Fox (GB)
 
 


Old Fox, from the Sportsman's Pocket Companion,
published circa 1750. In this portrait he appears
to have three white socks.


A painting by an anonymous artist of the "English
School" depicts Fox with two socks. The stone
in the foreground is clearly marked "Fox".


Although Fox is recorded as a bay in all the old
authorities, a Seymour painting portrays Fox
as a chesnut. The authorities have on occasion
been wrong and it has not been possible as yet
to prove that Fox was not a chesnut.

 

 

 

Sire Line


Darcy's White Turk

 

 

 

Fox b c 1714 (Clumsey - Bay Peg, by Leedes Arabian). Sire Line Darcy's White Turk. Family 6.

Fox was bred by Sir Ralph Assheton (1651-1716), 2nd Baronet of Middleton, who had acquired two mares from Englebert Leedes, both of whom were covered by Clumsey, one of which produced Fox and the other Fox Cub (b c 1714). Sir Ralph's estate, Whalley Abbey, in Lancashire, is thought to be the source of the breed of cattle called British Whites. Fox was later acquired by Matthew Lister, John Manners (1676-1721), the 2nd Duke of Rutland, Mr Cotton and eventually the Earl of Portmore.


His description in the Sportsman's Pocket Companion reads:

The Portraiture of Fox,
The Property of his Grace the Duke of Rutland

Fox was in high Esteem for Running & likelwise [sic] for a Stallion he was bred by Sir Ralph Assheton Bart, but was afterwards the Property of Esqr Lister of Yorkshire he was got by Sir George Warburton's Clumsey who was bred by Mr Wiks [sic] & got by Old Hautboy bred by the Darcy Family out of a Royal Mare got by the Darcy White Turk. Fox's Dam was Bay Peg his Grand Dam Young Bald Peg both bred by Mr Leeds & got by his Arabian Sire of Leedes, his Great Grand Dam was the Dam of Spanker Son of the Darcy Yellow Turk his Great Great Grand Dam was the Old Moorocco [sic] Mare call'd Old Bald Peg She was bred by General Fairfax out of a Foreign Mare & his Moorocco Barb.

Fox 1719 when 5 Years Old won the Ladies Plate at York then the Property of Esqr Lister who disposed of him to his Grace the Duke of Rutland in whose Possession he beat the Duke of Wharton's Stripling at Newmarket for a Considerable sum; he won 2 King's Plates at Newmarket & 1 at Lewes & receiv'd 250 Guineas forfeit of the Duke of Wharton's Swallow; he then became the Property of Esqr Cotten [Cotton] of Sussex in whose hands he won a Prize of 300 Guineas at Quainton Meadow, he beat Lord Hilsboroughs Witty G a Match for near 20000 Pounds he receiv'd 100 Guineas forfeit of Lord Hilsboroughs Witty G, he beat Lord Drogheda's Snip & 3 Matchbox [Matches] for Considerable Sums, and Mr Frampton's Miss Worsop 200 Guineas: he was Sire of several Excellent Horses, he made his Exit 1738 in his 23 Year, then the Property of the Earl of Portmore.


Fox raced mostly at Newmarket, from 1719 to 1723, for a number of owners. In Lord Portmore's stud he produced a number of good sons, including  Cub (ch c 1739), sire of the famous Cub Mare*, an early American matriarch and ancestress of Nearco (br c 1935), Merry Andrew (b c 1739) and Bolton Goliah (b c 1730). He also sired the three useful brothers, Quiet Cuddy (ch c 1727), the Devonshire Conqueror (gr c 1725) and the Appleyard Conqueror (ch g 1728). Dabster* (ch c 1736) appears in early traditional Virginia pedigrees.

His daughters proved of equal worth. Meliora (ch f 1729) produced Tartar (b c 1743 Croft's Partner), the sire of King Herod (b c 1758), a Champion Sire and progenitor of the King Herod sire line. Sister to Slipby (br f 1738) produced the Champion Sire Snap (bl c 1750 Snip) and was ancestress of the St Leger winner and excellent sire Hambletonian (b c 1792 King Fergus). Fox Mare produced Janus* (ch c 1846) who left an indelible mark on American bloodstock. Other unnamed Fox Mares were foundation stock in Family 29, Family 31 and Family 33, as was The Cat Mare in Family 55.

A half brother to Basto1 (br c 1703 Byerley Turk), Fox was Champion Sire in 1731 and 1735. He died in the spring of 1738.

1 Basto and Fox are not said to be from the same mare, Bay Peg, until the 5th Edition of Volume 1 of the General Stud Book published in 1891. There is no indication, either in advertisements or on their portraits, that Basto and Fox were half-brothers, although it seems likely that they both eventually trace to Old Bald Peg.

 
Pedigree
Fox Clumsey Hautboy Darcy's White Turk
Royal Mare
Miss Darcy's Pet Mare  
Yellow Turk Mare
Bay Peg Leedes Arabian  
 
Young Bald Peg Spanker
Old Morocco Mare
Race Record
 
In 1719 starting for Matthew Lister he won a £30 Ladies' Plate at York over 4 miles, defeating Lord Lonsdale's Bay Jack (br c 1714 Lonsdale Arabian), the Duke of Ancaster's bay colt Blacklegs and 9 others, with all carrying 10st.
 
In 1720, running for the Duke of Rutland, Fox won a 400gs match at Newmarket in April beating the Duke of Wharton's Stripling (br c 1714 Merlin). In October he won the King's Plate at Newmarket over Lord Rosse's Hip (Old Scar) and 2 others.
 
In 1721 at Newmarket in April Fox received a 250 guineas forfeit from the Duke of Wharton's Swallow. He then won a King's Plate at the same meeting, run in 4 mile heats, beating Hip for the second time, and also Mr Smith's Terror. Sold to Mr Panton in 1721, Fox was raced by his friend Mr Cotton of Sussex, for whom he won a stakes at Quainton Meadow and a number of matches.
 
In 1722, running for Mr Cotton, he won a 200gs match over 3 miles at Newmarket in April from Lord Hillsborough's Merryman (b g 1714), who was also called the Witty Gelding. An entry in the 2nd Duke of Devonshire's trial book notes that on May 10, 1722, "Chillders & Fox run over ye long corse, Chillders carried 9 st & Fox 8 st Chillders beat Fox a distance & half" [Early Records:160]. Later in October he won a 200gs match at Newmarket over 4 miles in which he beat Lord Drogheda's Snip Mare. The same day he won 150gs match from Snip Mare over 6 miles.
 
In 1723 Fox was given another stiff challenge. He defeated the Snip Mare in a 300gs match at Newmarket in March over a distance of 8 miles, then on the same day, he lost a 200gs match to Tregonwell Frampton's Miss Wassop (ch f Snake) over 2 miles. This was his last race.
 
Notable Offspring
 
Dabster (GB)*
 
ch c 1736 (Fox - Mare, by Hobgoblin - Mare, by Spanker - Mare, by Hautboy). Sire Line Darcy's White Turk. The American Stud Book has this horse recorded as by "Hobgoblin, and imported into Virginia about 1741" [AmSB 1:16] based on Edgar's copy of this pedigree, which had "been eaten by some insect." This was corrected by Edgar in the American Turf Register of 1835 [E2:34] which had been missed by Sanders Bruce, the compiler of the American Stud Book. He started for Lord Portmore at Epsom in May of 1742 and running for Mr Underwood was among the field for £50 at Reading in July of the same year. In the autumn of 1742 he was sent to the Virginia stud of John Carter (d. in 1742), after which Dabster entered the stud of Carter's son-in-law William Byrd III. Dabster is seen as a cross in early Virginia pedigrees. He was alive as late as 1761.
 
Goliah (GB)
 
[Bolton] b c 1730 (Fox - Mare, by Graham's Champion). Sire Line Darcy's White Turk. Family 65. Bred by Mr Hutchinson he was later purchased by the Duke of Bolton. In 1736 he won the King's Plate at Winchester in May, beating in 2 heats Mr Panton's Favourite, Mr Leigh's Hopewell and Mr Fleetwood's Hercules. Won the King's Plate at Salisbury in June, distancing Lord Portmore's Tom-Come-Tickle-Me and Mr Fauquier's Plunder. Four days later he won the King's Plate at Guildford, beating in 1 heat Lord Halifax's Partner. Won the King's Plate at Nottingham in July, beating Mr Bethell's Whitefoot and Lord Gower's Blueskin, both of whom were withdrawn after the 1st heat. Won the King's Plate at York, also in July, beating in 1 heat Mr Bright's Bathsheba, whilst distancing 2 others. Walked over for the King's Plate at Lincoln. Walked over for the King's Plate at Newmarket. In 1737 he finished 2nd for the King's Plate at Newmarket in April, won by the Duke of Devonshire's Plaistow (gr c 1730 Childers). Mr Pick notes that in 1736 only 10 Royal Plates for six year olds were held in England and that Goliah and Merry Andrew between them won nine for the Duke of Bolton; the remaining plate was won by Mr Hartley's Whitefoot. Following his retirement from the turf Goliah was purchased by Mr Trout of Lincolnshire for a stallion. In the stud he got Mr Vavasour's Champion (b c 1739), Mr Hunt's Jigg (ch c 1741) and other good runners.
 
Merry Andrew (GB)
 
bbr c 1730 (Fox - Bonny Lass, by Bay Bolton). Sire Line Darcy's White Turk. Family 1-a. Bred by the Duke of Bolton, he was later owned by Sir Edward O'Brien and raced and covered in Ireland. In 1735 he won a 700gs Stakes at Newmarket in April, beating 5 others. Won the 800gs October Stakes at Newmarket, beating Sir Michael Newton's Kouli Khan, the Duke of Somerset's Miss March, Lord Gower's Caesar and 4 others. In 1736 he won the King's Plate at Lewes. Walked over for the King's Plate at Canterbury. Won the King's Plate at the Curragh, beating the celebrated King's Plate winner Miss Proctor [ex-Smallhopes] (b f 1733 Bartlet's Childers), Lord Antrim's Ragman (ch c 1734 Young Greyhound) and Lord Massereene's Shepherdess (gr f 1734 Hampton Court Grey Arabian). He also won a 60gs Plate and other prizes in Ireland. In the stud he got, among others, Sir Edward O'Brien's Miss Doe (gr f 1746c) and Fribble (b c 1746).
 
Quiet Cuddy (GB)
 
ch c 1727 (Fox - Mare, by Bethell's Castaway). Sire Line Darcy's White Turk. Family 40. Bred by Captain Appleyard he was a full brother to Appleyard's Conqueror. In 1732 he won the £60 Ladies' Plate at York, beating Sir Michael Newton's Brisk, Mr Shepherd's King's Plate winner Dashwood, Mr Read's Sampson, Mr Hutton's Grey Childers and 10 others. In 1733 he won the King's Plate at Nottingham, beating the Duke of Ancaster's Driver (gr c 1727 Wynn's Arabian), Mr Shepherd's Dashwood (b c 1727 Chandos' Turk) and Sir M Newton's Brisk. He won several other Plates as well. He was likely the sire of Jenny Cameron* (b f 1742) an early American matriarch.
   

   
Conqueror GB) [Appleyard's] ch g 1728 (Fox - Sister to Castaway Mare, by Bethell's Castaway). Sire Line Darcy's White Turk. Family 40.
   
Cub (GB) ch c 1739 (Fox - Worlock's Galloway, by Snake). Sire Line Darcy's White Turk. Family 17.