Diomed

Diomed
Diomed "the Marvel"
Sire	Florizel
Grandsire	Herod
Dam	Mare (1763) by Spectator
Damsire	Spectator
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1777
Country	Kingdom of Great Britain
Colour	Chestnut
Breeder	Honorable Richard Vernon of Newmarket
Owner	Sir Charles Bunbury, 6th Baronet
Record	20: 11-5-3
Major wins
Epsom Derby (1780)
Honours
Diomed Stakes at Epsom Downs Racecourse
Last updated on August 24, 2007

Diomed, foaled in 1777, was an English Thoroughbred race horse who won the inaugural running of the Epsom Derby in 1780. He was subsequently a successful sire in the United States.

A bright chestnut standing 15 hands 3 inches he was named after the Ancient Greek hero Diomedes, he was by the unraced Florizel out of the unraced Pastorella's Dam, aka Sister to Juno (both going back to the Godolphin Arabian, and Sister to Juno going back as well to Darley Arabian), Diomed was bred by the Hon. Richard Vernon and owned by Sir Charles Bunbury. and trained by him at Hilton Hall. He was started 19 times, winning 11, finishing second in 4, and third in 3.

Of these eleven wins, ten were consecutive, which included the inaugural running of the Epsom Derby in 1780. During these early bright years of Diomed's life, he was considered by many to be the best colt seen in Britain since Eclipse.

He was allowed to rest for a while, but when he was brought back to the races, he wasn't the same horse. Sometimes he would win, and sometimes he wouldn't win, and more often the latter than the former. His last win was a King's Plate in four mile heats carrying 168 pounds.

Sir Charles retired Diomed to stud. His fee was five guineas, or about $25. (In England Diomed sired Grey Diomed who went to Russia where he was a great success, and also Young Giantess, who foaled Sorcerer and Eleanor.) There were few takers, and for the next decade or so, Diomed's fee went down and down until, by the age of 21, it was two guineas. By then, there were virtually no takers, so the old stallion did nothing but graze alone.

Sir Charles offered Diomed for sale when the stallion was 21 years old. Colonel John Hoomes of Bowling Green, Virginia bought him for $250, and then shipped him to Virginia where he was returned to stud in 1798. Aside from importing bloodstock into the US, Hoomes also maintained his own racing stable and sizeable stud service in which his good friend, another influential horseman of the time, John Tayloe III, was a partner. Although Hoomes and Tayloe's English agent wrote Hoomes a letter stating very clearly that Diomed was "...a tried and true bad foal-getter," and strongly recommending he not be put to stud, they were unswayed. Besides being personally impressed with the horse, a stallion of Tayloe's had also recently hurt himself, and Tayloe was in immediate need of a stud to replace him. Diomed went to work.