Matchem (GB)
 
 


Courtesy of Fores Gallery


Match'em

 

 

 

Sire Line


Matchem

 

 

 

Matchem b c 1748 (Cade - Mare by Crofts' Partner). Sire Line Matchem. Family 4.

Matchem, also spelled Match'em, possibly after the jockey Match'em Timms, was bred by John Holme of Carlisle, Cumberland, and later owned by William Fenwick (1722-1782) of the Bywell Stud in Northumberland. He was described as standing 15.1 hands, with strong shoulders, although somewhat muttony about the withers. In general he was thought wanting in harmony of construction. His turf career was satisfactory and included gaining the Whip at Newmarket.

A great success in the stud, he sired Hollandaise (gr f 1775) who won the St Leger Stakes, and Tetotum (b f 1777) who won the Oaks Stakes. His 354 offspring won over £150,000. His son Conductor (ch c 1767) sired Trumpator (bl c 1782) a St Leger winner and Champion Sire. Trumpator in turn sired Sorcerer (bl c 1796), a Champion Sire. The Matchem sire line flourished, and along with Eclipse and Herod, Matchem heads one of the only three surviving sire lines.

Matchem was Champion Sire from 1772 to 1774, and died at Bywell in February of 1781.

Pedigree
Match'em Cade Godolphin Arabian  
 
Roxana Bald Galloway
Sister to Chaunter
Sister to Miss Partner Partner Jigg
Sister to Mixbury
Brown Farewell Makeless
Brimmer Mare
Race Record
 
In 1753 he won two races. In the first he deafeated Barforth's Billy (ch c Forester) over four miles at York; in the second he beat Blameless (ch c 1747 Forester) at Morpeth.
 
In 1754 at York he was paid not to start in the Great Subscription Purse, but later at the same meet he defeated Sedbury (b c Sedbury) to win the Ladies' Purse over four miles. At Lincoln he beat Martin (gr c 1748 Cade) to win the Ladies' Purse there, again over four miles.
 
He was sent to Newmarket in 1755. There he easily defeated the unfit Trajan (b c 1748 Regulus) while distancing the others. With Trajan's connections dissatisfied, Fenwick offered a challenge for the Whip, against any horse in England, and the challenge was accepted for Trajan to be run the next spring.
 
Back at Newmarket in 1756 Matchem easily won the Whip defeating Trajan over the Beacon Course. Fenwick again offered to race Matchem against any horse in England over the Beacon Course, and this time Matchem was beaten by Spectator (b c 1749 Crab), who won two heats, while Matchem could only manage a third in each heat. Matchem moved on to Newcastle where he won a Suscription Purse defeating Drawcansir (b c 1749 Cartouch) and Full-Moon (b c aged).
 
Matchem did not race in 1757, and in 1758 at Newmarket he was deafeated by Mirza (b c 1749 Godolphin Arabian) in the Jockey-Club Plate. He won a final race at Scarborough beating Foxhunter (b c Ranger) and then retired to the stud.
   
ALFRED (GB)
   
   
  Alfred b c 1770 (Matchem - Mare, by Snap). Sire Line Matchem. Family 12-b.
A full brother to Conductor (ch c 1767 Matchem), Alfred was bred by John Wastell and was then purchased by Lord Bolingbroke who later sold him to the Hon Richard Vernon, the latter the breeder of Diomed* (ch c 1777 Florizel). He began his turf career in 1774 by collecting a forfeit from Lord Farnham's Fidget (Squirrel) and Mr Blake's Sophy (Turf) in a 200 guineas each sweepstakes at Newmarket, First Spring. At the Second Spring Meeting he walked-over for the Clermont Cup valued at 420 guineas, and the three days later he walked-over for a 25 guineas each subscription purse. At the July Meeting he won the 25 guineas each Grosvenor Stakes, beating Mr Scawen's Alexis (ch c 1770 King Herod), Mr Maurice's Gilkicker (b c 1770 Dainty Davy), the Duke of Grafton's Magnet (br c 1770 King Herod) and two others over the Beacon Course. At the First October Meeting he lost his first race to Mexico (bbr c 1770 Snap). In 1775 at the Newmarket Second Spring Meeting he walked-over for a 100 guineas each sweepstakes with six paying. Two days later he won a 5 guineas each subscription, beating the Duke of Ancaster's Transit (b c 1770 Chrysolite), Mr Strode's Rebus and Lord Grosvenor's brown colt (King Herod). The next day he collected a 100 guineas compromise from Lord Abingdon's Tuzzimuzzi (br f 1769 Snap). He lost only one other race, to Alexis. He stood at Ainderby Steeple, near North Allerton, Yorkshire, and later at Soham, near Newmarket, for a fee of 5 guineas. A worthy stallion, he got the St Leger winner Imperatrix (ch f 1779) along with many other good daughters, and also the stallion Tickle Toby* (b c 1786) who stood in Virginia from 1804 to 1810.
   
CONDUCTOR (GB)
   
   
  Conductor ch c 1767 (Matchem - Mare, by Snap). Sire Line Matchem. Family 12-b.
Conductor was bred by John Wastell from a Snap Mare he had purchased as a youngster from her breeder, the Duke of Kingston. He was sold after his first season on the turf to the Earl of Farnham and Lord Clermont. In 1771, racing for Mr Pratt, he walked-over for a 500 guineas each sweepstakes at the Newmarket First Spring Meeting. Three days later he won a 200 guineas each sweepstakes, beating Mr Ogilvy's Lady Betty and Lord Clermont's Furiband (b c 1767 Squirrel) over the Ditch-In Course. At the Second Spring Meeting he won 200 guineas, beating Lord Rockingham's Dauphiness (b f 1766 Sampson) over the Beacon Course. In 1772 he won 500 guineas at the Newmarket First Spring Meeting, beating Mr Pigott's Consul (br c 1767 Warren's Sportsman) over the Beacon Course. At the Second Spring Spring Meeting he won 300 guineas, beating Mr Pigott's Pope Joan (b f 1767 Chedworth's Snap) over the Beacon Course. Two days later he won £50 , beating Mr Vernon's Don Joseph (b c 1767 Babraham Blank), Lord Bolingbroke's Patrician (gr c 1767 Matchem), Lord March's Mist (b c 1766 Cadormus), the Duke of Grafton's Prize (br c 1767 Snap), Mr Wastell's Quill and Mr Panton's Sunshine (b c 1767 Feather) over the Ditch-In Course. At the First October Meeting, he won 200 guineas, beating Lord Abingdon's Transit (ch c 1766 Marske) over the Beacon Course. At the Second October Meeting he won 500 guineas, beating Mr Blake's Firetail (b c 1767 Squirrel) over the Ditch-In Course. In 1773 he won a 300 guineas each sweepstakes at the Newmarket Craven Meeting, beating Mr Fox's Trentham (b c 1766 Gower's Sweepstakes), Mr Blake's Mark Anthony (b c 1767 Spectator), and Lord Grosvenor's Examiner, over the Beacon Course. At the First Spring Meeting he collected a 250 guineas half-forfeit from Sir Charles Bunbury's Patrician (gr c 1767 Matchem). He next won the King's Plate, beating Mr Gulston's Endymion [ex-Buff] (b c 1766 Northumberland), Mr Wentworth's Achilles [ex-Presumption] (b c 1767 Jalap), Mr Bishop's Amphion (ch c 1767 Matchem) and Mr Strode's Britannicus (b c 1766 Old England) in one heat over the Round Course. This marked the first time that the King's Plate at Newmarket was run in one heat, having previously been contested as the best of three heats. At the Second Spring Meeting he won the Jockey Club Plate, beating Sir Charles Sedley's Regulator (ch c 1767 Warren's Careless), Lord Hamilton's Stripling (br c 1766 Marske), Lord Rockingham's Holyhock [ex-Marplot] (bbr c 1765 Young Cade) and Lord Ossory's Laura (ch f 1766 Whistlejacket) over the Beacon Course. In June he won the King's Plate at Guildford, beating Mr Bishop's Amphion, Mr O'Kelly's Sod (ch c 1767 Matchem) and distanced Mr Shute's Wilful. In July he lost the King's Plate at Winchester to Euryalus and Amphion, after which he retired from the turf. He stood, first at Pakenham, near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, along with Squirrel, and later at Chippenham Hall, near Newmarket, with his fee as high as 10 guineas. In the stud he got Imperator and, of more importance, Trumpator, the latter a Champion Sire and a link in the Matchem Sire Line. Conductor died in August of 1790.
   
TRUMPATOR (GB)
   
   


Trumpator bl c 1782 (Conductor - Brunette, by Squirrel). Sire Line Matchem. Family 14.
Trumpator was bred by William Henry Fortescue, 1st Earl of Clermont, who also claimed the distinction of breeding the Derby winner Aimwell (br c 1782 Mark Anthony). He acquired Trumpator's dam, Brunette, from his racing associate Lord Farnham. A worthy matron, Brunette also produced Trumpator's half-brother, the good stallion Pipator (b c 1786 Imperator). In 1784 Trumpator won 100 guineas at the Newmarket Second October Meeting, beating Usurper. In 1785 he won the 2nd class of the 100 guineas each Prince's Stakes at Newmarket, First Spring. He then placed 2nd in a 200 guineas sweepstakes to Lord Grosvenor's Vulcan (b c 1782 Justice), beating Mr O'Kelly's Cherry (b f 1782 Eclipse) over the Across the Flat Course. He placed 4th in the main 200 guineas each Prince's Stakes, won by Mr Wyndham's Guyler (ch c 1782 Alfred), followed by Mr Bullock's Balloon and the Duke of Grafton's Spartacus (ch c 1782 Eclipse). At the First October Meeting he won the Clermont Stakes, worth 125 guineas. He placed 2nd in 50 guineas each sweepstakes at Ascot Heath, won by Lord Grosvenor's Roundelay (b c 1782 Justice), beating Mr Bullock's Balloon, Lord Grosvenor's Grantham (gr c 1782 Mambrino) and Mr O'Kelly's Clarionet. At the Houghton Meeting he won 500 guineas, beating Mr Bullock's Balloon over the Across the Flat Course. At the First October Meeting he placed 2nd in the Perram Purse, won by Mr Pleasant's grey filly (Matchem), beating the Duke of Grafton's Oberon (b c 1782 Florizel), Lord Grosvenor's Alexander and six others over the Ditch-In Course. In 1786 he won 200 guineas at Newmarket, First Spring, beating Lord Grosvenor's Vulcan over the Beacon Course. At the same meeting he won the Claret Stakes, worth 1000 guineas. The following day he collected a 200 guineas half-forfeit from Guyler. At the Second Spring Meeting he won 500 guineas, beating Alexander over the Beacon Course. The same day he collected a compromise of 15 guineas from Spartacus. Four days later he won 200 guineas, beating Premier over the Abingdon Mile. At the Second October Meeting he collected a 200 guineas half-forfeit from HRH the Prince of Wales's Mountebank. He stood in a number of places: from 1787 to 1791 at Chippenham, near Newmarket, from 1792 to 1804 at Clermont Lodge, near Brandon, Norfolk, in 1805-6 at Rockingham Castle, Northamptonshire, in 1807 at Newmarket and was to cover in 1808 at Newmarket, however, he died on the May 7th of the latter year. He was buried at the end of the the Clermont Course. A huge success in the stud, he was Champion Sire in 1803. Among his many valuable daughters were Bolter's Dam (b f 1801), taproot mare of Family 4-p, Miss Furey (b f 1798), taproot mare of Family 18-a, Pawn (b f 1808), taproot mare of Family 1-f and Penelope (b f 1798), taproot mare of Family 1-o. He also got the Derby winner Didelot (b c 1793), and the Champion Sire and link in the Matchem Sire Line, Sorcerer.
   
TURF (GB)
   
   
  Turf b c 1760 (Matchem - Mare, by Ancaster Starling). Sire Line Matchem. Family 14.
Turf was probably bred by Peregrine Bertie, 3rd Duke of Ancaster, and was later owned by John Tuting of Newmarket and Frederick St John, 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke, of Lydiard Park, Swindon. Turf ran from 1764 to 1767, losing only three races, to Crofts' Spot (gr c 1760 Infant), Bay Malton (b c 1760 Sampson) and King Herod (b c 1758 Tartar), and paying one forfeit, to Otho (b c 1760 Chedworth's Moses). Among his ten victories was a 1000 guineas race in which he defeated King Herod. At the Newmarket Second Spring Meeting in 1767 he broke down in the Jockey Club Plate, in which Otho was his main rival. He covered at Langham, near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, at Barking, Essex, at Kneesworth, near Royston, Cambridgeshire, and at Newmarket. His fee was as high as 10 guineas for several years. He was said to possess the shape, strength and temperment to get quality hunters. Although his mare book was limited he got a number of successful offspring, the most notable being the useful stallion Acacia (ch c 1787) and Sir John Lade's Crop (gr c 1778). One of his unnamed daughters was the dam of Messenger* (gr c 1780 Mambrino) who was exported to New York and there contributed to the foundation of the American Standardbred horse.
   
Other Offspring
   
   
Pumpkin (GB) ch c 1769 (Matchem - Pratt's Old Mare, by Squirt). Sire Line Matchem. Family 24.
   
Protector (GB) br c 1770 (Matchem - Cypron, by Blaze). Sire Line Matchem. Family 26.
   
Penelope (GB) b f 1798 (Trumpator - Prunella, by Highflyer). Sire Line Matchem. Family 1-o.
   
Sorcerer (GB) bl c 1796 (Trumpator - Young Giantess, by Diomed). Sire Line Matchem. Family 6-a.