Sweetwilliam

Sweetwilliam (GB)

Sweetwilliam

Sire Line

Sweetwilliam ch c 1768 (Syphon - Miss Roan, by Cade). Sire Line Darley Arabian. Family 4.

Bred by William Cornforth of Barforth, near Richmond, in Yorkshire, he was later owned by Viscount Bolingbroke and Lord Grosvenor. During his splendid turf career he amassed earnings of nearly 7000 guineas. He raced from 1772 to 1777.

His stud career was remarkable mainly for the contributions of his daughters. Ceres (b f 1779) won the Oaks Stakes. Berrington (ch f 1781) was the ancestress of the Cambridgeshire winner and sire Vulcan (b c 1837 Verulam), and the Victoria Oaks winner Lanson (b f 1923 Chrysippus). An unnamed daughter (f 1783) became the ancestress of the sires Atys (ch c 1894 Vigilant), Conqueror (gr c 1821 Camillus) and Valentine* (b c 1823 Magistrate).

Pedigree

Sweetwilliam	Syphon	Squirt	Bartlet's Childers
			Sister to Old Country Wench
		Patriot Mare	Bolton Patriot
			Crab Mare
	Miss Roan	Cade	Godolphin Arabian
			Roxana
		Madam	Bloody Buttocks
			Miss Partner

Race Results

In 1772 racing for Lord Bolingbroke at Newmarket he won a sweep of 1800 guineas beating Sir Charles Bunbury's Smallhopes (br c Cadormus) over the Beacon Course. After purchase by Lord Grosvenor he went to Burford and won a sweep from Mr Wentworth's Burford (b c 1768 Merlin) over four miles. Among the field of eighteen was the Duke of Grafton's Promise (br f 1768 Snap), the taproot mare of Family 1-d, and dam of the famous Prunella (b f 1788). At Shrewsbury he defeated Iago (gr/b c 1768 Tatler) and back at Newmarket he lost to the Duke of Cumberland's Maria (b f 1768 Snap) in his last race of the year.

Racing only at Newmarket in 1773, and only over the Beacon Course, he won a match against Mr Wentworth's Ancaster (b c 1768 Blank) which netted him 300 guineas. In October he won a sweep defeating, among others, Lord Ossory's Pythia (b f 1769 Prophet), then went on to collect a 100 guineas forfeit from Lord Ossory's Chalkstone (b c 1769 Herod). He later won a match against Lord Clermont's Priestess (b f 1767 Matchem) for 300 guineas, and finished the year with a perfect score by beating Lord Bolingbroke's Paoli (b c 1767 Blank), a full brother to Citizen*, in a 200 guineas match.

Still at Newmarket in 1774, he won the Craven Stakes in March over Florizel (b c 1768), later the sire of Diomed*, Paoli and twenty-two other starters. He walked over for the 140 guineas Subscription purse before losing to Florizel in a 170 guineas sweep, in which there were eight starters.

In 1775 he won the Whip and 200 guineas, gained at the expense of Lord Abingdon's Transit (ch c 1766 Marske). Both carried 10 stone over the Beacon Course. For his next two matches he collected a forfeit from Sir Charles Bunbury's Alexis (ch c 1770 Herod) and Mr Greville's Postmaster (b c 1771 Herod) respectively, earning 500 guineas in total.

He started 1776 with a string of three victories at Newmarket, winning, first, a sweep of 750 guineas defeating Lord Clermont's Johnny (b c 1769 Matchem), second, a 400 guineas stake with Lord Abingdon's Critic (b c 1771 Matchem), and third, receiving a 250 guineas forfeit from Lord Clermont's Masquerade (gr f 1771 Marske). In October, Lord Grosvenor, having the utmost confidence in his consistent horse, successfully challenged for the Cup, since no opponents appeared to take on Sweetwilliam.

In his final year of racing, 1777, he came in third and last in a 300 guineas sweep at Newmarket, losing to Lord Ossory's Dorimant (ch c 1772 Otho) and Sir L Dundas's Pontac (ch c 1772 Marske), followed by a sixth place finish in the Jockey Club Plate won by Lord Abingdon's Leviathan (bl c 1771 Marske), which was his final race.