-07-29-000029 July 1879	Richmond Stakes	06 6	Goodwood	1762		08 8	1
000000001879-08-01-0000August 1879	Prince of Wales Stakes	05 5	York	0340 340	00.5 1/2	09 9	1	0.5	Brother to Ersilia		Fred Archer
000000001879-01-01-00001879	Triennial Produce Stakes	10	Newmarket	0881 881		11	1
000000001879-01-01-00001879	Rous Memorial Stakes	05 5	Newmarket	0567 567		10	1
000000001880-05-26-000026 May 1880	Epsom Derby	12	Epsom Downs	6375	2 2/1	19	1	00.1 Head	Robert the Devil	168 2:48	Fred Archer
000000001880-06-01-0000June 1880	St. James's Palace Stakes	08 8	Ascot	1550	00.3 30/100	05 5	1	0.1 Head	Fernandez		G Fordham
000000001880-09-15-000015 September 1880	St Leger	14.5	Doncaster	6100	00.8 4/5	12	6		Robert the Devil	212 3:32
000000001880-09-28-000028 September 1880	Great Foal Stakes	10	Newmarket	2697	04.5 9/2	07 7	2	0.1 Head	Robert the Devil	145 2:25	Tom Cannon
000000001880-10-14-000014 October 1880	Champion Stakes	10	Newmarket	2071	02.25 5/4	4	2	10	Robert the Devil	130 2:10	G Fordham
000000001881-04-27-000027 April 1881	City and Suburban Handicap	10	Epsom Downs	1230	12.5 100/8	24	1	1.5	Foxhall	127 2:07	Fred Archer
000000001881-06-03-00003 June 1881	Epsom Gold Cup	12	Epsom Downs	0500 500		02 2	1		Robert the Devil
000000001881-10-13-000013 October 1881	Champion Stakes	10	Newmarket	2087	00.67 4/6	08 8	1	0.75	Scobell	143.6 2:23.6	Fred Archer
000000001881-10-25-000025 October 1881	Cambridgeshire Stakes	09 9	Newmarket	2017	04.5 9/2	32	7		Foxhall	135.4 2:15.4	Fred Archer

Stud record

Bend Or had white flecks on his chestnut coat, and like his damsire Thormanby, had black spots on his neck, shoulder, and on his quarters. These markings often showed up in his progeny and is referred to as Bend Or spotting.

Standing at Eaton Stud, Bend Or was a successful stallion siring many top racehorses including two classic winners. His stud fee for 1898 was 200 guineas, plus one guinea for the groom. By this time his offspring had won 285 races worth £129,148^[1]

Notable progeny

c = colt, f = filly

Foaled	Name	Sex	Major Wins
1883	Kendal	c	July Stakes
1883	Ormonde	c	Dewhurst Stakes, 2000 Guineas, Epsom Derby, St. James's Palace Stakes, Hardwicke Stakes (twice), St Leger Stakes, Great Foal Stakes, Champion Stakes, Rous Memorial Stakes, Imperial Gold Cup
1885	Orbit	c	Eclipse Stakes
1885	Ossory	c	Prince of Wales's Stakes, St. James's Palace Stakes, Great Yorkshire Stakes
1887	Martagon	c	Goodwood Cup
1888	Orion	c	Champion Stakes
1888	Orvieto	c	Sussex Stakes
1889	Bona Vista	c	2000 Guineas
1892	Laveno	c	Champion Stakes
1897	Lord Bobs	c	Dewhurst Stakes, July Cup
1902	Rouge Croix	c	Dewhurst Stakes
1903	Radium	c	Goodwood Cup, Doncaster Cup

Kendal went on to sire Triple Crown winner Galtee More. Ormonde sired dual Eclipse Stakes winner Orme. Orbit was exported to Argentina. Such was his success at stud there he was known as "South American Stockwell". Bona Vista went on to sire Ascot Gold Cup winner Cyllene. Through Cyllene's grandson Phalaris, Bend Or is the sire-line ancestor to the majority of thoroughbreds alive today. Radium sired 2000 Guineas winner Clarissimus.

Bend Or did not produce many top race mares, but many of them were top broodmares. His daughter Fairy Gold was exported to America and was the dam of Fair Play and Belmont Stakes winner Friar Rock. Another daughter Ornament was the dam of Sceptre, winner of four classics in 1902. Disorder was produced Eclipse Stakes winner Epsom Lad. Bend Or was also damsire to Prix du Jockey Club winner Ex Voto, through is daughter Golden Rod. Through his daughter Quetta, Bend Or was damsire to Coronation Stakes winner Helm and Dewhurst Stakes winner Frontier (who was sired by his grandson Orme).

Bend Or was twice the leading broodmare sire in Britain before his death at age twenty-six in January 1903.^[2] Bend Or's important immediate descendants include The Tetrarch, Phar Lap and Man o' War, and beyond that the American horse Seabiscuit.

Pedigree

The following pedigree assumes that Bend Or's dam was Rouge Rose.

Pedigree of Bend Or, chestnut stallion, 1877
Sire Doncaster ch. 1870	Stockwell ch. 1849	The Baron ch. 1842	Birdcatcher
		The Baron ch. 1842	Echidna
		Pocahontas b. 1837	Glencoe
		Pocahontas b. 1837	Marpessa
	Marigold ch. 1860	Teddington br. 1848	Orlando
		Teddington br. 1848	Miss Twickenham
		Ratan mare b. 1852	Ratan
		Ratan mare b. 1852	Melbourne mare
Dam Rouge Rose ch. 1865	Thormanby ch. 1857	Windhound br. 1847	Pantaloon
		Windhound br. 1847	Phayne
		Alice Hawthorn b. 1838	Muley Moloch
		Alice Hawthorn b. 1838	Rebecca
	Ellen Horne br. 1844	Redshank b. 1833	Sandbeck
		Redshank b. 1833	Johanna
		Delhi 1838	Plenipotentiary
		Delhi 1838	Pawn Junior

Note: b. = Bay, br. = Brown, ch. = Chestnut

References

1 2 Osborne, Joseph (1898). Horse-Breeders' Handbook. Seale, London.
1 2 Ahnert, Rainer L. (editor in chief), “Thoroughbred Breeding of the World”, Pozdun Publishing, Germany, 1970
↑ "Papers Past — Otago Witness — 30 August 1879 — NEWMARKET JULY". Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
↑ "Papers Past — Otago Witness — 18 October 1879 — YORK. August 26th, 27th, 28th". Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
↑ "Papers Past — Otago Witness — 1 November 1879 — ENGLISH". Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
↑ "Papers Past — Otago Witness — 1 May 1880 — NOTES BY BEACON". Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
↑ "Papers Past — Hawke's Bay Herald — 28 July 1880 — EPSOM SUMMER MEETING". Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
↑ "Papers Past — Otago Witness — 7 August 1880 — RACING IN ENGLAND". Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
↑ "Papers Past — Star — 2 September 1880 — THE DERBY SCANDAL". Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
↑ "Papers Past — Otago Witness — 14 August 1880 — ENGLISH". Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
↑ Tony Morris (2011-05-11). "The mystery of Bend Or". Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder Magazine. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
↑ "Papers Past — Otago Witness — 18 December 1880 — RACING IN ENGLAND". Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
↑ "Papers Past — Otago Witness — 25 June 1881 — RACING IN ENGLAND. EPSOM SPRING. April 27th". Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
↑ "Papers Past — Otago Witness — 24 December 1881 — RACING IN ENGLAND". Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
↑ Thoroughbred Heritage: Bend Or Retrieved 2009-11-6

External links

Bend Or at the United Kingdom's National Horseracing Museum

Epsom Derby winners

1780 Diomed 1781 Young Eclipse 1782 Assassin 1783 Saltram 1784 Serjeant 1785 Aimwell 1786 Noble 1787 Sir Peter Teazle 1788 Sir Thomas 1789 Skyscraper 1790 Rhadamanthus 1791 Eager 1792 John Bull 1793 Waxy 1794 Daedalus 1795 Spread Eagle 1796 Didelot 1797 colt by Fidget 1798 Sir Harry 1799 Archduke 1800 Champion 1801 Eleanor ♥ 1802 Tyrant 1803 Ditto 1804 Hannibal 1805 Cardinal Beaufort 1806 Paris 1807 Election 1808 Pan 1809 Pope 1810 Whalebone 1811 Phantom 1812 Octavius 1813 Smolensko 1814 Blucher 1815 Whisker 1816 Prince Leopold 1817 Azor 1818 Sam 1819 Tiresias 1820 Sailor 1821 Gustavus 1822 Moses 1823 Emilius 1824 Cedric 1825 Middleton 1826 Lap-dog 1827 Mameluke 1828 Cadland 1829 Frederick 1830 Priam 1831 Spaniel 1832 St. Giles 1833 Dangerous 1834 Plenipotentiary 1835 Mundig 1836 Bay Middleton 1837 Phosphorus 1838 Amato 1839 Bloomsbury 1840 Little Wonder 1841 Coronation 1842 Attila 1843 Cotherstone 1844 Orlando 1845 The Merry Monarch 1846 Pyrrhus The First 1847 Cossack 1848 Surplice 1849 The Flying Dutchman 1850 Voltigeur 1851 Teddington 1852 Daniel O'Rourke 1853 West Australian ₩ 1854 Andover 1855 Wild Dayrell 1856 Ellington 1857 Blink Bonny ♥ 1858 Beadsman 1859 Musjid 1860 Thormanby 1861 Kettledrum 1862 Caractacus 1863 Macaroni 1864 Blair Athol 1865 Gladiateur ₩ 1866 Lord Lyon ₩ 1867 Hermit 1868 Blue Gown 1869 Pretender 1870 Kingcraft 1871 Favonius 1872 Cremorne 1873 Doncaster 1874 George Frederick 1875 Galopin 1876 Kisber 1877 Silvio 1878 Sefton 1879 Sir Bevys 1880 Bend Or 1881 Iroquois 1882 Shotover ♥ 1883 St. Blaise 1884 St. Gatien Harvester 1885 Melton 1886 Ormonde ₩ 1887 Merry Hampton 1888 Ayrshire 1889 Donovan 1890 Sainfoin 1891 Common ₩ 1892 Sir Hugo 1893 Isinglass ₩ 1894 Ladas 1895 Sir Visto 1896 Persimmon 1897 Galtee More ₩ 1898 Jeddah 1899 Flying Fox ₩ 1900 Diamond Jubilee ₩ 1901 Volodyovski 1902 Ard Patrick 1903 Rock Sand ₩ 1904 St. Amant 1905 Cicero 1906 Spearmint 1907 Orby 1908 Signorinetta ♥ 1909 Minoru 1910 Lemberg 1911 Sunstar 1912 Tagalie ♥ 1913 Aboyeur 1914 Durbar 1915 Pommern ₩ 1916 Fifinella ♥ 1917 Gay Crusader ₩ 1918 Gainsborough ₩ 1919 Grand Parade 1920 Spion Kop 1921 Humorist 1922 Captain Cuttle 1923 Papyrus 1924 Sansovino 1925 Manna 1926 Coronach 1927 Call Boy 1928 Felstead 1929 Trigo 1930 Blenheim 1931 Cameronian 1932 April the Fifth 1933 Hyperion 1934 Windsor Lad 1935 Bahram ₩ 1936 Mahmoud 1937 Mid-day Sun 1938 Bois Roussel 1939 Blue Peter 1940 Pont l'Eveque 1941 Owen Tudor 1942 Watling Street 1943 Straight Deal 1944 Ocean Swell 1945 Dante 1946 Airborne 1947 Pearl Diver 1948 My Love 1949 Nimbus 1950 Galcador 1951 Arctic Prince 1952 Tulyar 1953 Pinza 1954 Never Say Die 1955 Phil Drake 1956 Lavandin 1957 Crepello 1958 Hard Ridden 1959 Parthia 1960 St. Paddy 1961 Psidium 1962 Larkspur 1963 Relko 1964 Santa Claus 1965 Sea Bird 1966 Charlottown 1967 Royal Palace 1968 Sir Ivor 1969 Blakeney 1970 Nijinsky ₩ 1971 Mill Reef 1972 Roberto 1973 Morston 1974 Snow Knight 1975 Grundy 1976 Empery 1977 The Minstrel 1978 Shirley Heights 1979 Troy 1980 Henbit 1981 Shergar 1982 Golden Fleece 1983 Teenoso 1984 Secreto 1985 Slip Anchor 1986 Shahrastani 1987 Reference Point 1988 Kahyasi 1989 Nashwan 1990 Quest for Fame 1991 Generous 1992 Dr Devious 1993 Commander in Chief 1994 Erhaab 1995 Lammtarra 1996 Shaamit 1997 Benny the Dip 1998 High-Rise 1999 Oath 2000 Sinndar 2001 Galileo 2002 High Chaparral 2003 Kris Kin 2004 North Light 2005 Motivator 2006 Sir Percy 2007 Authorized 2008 New Approach 2009 Sea the Stars 2010 Workforce 2011 Pour Moi 2012 Camelot 2013 Ruler of the World 2014 Australia 2015 Golden Horn

Legend - ₩ = Triple Crown Winners, ♥ = Filly

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, November 29, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.