Melton (horse)

Melton
Melton by Eugene Tily
Sire	Master Kildare
Grandsire	Lord Ronald
Dam	Violet Melrose
Damsire	Scottish Chief
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1882
Country	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Colour	Bay
Breeder	George Manners Astley, 20th Baron Hastings
Owner	George Manners Astley, 20th Baron Hastings
Trainer	Mathew Dawson
Record	18: 11-3-0
Earnings	£
Major wins
New Stakes (1884) Middle Park Plate (1884) Epsom Derby (1885) St Leger (1885) July Cup (1886)
Honours
Premio Melton

Melton (1882–1910) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1884 to 1886 he ran eighteen times and won eleven races. In 1885 he won the second two legs of the English Triple Crown, the Derby at Epsom and the St Leger at Doncaster. At the end of the 1886 season he was retired to stud where he had considerable success in both Italy and Great Britain.

Melton was a small, but powerful and good-looking bay horse, bred by his owner George Manners Astley, 20th Baron Hastings (1857–1904) a country gentleman who named the colt after the village of Melton Constable in Norfolk. He was trained by Mathew Dawson at his Heath House stable at Newmarket, Suffolk. Melton was ridden in most of his races by the thirteen-time Champion Jockey Fred Archer.

Melton’s sire, Master Kildare, who was also owned by Lord Hastings, was a successful racehorse who won the Alexandra Plate at Royal Ascot and the City and Suburban Handicap at Epsom. In his first season at stud he attracted little interest from breeders and sired only three foals: one of these was Melton. Melton’s dam was Violet Melrose a winner of six races.

Melton began his career in the New Stakes (now called the Norfolk Stakes) at Royal Ascot in June 1884 in which he recorded an unexpected victory from Match Girl and his stable companion Langwell, who started favourite. On his next start in the July Stakes at Newmarket Melton started 11/10 favourite. He looked the likely winner in the closing stages but was finished beaten a head by Luminary, with the two finishing well clear of the other four runners.