Prunella (horse)

Prunella's owner the 3rd Duke of Grafton

Prunella (1788 – December 1811) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. Raced from 1791 to 1794, she won three races including a Sweepstakes of 200 guineas each at Newmarket. She was retired to stud and became an influential broodmare, foaling Epsom Derby winner Pope and Epsom Oaks winner Pelisse. Her daughters also went on to become top broodmares in their own right. She was owned by Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton.

Background

Prunella was a bay filly bred by the 3rd Duke of Grafton and foaled in 1788. She was sired by the undefeated Great Subscription Purse winner Highflyer.^[1] Highflyer was also a top stallion, becoming Champion sire thirteen times. He sired three Epsom Derby winners in Noble, Sir Peter Teazle and Skyscraper along with several other classic winners. Sir Peter Teazle also became an important stallion.^[2] Prunella's dam was Promise, a daughter of Champion sire Snap.^[1]

Racing career

1791: Three-year-old season

Prunella made her racecourse debut at Epsom Downs on 10 June 1791, when she finished unplaced behind winner Portia in the Oaks Stakes.^[3] Her next race came in October at Newmarket, where she faced two opponents in a Sweepskates of 200 guineas each over two miles. Baron Foley's colt Vermin started as the odds on favourite, with both Prunella and Mopsey priced at 4/1. Prunella won the race, with Vermin finishing second.^[4] Two weeks later she lost a match race against Earl Grosvenor's filly Sylph worth 200 guineas, with both fillies carrying the same weight.^[5]

1792: Four-year-old season

In April 1792 Prunella beat Mopsey at Newmarket for 25 guineas.^[6] At the Newmarket Second October meeting she lost to Sir John Lade's Clifden in a Sweepstakes of 25 guineas each.^[7] At the Houghton meeting she raced against six rivals in a Handicap Sweepstakes of 50 guineas each. The race was won by Mystery, with Speculator in finishing in second and Prunella in third place.^[8] Her final race of the season came in a £50 Handicap Plate at Newmarket. Prunella finished the race in third place of the twelve runners. Sir Frank Standish's filly Fairy won the race and Quetlavaca finished second.^[9]

1793: Five-year-old season

Her first race as a five-year-old was the King's Plate for mares at Newmarket in April 1793. She finished second to the Earl of Clermont's filly Peggy, beating Amelia, Kezia and Magnolia.^[10] Her only other race of the season was at Huntingdon, where she faced two rivals in a £50 race comprising two four-mile heats. Prunella won both heats, with Bustler finishing second in both and Pill-box last.^[11]

1794: Six-year-old season

At the Newmarket Craven meeting in April 1794 she finished unplaced behind winner Lurcher in the first class of the Oatlands Stakes.^[12] Her final race came at Newmarket's First Spring meeting in early May in the King's Plate for 100 guineas. Peggy started as the 4/6 favourite, with Kezia at 4/1, Prunella at 6/1 and Gipsy at 12/1. Peggy won the race from Prunella, with Gipsy third and Kezia last of the four runners.^[13]

Stud career

Prunella's daughter Penelope

Prunella's daughter Parasol

Prunella's son Pope

Retired to stud after the 1794 season, Prunella became a very influential broodmare. Only one of her daughters that lived to produce a foal failed to produce a classic winner. In total she produced twelve foals. They were:

• Trumpator filly – a bay filly foaled in 1796 and sired by Trumpator. She was killed when she was young.^[1]
• Penelope – a bay mare foaled in 1798 and sired by Trumpator.^[1] She won several races, including a 100 guineas sweepstakes, the Town Plate and the October Oatlands Stakes, at Newmarket in 1801.^[14] She also beat Derby and Oaks winner Eleanor a number of times and retired from racing in 1805 after winning a total of eighteen races.^[15] She was the dam of Derby winners Whalebone and Whisker and 1000 Guineas winner Whizgig.^[16]
• Parasol – a bay mare foaled in 1800 and sired by Pot8o's.^[1] She won a total of 30 races, including the Oatlands Stakes, two First October King's Plates, the Jockey-Club Plate and a match against Derby winner Cardinal Beaufort. She was the dam of 2000 Guineas and Epsom Oaks winner Pastille as well as 2000 Guineas winner Pindarrie.^[17]
• Pelisse – a brown mare foaled in 1801 and sired by Whiskey.^[1] She won the Oaks in 1804 and later the October Oatlands Stakes and a match against Morel.^[18][19][20] She retired in 1809, having won eighteen races in all.^[15] Pelisse died in 1810, before she had produced a foal.^[1]
• Podargus – a bay colt foaled in 1803 and sired by Worthy.^[1] He finished second in Newmarket Stakes and won a 100 guineas Sweepstakes at Newmarket in 1806.^[19] He also won a £50 Subscription at Newmarket in 1807.^[21]
• Pioneer – a brown stallion foaled in 1804 and sired by Whiskey.^[1] He was second in two 100 guineas sweepstakes at Newmarket and finished unplaced in the Epsom Derby of 1807.^[21] After retiring from racing he became a stallion and was the damsire of 1000 Guineas and Oaks winner Galata.^[18]
• Pope – a bay stallion foaled in 1806 and sired by Waxy.^[1] He won the Derby in 1809^[20] and a total of fifteen other races.^[15] He moved to Ireland and stood as a sire there, before moving back to England.
• Pledge – a bay mare foaled in 1807 and sire by Waxy.^[1] She won the Produce Sweepstakes at Newmarket, won a match against Echo and ran unplaced in the Epsom Derby in 1810.^[22] Retiring after the 1811 season, she was the dam of Epsom Derby winner Tiresias.
• Pawn – a bay mare foaled in 1808 and sired by Trumpator.^[1] She was the dam of 1000 Guineas winner Problem.
• Pope Joan – a bay mare foaled in 1809 and sired by Waxy.^[1] In 1812 she won the King's Plate at Ipswich and at Chelsford, as well as the a 100 guineas Sweepstakes and a 25 guineas Subscription at Newmarket.^[23] She retired from racing after 1813 and became the dam of three classic winners: 1000 Guineas winner Tontine, 2000 Guineas winner Turcoman and Oaks winner Turquoise.
• Picquet – a brown mare foaled in 1810 and sired by Sorcerer. She was runner-up in a £50 race over three miles at Newmarket in 1812.^[23] After only racing once as a three-year-old she was retired to stud, where she foaled July Stakes winner Loo.^[1]
• Prudence – a brown mare foaled in 1811 and sired by Waxy. She never raced and produced her first foal as a three-year-old in 1814.^[1] She was the dam of 2000 Guineas winner and Derby runner-up Reginald, 1000 Guineas winner Rowena and Riddlesworth Stakes winners Rebecca and Rufus.^[24]

Prunella died in December 1811^[1] at the Duke of Grafton's stud at Euston in Suffolk.^[15]

Pedigree

Note: b. = Bay, br. = Brown

* Prunella was inbred 3x3 to Blank. This means that the stallion appears twice in the third generation of her pedigree. She was also inbred 4x4 to Partner.

References