Vespa (horse)

Vespa
Vespa with her owner Sir Mark Wood by John Frederick Herring, Sr.
Sire	Muley
Grandsire	Orville
Dam	Miss Wasp
Damsire	Waxy
Sex	Mare
Foaled	1830
Country	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Colour	Brown
Breeder	Sir Mark Wood, 2nd Baronet
Owner	Sir Mark Wood
Trainer	H Scott
Record	10:5-2-1
Major wins
Oaks Stakes (1833) Oatlands Stakes (1834) King's Plate at Newmarket (1834) Jockey Club Plate (1834) King's Plate at Chelmsford (1834)

Vespa (foaled 1830) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won the classic Oaks Stakes at Epsom Downs Racecourse in 1833. The filly's win at Epsom, a 50/1 upset, was the only success in her first two seasons of racing. She produced her best form as a four-year-old when she won four times, including three important races at Newmarket Racecourse. At the end of her British racing career she was sold and exported to Hungary.

Vespa was a brown mare with a white star and one white foot, bred by her owner Sir Mark Wood. Her sire Muley was a son of the Derby-winning mare Eleanor and won two races as a five-year-old at Newmarket in 1815. His early stud career was disappointing and he had been covering half-bred mares for some time before being relocated to Underley Hall in Westmorland where he had considerable success. In addition to Vespa, he sired the Classic winners Margrave (St Leger) and Little Wonder (Epsom Derby). Vespa's dam, Miss Wasp, had previously produced the 1817 2000 Guineas winner Manfred. Miss Wasp was twenty-three years old when Vespa was foaled and died four years later.

Until 1913 there was no requirement for British racehorses to have names, and many horses were known by the name of their owner or their pedigree. The filly who would become known as Vespa began her racing career as "Sir M. Wood's br. f. by Muley, out of Miss Wasp" in the Clearwell Stakes at Newmarket on 17 October. She was not among the favourites and finished unplaced behind Lord Orford's colt Clearwell who went on to win the following season's 2000 Guineas.