Minting (horse)

Minting
Minting at Kempton 1888
Sire	Lord Lyon
Grandsire
Dam	Mint Sauce
Damsire	Young Melbourne
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1883
Country	United Kingdom
Colour	Bay
Breeder	William Beauclerk, 10th Duke of St Albans
Owner	Robert Charles de Grey Vyner
Trainer	Mathew Dawson
Record	12:9-3-0
Earnings	£
Major wins
Seaton Delaval Stakes (1885) Champagne Stakes (1885) Middle Park Plate (1885) Grand Prix de Paris (1886) Great Jubilee Handicap (1888) Hardwicke Stakes (1888)

Minting (1883–1909) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1885 to 1888 he ran twelve times and won nine races. He was the leading British two-year-old of 1885 and went on to win the Grand Prix de Paris in June 1886. His career was often overshadowed by that of his contemporary Ormonde who defeated him on both of the occasions they met on the racecourse.

Minting was a “gigantic” bay horse standing just over 16 hands high, bred by the Duke of St. Albans. He was later acquired by Robert Charles de Grey Vyner and sent into training with Mathew Dawson at Heath House stable at Newmarket, Suffolk.

Minting’s sire Lord Lyon, who died in 1887, was an outstanding racehorse who won the English Triple Crown in 1866. He was not a great success as a stallion: apart from Minting his only notable offspring was the filly Placida, who won the Epsom Oaks in 1877. Indeed, Lord Lyon had been almost forgotten before the arrival of Minting. Minting was one of three Classic winners produced by the mare Mint Sauce. She had already foaled The Lambkin who won the St Leger in 1884 and went on to produce the 1000 Guineas winner Minthe.

Apart from the obvious reference to his dam, Minting's name also refers to the Lincolnshire village, near which his owner kept a residence called Minting Lodge.

Minting made his debut at Newcastle, where he won the £470 Seaton Delaval Stakes. At Goodwood in July Minting won the Prince of Wales’s Stakes in impressive fashion, causing a writer for Bell's Life to predict that he could become one of the best horses “within men’s memory.” In the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster on 15 September he started at odds of 20/55 against five opponents. Ridden by Fred Archer, he took the lead and won very easily by one and a half lengths from Gay Hermit. At Newmarket in October he won a three runner race for the Triennial Produce Stakes and was then sent to contest the Middle Park Plate, at that time the most prestigious two-year-old race of the season. He started at odds of 4/7 with Saraband being regarded as his most serious rival. Minting appeared to be unsuited by the heavy ground, but was driven out to win by a neck from Braw Lass, with Saraband third. Following this victory he ended his first season unbeaten in five races and was quoted at odds of 4/1 for the following year’s Derby. With the other unbeaten colts Ormonde and The Bard in contention the crop of three-year-old for the following season looked to be the strongest for many years.