Crucifix (horse)
| Crucifix | |
|---|---|
Artist: John Frederick Herring, Sr.
|
|
| Sire | Priam |
| Grandsire | Emilius |
| Dam | Octaviana |
| Damsire | Octavian |
| Sex | Mare |
| Foaled | 1837 |
| Country | Great Britain |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | George Stanhope, 6th Earl of Chesterfield |
| Owner | 1. Lord George Bentinck 2. Edward Lloyd-Mostyn, 2nd Baron Mostyn 3. Henry Agar-Ellis, 3rd Viscount Clifden. |
| Trainer | John Barham Day |
| Record | 12: 12-0-0 |
| Earnings | £10,287 |
| Major wins | |
|
1000 Guineas (1840) 2000 Guineas (1840) Epsom Oaks (1840) |
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Crucifix (1837–1857) was an undefeated, Classic Race winning, British-bred Thoroughbred racemare. She was also the dam of three sires who had a great influence on the breed.
Crucifix was a bay filly foaled in 1837, by the Epsom Derby winner, Priam; her dam was the then 21-year-old, Octaviana by Octavian. Her breeder was George Stanhope, 6th Earl of Chesterfield. Crucifix was a sister to Chesterfield, who sired the stakes-winner, The Hero. Her sire, Priam, also sired the Epsom Oaks winners Miss Letty and Industry before he was sold for 3,500 guineas and exported in 1837 to Virginia in the United States.
The powerful racing figure, Lord George Bentinck, bought Crucifix as a foal at foot with her 22-year-old dam for 65 guineas. At maturity, Crucifix stood nearly 16 hands high, with her body being described as "wiry", and she possessed a temperamental disposition.
Crucifix had nine starts for wins in the Chesterfield Stakes (carrying top weight), Lavant Stakes, July Stakes and Molecombe Stakes, the Hopeful Stakes at Newmarket, the Clearwell Stakes, the Prendergast Stakes, and a walk-over in a sweepstakes at Newmarket; in the ninth race, the Criterion Stakes she dead-heated with Gibraltar. Her prize money for that season was a record £4,587.
In her three starts as a three-year-old Crucifix won the Two Thousand Guineas, One Thousand Guineas and Epsom Oaks. The false starts resorted to at the start of the Oaks lasted about an hour and it took about 15 attempts to get the 15 runners started. As a result of these tactics to defeat favourites, Lord George introduced reforms to inhibit this practice. Welfare ran second to Crucifix and she too, was by Priam. After the running of the Oaks Crucifix pulled up lame, and was retired with earnings of £10,287.
Crucifix became shortest odds winner of the 1,000 Guineas when she was 1/10 odds on. She was also the first of only four horses to ever win both the 1,000 Guineas and the 2,000 Guineas in the same year, when the two races were run two days apart. In her dead-heat in the Criterion Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse and her win in the Oaks Stakes at Epsom, Crucifix defeated the good mare Pocahontas and others on each occasion.
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