Kettledrum (horse)

Kettledrum
Painting of Kettledrum by Harry Hall
Sire	Rataplan
Grandsire	The Baron
Dam	Hybla
Damsire	The Provost
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1858
Country	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Colour	Chestnut
Breeder	James Cookson
Owner	Charles Towneley
Trainer	George Oates
Record	8: 4-2-0
Earnings	£
Major wins
Epsom Derby (1861) Doncaster Cup (1861)
Honours
Kettledrum Inn, near Burnley, named in his honour.

Kettledrum (1858–1885) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from August 1860 to September 1861 he ran eight times and won four races. As a three-year-old in 1861, he won the Epsom Derby and the Doncaster Cup and finished second in the 2000 Guineas and the St Leger. At the end of the season he was retired to stud where he had limited success, and was later exported to Austria-Hungary.

Kettledrum was a big, powerful chestnut horse bred at Croft-on-Tees by James Cookson. As a yearling he was put up for sale at Doncaster and was bought for 400 guineas by the trainer George Oates on behalf of his patron, Charles Towneley of Towneley Hall in Burnley, Lancashire.

Kettledrum’s sire, Rataplan, was a top-class racehorse who won forty-two races including the Doncaster Cup and the Cambridgeshire Handicap. He was a successful stallion but was even more successful as a sire of broodmares, being the damsire of the Derby winners Cremorne and Kisber. Kettledrum’s dam, Hybla, was an excellent broodmare who had already produced the 1854 Epsom Oaks winner Mincemeat.

Kettledrum made his debut in a race at York in August which he won despite not being fully fit. He was unsuccessful when running again at the same meeting.

In September he ran behind Walloon in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. He had done enough, however, to establish himself as a contender for the following year's Classics, being offered by bookmakers at odds of 8/1 for the 2000 Guineas and 20/1 for the Derby.