Cara | |
---|---|
Sire | Belshazzar |
Grandsire | Blacklock |
Dam | Fanchon |
Damsire | Whalebone |
Sex | Mare |
Foaled | 1836 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Colour | Bay |
Breeder | Richard Watt |
Owner | Richard Watt |
Trainer | Charles Marson |
Record | 6: 2-0-1 |
Major wins | |
Criterion Stakes (1838) 1000 Guineas (1839) |
Cara (1836–1857) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won the classic 1000 Guineas at Newmarket Racecourse in 1839. The filly was lightly campaigned, running six races in three seasons and winning twice. She was one of the leading British two-year-olds of 1838, winning the Criterion Stakes in impressive fashion and won the 1000 Guineas the following spring. Cara failed to reproduce her early success, being beaten in two races at Newmarket later that year and finishing last on her only start as a four-year-old. She was then retired to stud and died in 1857, having made little impact as a broodmare.
Cara was a bay mare bred by her owner Richard Watt of Bishop Burton near Beverley in Yorkshire. She was sired by Watt's stallion Belshazzar, who won several important races at York and Doncaster Racecourse and had some success at stud before being sold to Thomas Flintoff and exported to Tennessee.
Cara's dam, Fanchon was bred by Lord Egremont and was a sister of the Epsom Derby winners Lap-dog and Spaniel: Cara was her second foal.
Cara began her racing career at the July meeting at Newmarket where she ran in the Chesterfield Stakes, a race for two-year-old colts and fillies. Cara was not among the favourites for the race over the last half of the Bunbury Mile course and finished unplaced behind Mr Ford's filly Minima.
The filly missed the next three months before returning on 29 October at the Newmarket Houghton meeting where she was made the 5/2 for the Criterion Stakes. The event was one of the most important two-year-old races of the season, and the field included the July Stakes winner Bulwark and the filly Reel, winner of the Clearwell Stakes. Ridden by George Edwards she was among the leaders from the start and "won easy" from the Duke of Portland's colt Vale of Belvoir and fifteen others. At the end of the year, Cara was described as "the most brilliant performer" among the season's British two-year-olds.