Sweetmeat

Sire Line

Sweetmeat br c 1842 (Gladiator - Lollypop, by Starch or Voltaire). Sire Line Highflyer. Family 21-a.

Owned by Mr. A. W. Hill he was a half brother to Don John Mare (br f 1848 Don John) the fourth dam of Kentucky Derby winner Plaudit (br c 1895 Himyar) and the Belmont Stakes winner Hastings (br c 1893 Spendthrift). His dam Lollypop (bl f 1836) was bred by Major Yarburgh from his homebred mare Belinda (br f 1825) who was a full sister to the Major's Doncaster Cup winner Laurel (br c 1824 Blacklock) and half sister to his St. Leger winner Charles the Twelfth (br c 1836 Voltaire). According to "The Druid" the Major always maintained that Lollypop was sired by Voltaire rather than Starch, although in "The Druid's" opinion Sweetmeat appeared to bear "not the slightest trace" of Blacklock blood.

He stood 15 hands 3 inches and was described as somewhat light of frame with a beautiful head and neck. His withers were said to be high, his shoulders powerful, his back short and his quarters long and slanting, however, he stood over considerable ground which allowed him a reach of stride. He was thought "altogether prepossessing" with a suggestion of speed.

Defeated only once during his first two seasons on the turf, he won both the Doncaster Cup and Queen's Vase and numbered the great Alice Hawthorn (b f 1838 Muley Moloch) among his victims although she was conceding 2st at the time. He was said to have hurt his off foreleg during his first race as a four year old and went unplaced for that effort. He was tried again as a five year old but fared no better, his leg giving way again.

He was initially sent to stud at the Curragh but soon returned to Yorkshire and covered at Neasham Hall, near Darlington. He later moved to the Morton Stud Farm near Northallerton and then to Stanton, near Shifnal, in Shropshire. He covered only about ten mares per year until 1855 and that year his Doncaster sales yearlings sold for a higher average (£300-600) than any other stallion. His fillies were described as "near perfection" and in 1856 the only two on offer sold for £3000. His colts were generally thought too big, with Parmesan (br c 1857) a notable exception. Another exception, Macaroni (b c 1860), was probably his best son. Sweetmeat went suddenly blind in one eye shortly after his arrival at Neasham Hall and his other eye failed ten days thereafter. He did not transmit this problem to his offspring although he did endow them with "rare speed" and a "dislike to distance".

Pedigree

Sweetmeat	Gladiator	Partisan	Walton
			Parasol
		Pauline	Moses
			Quadrille
	Lollypop	Voltaire	Blacklock
			Phantom Mare
		Belinda	Blacklock
			Wagtail

Race Record

In 1844 he won the £190 Stanley Stakes at Liverpool in July, beating Mr. Meiklam's Ebor Handicap winner Godfrey (br c 1841 Inheritor) by a length, the Goodwood Cup winner Miss Elis (ch f 1842 Stockport), Fanny Eden (b f 1841 Touchstone), Sir J. Gerard's Pluto (bl c 1842 Sheet Anchor) and 5 others. Won a £220 sweep at Wolverhampton, beating Mr. Copeland's [sister to the Oaks winner Our Nell] My Mary (ch f 1842 Bran) easily, Mr. E. Peel's Frances (ch f 1842 Dr. Faustus), Pluto and 3 others. Won 60 sovs at Wrexham, beating Mr. Mostyn's Master Stepney (br c 1842 Muley Moloch) and 2 others. Finished 2nd for the Two Year Old Stakes at Nottingham, won by Pluto, beating Stitch (ch f 1842 Hornsea) and 2 others.

In 1845 he won the Trial Stakes at Warwick, beating Sir C. Cockerell's Rodney (br c 1842 Sheet Anchor) in a canter, and 2 others. Won the £765 Somersetshire Stakes at Bath by a length, beating Mr. King's Young Lochinvar (ch c 1840 Tipple Cider), Lord Geo. Bentinck's Pug (b f 1842 Bay Middleton), Mr. Gully's St. Lawrence (br c 1837 Skylark) and 11 others. Walked over for the Salopian Stakes at Shrewsbury. Won the £405 Cleveland Handicap at the same meeting, beating Mr. Mostyn's Milton (br c 1841 The Saddler) easily, and 2 others. Divided the forfeits for the Wynnstay Stakes at the same meeting with Mr. Davis's Princess Royal (b f 1842 Harkaway). Won a 245 sovs handicap at the same meeting, beating Mr. Meiklam's Inheritress (br f 1840 The Saddler), Master Stepney and 2 others. Won the 280 sovs Queen's Vase at Ascot in a canter, beating Mr. Hill's The Libel (br c 1842 Pantaloon), Lord Exeter's Wood Pigeon (br c 1842 Velocipede) and 2 others. Walked over for the 70 sovs Swinley Stakes at the same meeting. Won the £590 Derby Handicap at Liverpool, beating Godfrey by a length, the Duke of Richmond's Liverpool Cup winner Lothario (b c 1840 Giovanni) and 15 others. Won the Grosvenor Stakes at the same meeting, beating Mr. R. Bennett's Oaks 2nd place finisher Hope (ch f 1842 Gladiator). Won £155 at Newton, beating Mr. Worthington's Champagne Stakes winner Lancashire Witch (ch f 1842 Tomboy), Pluto and 4 others. Walked over for £60 at York. Won a 150 sovs match at the same meeting from Inheritress by a head. Won the Cup at Doncaster easily by a length, beating Mr. Salvin's great mare Alice Hawthorn (b f 1838 Muley Moloch) who carried 2st more, Mr. E. L. Mostyn's Pantasa (br c 1842 Picaroon) and Miss Elis. Walked over for £75 at Oswestry. Walked over for the Bryn Stakes at Wrexham. Walked over for the 100 sovs Cup at the same meeting. Walked over for the Cup at Knutsford. Walked over for £60 at the same meeting.

In 1846 he went unplaced for for the Cup at Chester, won by Lord Waterford's Cesarewitch and Chester Cup winner Corranna (b c 1839 Hymen), with Mr. A. Johnstone's Sir George (b c 1843 St. Martin) finishing 2nd, Sir C. Monck's Glossy (b f 1840 Silkworm) 3rd, Queen of Tyne (br f 1839 Tomboy) 4th; the field included the St. Leger winner The Baron (ch c 1842 Birdcatcher).

In 1847 he went unplaced for the £565 Cheshire Stakes at Chester, won by Mr. Gully's One Thousand Guineas and Oaks Stakes winner Mendicant (br f 1843 Touchstone).

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Notable Sweetmeat Mares
1.	Miss Teasdale (br f 1850), dam of the Ascot Stakes winner Stanton (b c 1858 Newminster). Family 9-a.
2.	Marmalade (br f 1851), dam of the Woodcote Stakes winner Dundee (b c 1858 Lord of the Isles). Family 16.
3.	Mincemeat (b f 1851), owned by James Cookson, winner of the Oaks Stakes, dam of One Thousand Guineas winner Tomato (b f 1861 King Tom), the stallion Tomahawk (br c 1863 King Tom), and Sister to Tomato (b f 1866 King Tom) who was the dam of the Prix Royal Oak winner and superb broodmare Perplexite (br f 1878 Perplexe). Family 3-j.
4.	Nettle (ch f 1852), winner of the Gimcrack Stakes, ancestress of the triple crown winner Common (br c 1888 Isonomy), the stallion Goldfinch (ch c 1889 Ormonde) and the St. Leger winner Throstle (b f 1891 Petrarch), the latter dam of the stallion Missel Thrush (br c 1897 Orme). Family 4-c.
5.	Mincepie (ch f 1853), bred by Lord Howth and owned by Mr. H. Hill, winner of the Oaks and Nassau Stakes. Family 3.
6.	Desire (b f 1854), dam of the Manchester Cup winner Trust (b c 1860 Lambton). Family 2-w.
7.	Chere Amie (br f 1857), dam of the Cesarewitch winner Cherie (b f 1866 Stockwell), the latter dam of the Goodwood Cup and Queen Alexandra Stakes winner Gonsalvo (b c 1887 Fernandez). Family 19.
8.	Sweet Hawthorn (br f 1858), 2nd dam of the Irish Derby winner Ben Battle (bbr c 1871 Rataplan) and head of Family 4-k.

Other Notable Offspring

Carnival (b c 1860), a successful stallion in Austria-Hungary.

Lozenge (b c 1862), winner of the Cambridgeshire Stakes following a dead heat with Wolsey and later a stallion in France.

Muscovado (br c 1851), sent to Australia and there sire of the Melbourne Cup and Victoria Derby winner Lantern (br c 1861).

Parmesan (br c 1857), winner of the Queen's Vase and a successful stallion.

Plum Pudding (br c 1857), a worthy stallion.

Saccharometer (br c 1860), winner of the July Stakes and King's Stand Stakes and a useful stallion.

Sweetsauce (ch c 1857) winner of the Goodwood and Stewards' Cups.

Macaroni b c 1860 (Sweetmeat - Jocose, by Pantaloon). Sire Line Highflyer). Family 14-a.