Donovan

Sire Line

Galopin

Sire

Galopin

Dam

Mowerina, by Scottish Chief

Velasquez, by Donovan

Donovan b c 1886 (Galopin - Mowerina, by Scottish Chief). Sire Line Galopin. Family 7-a.

Bred at Welbeck by William John Arthur Charles James Cavendish-Bentinck (1857-1943), the 6th Duke of Portland, Donovan was a half brother to the One Thousand Guineas winner Semolina (b f 1887 St. Simon).

His dam, Mowerina, won sixteen races and had the distinction of being foaled in Denmark. Owned by Otto Scavenuis, who also owned her dam, Mowerina was brought to England to race. After winning several races she was purchased by the Duke of Portland. She was said to possess "wonderful speed" and was described as rather angular with "good hard limbs," a large bright eye, and was "full of character throughout".

A top class race horse, Donovan stood 16 hands and was possessed of excellent conformation; his girth measured 74.5 inches and his cannon bone 8.5 inches. His action was thought to be good.

Pedigree

Donovan	Galopin

		Flying Duchess	The Flying Dutchman
			Merope
	Mowerina	Scottish Chief	Lord of the Isles
			Miss Ann
		Stockings	Stockwell
			Go-Ahead

Race Record

Donovan won eighteen of twenty-one starts earning £55,154, a record at the time. As a two year he started thirteen times, winning the Brocklesby Stakes, Portland Stakes, New Stakes, July Stakes, Ham Stakes, Buckenham Stakes, Hopeful Stakes, Middle Park Plate, the Dewhurst Plate, the Bibury Club Stakes and the Hurstbourne Stakes, the latter two at Stockbridge. He lost the Whitsuntide Plate to Chittabob (ch c 1886 Robert the Devil) and the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Goodwood to El Dorado. At three he started favourite for the Two Thousand Guineas, won by Enthusiast (ch c 1886 Sterling), a disappointment blamed on his jockey for dropping his hands too early. The same year he won the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Leicester, the Newmarket Stakes, the Derby, the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Ascot, the St Leger Stakes, the Lancashire Plate and the Royal Stakes. He was thought unlucky not to have annexed the triple crown, having defeated Enthusiast on every occasion they met but one. As a five year old he broke down preparing for the Gold Cup at Ascot.

Notable Offspring

He stood his entire career in Nottinghamshire, including Rufford Abbey, near Welbeck, for a fee of 200 guineas in 1898. His best sons were Matchmaker (b c 1892) and Velasquez (b c 894). Matchmaker won the King Edward VII Stakes and the Prince of Wales's Stakes and later sired the Two Thousand Guineas winner Handicapper (br c 1898) and the dam of Son-in-Law (br c 1911 Dark Ronald). Velasquez won the Champagne Stakes, Champion Stakes (twice), Eclipse Stakes, July Stakes, New Stakes and Princess of Wales's Stakes, and later got the dam of the One Thousand Guineas winner Vaucluse (b f 1912 Dark Ronald). Another son, Veronese (ch c 1898), won the Prince of Wales's Stakes. Of his many good daughters Pfaueninsel (b f 1894) won the Preis der Diana and Sesara (ch f 1896) the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and Prix Vermeille. Several of his daughters were influential in the stud, including Altoviscar (b f 1902) of Family 2-f, Berriedale (br f 1894) of Family 8-h, Strike-a-Light (b f 1896) of Family 22-b, and Taia (b f 1892) of Family 3-c.

Although he got nothing as good as himself he was perhaps less well-patronized than deserved, St Simon (br c 1881 Galopin) and Galopin (b c 1872 Vedette) covering at the same time. Even so, Donovan stood among the top twenty sires seven times. He was shot in February of 1905 after suffering an accident.