Sir Visto

Sir Visto
Sir Visto as photographed by Clarence Hailey.
Sire	Barcaldine
Grandsire	Solon
Dam	Vista
Damsire	Macaroni
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1892
Country	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Lord Rosebery
Owner	Lord Rosebery
Trainer	Mathew Dawson
Record	13: 3-1-3
Earnings	£14,334 win prize money
Major wins
Epsom Derby (1895) St Leger (1895)

Sir Visto (1892–1914) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1894 to 1896 he ran thirteen times and won three races. As a three-year-old in the 1895 he won both the Epsom Derby and the St Leger at Doncaster. He failed to win in six subsequent races and was retired to stud at the end of the 1896 season.

Sir Visto was described as “a lengthy, rather plain bay with sickle hocks”, but an excellent mover. He was also described as looking powerful but "unfurnished" and "split-up". He was bred at the Crafton Stud by his owner Lord Rosebery, a prominent Liberal statesman who became Prime Minister in 1894. Sir Visto's St Leger was the last of twenty-eight classic wins gained by his trainer Mathew Dawson. Dawson, who was over seventy at the time had "retired" from large-scale training in 1885, but continued to handle a small number of horses at his Melton House Stable.

Sir Visto's sire was the undefeated Irish champion Barcaldine, a representative of the Godolphin Arabian sire line, who also sired the double Classic winner Mimi. Sir Visto’s dam, Vista, was an excellent broodmare who also produced the Derby runner up Velasquez, and Bona Vista the 2000 Guineas winner who, as the grandsire of Phalaris is the male-line ancestor of most modern thoroughbreds.

Sir Visto made his first appearance at Epsom at the Derby meeting in June. Ridden by John Watts, he was not particularly fancied and finished unplaced behind Saintly in the Woodcote Stakes. Later reports claimed that he was only "half-fit" for the race. He was then off the course for four months before reappearing in the valuable Imperial Produce Stakes at Kempton. He led into the final furlong and held off the late challenge of the filly Float by a short head with the future 1000 Guineas Galeottia in third.