The courage, or lack of that quality in the make-up of the thoroughbred, its speed or stamina, constitution and conformation, is, as a rule accessible – but comment on a questionable disposition and/or temperament is rare, if ever notated.
In general, unless it is mentioned specifically that a horse is given to ill and uncontrolled behaviour, then temperament is presumed to be tractable… well-mannered – always allowing that the thoroughbred is a highly-strung animal, hall-marks of the cardinal of the breed.
Good behaviour and an equable temperament, however, have been absent in the make- up of many of the great and best remembered Turf “glitterati”, and racing history is legion with horses of essence high-mettle through to downright malevolence of nature and behaviour, and yet coincidentally, racehorses of the highest class and merit.
Eclipse (1764) momentous in the history of the breed of the Thoroughbred, had to be given over to the charge of an Irish rough-rider to make him tractable for racing. A reformed horse was returned after his “schooling”. When asked how he had brought about the transformation, the horse-master replied cryptically: “One of us had to be master.”
Both Galopin (1872) and St Simon (1881), kernels in the development of the modern thoroughbred, had more than their share of irritability in their make-up; and St Simon transmitted high-strung, nervous irritability to a marked degree. It was said of him at stud that only a brave and powerful man could be his master; and Charlie Fordham, who “did” him, once said: “It’s all very well to talk of the patience of Job: but Job never had to groom St Simon.” Undefeated on the racecourse, and a yardstick by which all others are measured both on the racecourse and at stud, has coloured with goodwill all comment of him, rather in the manner of a muddle-headed poor man being described an “idiot”, whilst the rich man will be more kindly judged “eccentric”.
Castrel (1801), who founded one of the more lasting sire lines through his son, Pantaloon (1824), also got the “… terribly bad-tempered Merlin.”
St Albans (1857), a son of Stockwell (1849), the winner of Doncaster’s 1860 St Leger Stakes, was a horse with a vile temper. But this aberration of temperament was absent in the nature of his son Springfield (1873) despite his dam Viridis (1864) being a daughter of the savage Marsyas (1851).
The Irish horse, Solon (1861), was an unambiguously savage, although a high-classracehorse. He transmitted his obstreperous nature, his sons, the great Barcaldine (1878) inheriting the genes of his malevolence, but also genes which sustained the Matchem sire line in Europe. Many of his sons were suspect of disposition, whilst Morion (1887, a winner of Ascot’s Royal Hunt Cup and Ascot Gold Cup, was described as :”… an evil-tempered animal.”
Obtuse nature leaked through another son of Solon, Arbitrator (1874), who bequeathed his son Kilwarlin (1884) with a bad temper, dormant within him, but alive in his genes. Kilwarlin was the winner of the 1887 Doncaster St Leger, compliments of the field, for, in a pig-mood at the Start, when the tapes sent the field away, he dug-in his toes, absolutely refusing to gallop. The field had covered a conservative 150 yards before, surrendering to the urgings of his rider, Kilwarlin lashed a vicious kick at the starting post, and set off in pursuit of the field. The pace, no more than a slow gallop, he quickly attached himself to the rear runners. Then threading his way through the field, he caught the leader in the shadow of the post, winning by a neck.
Incidentally, the Matchem-line flourished in America on the foundation of another bad- tempered, brutish animal, Fair Play (1905).
One of the most versatile, brave and generous horses of the last century – when racing – Tristan (1878), winner of placed in 47of 53 career starts, a “hat-trick” winner of Ascot’s Hardwicke Stakes, Grand Prix de Deauville and Newmarket’s Champion Stakes (astonishingly twice sharing the victory in this later race), was a fierce demonic scoundrel whose temper became his end.
In a fit of rage, and without anyone on whom to vent his spleen, he crashed his head against a brick wall, killing himself! Fortunately, he left the legacy Canterbury Pilgrim (1893). She inherited much of her sires racing ability – and most of his temperament.
Winner of Epsom’s Oaks Stakes, she was a shrew when she so chose. Dam of Chaucer (1900), who did not have the best of tempers, this “fire” appears as little more than ashes in her other son, Swynford (1907).
Derby winners who suffered temperamental failings, included George Frederick (1871), a “foul-natured beast”, a disposition he inherited from his sire, the “”extremely savage brute”, Marsyas (1851)… Ladas (1891) benignly described contemporaneously as “… delicate and high-strung, was, in fact, an ill-tempered beast, although and routinely, absolutely genuine when racing…. Yet another ferocious winner was Diamond Jubilee (1897). He had a nature more befitting the bull-ring than the racecourse, and before his Epsom victory, walked almost the length of the course on his hind-legs. At stud, though, he became more tractable, reserving the spiteful side of his nature for occasions.
Another savage was Lowland Chief (1878) Over the years, a tendency towards spitefulness deteriorated into a meanness of nature which by late age was unbridled vicious and he was put down in 1898 to save possible misdeed; almost the same may be written of Alcantara II (1908), whose mean streak deteriorated until he became a danger, and he was destroyed in 1930.
Flying Fox (1896), a consequence of the “hot” Galopin blood through his dam, Vampire (1889), a daughter of Galopin. Vampire possessed a wicked temper, and killed her first foal, savaging a groom who try to stop her mayhem. Flying Fox inherited nervous irritability, and the superabounding ability of his forebears, proving outstanding on the racecourse before establishing a sire line familiar to all, through the names Ajax (1901), Teddy (1913), Sir Gallahad III (1930, Asterus (1923),Ortello (1926), Bull Dog (1927) and Citation (1945).
Santoi (1897), famous for his toughness, and the strain of hardiness he bequeathed, was another bad-tempered individual, a trait he inherited from his maternal grandsire, the “fiendish” Broomielaw.
Corcyra (1911), a high-class son of Polymelus, was always, to be kind, wilful, and at stud became “very queer.” Never a horse with the sweetest of dispositions, those who tended him were always at pains also to humour him. Potentially a high-class stallion, he met with an accident when only 9 years old, and was put down.
More close in time are Nearco (1957), Nasrullah (1940) and Ribot (1952). Nearco was always referred to as of high-mettle. In fact, he was strong-willed to the point of mulishness, a quirk of temperament he passed to many of offspring, including Nasrullah.
A high-class racehorse, widely regarded as the best horse in England to ten furlongs, he failed to win a Classic, and often as not, it appeared that lack of resolution rather than lack of ability that brought about his defeats. This undesirable psyche he bequeathed.
Grey Sovereign was a victim, a strong-willed and irresolute character, handed down to him by his brilliant forebears. On his better days he was a handful for the very best – but on others, he would sulk, and refuse to race, standing stock still when the tapes released for racing.
Arguably, Nasrullah’s most talented son in Europe was Zucchero (1948). Endowed with Immense ability, he rarely lived up to his promise, and the performance, more often than not, was wanting. “Timeform” delivered terse assessment: “… brilliant, but exasperatingly erratic.” He strode to majestic victory in Epsom’s Coronation Cup, trouncing the capable Wilwyn, first winner of Laurel’s Washington International, and Worden II, also successful in this event, but sulked his way to the winning post in the 1953 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, in which Worden took third place. Never, even on his best days, sweet tempered, he transmitted his ability, siring many good winners in Europe before his export to Japan, and his relatively early death.
Other unreliable sons of Nasrullah, were the American-breds, Red God (1954) and Bald Eagle (1955). High hopes were held that Red God would prove good enough and go one better than his sire, and win an English Classic. His victory in Goodwood’s Richmond Stakes confirmed his ability and potential, but a wayward temperament negated his obvious worth, and his form was always suspect as his capricious disposition got the better of him. Bald Eagle, likewise, after showing promising form, allowed his dark side sway. Returned to America, his mind-set was eventually brought under control, and he was twice a winner of Laurel’s Washington International Stakes.
Another of Nearco’s sons to display irascibility was Amerigo (1955). After a contemptuous eight lengths victory in Ascot’s Coventry Stakes, the tetchy side of his nature took rein. Ill tempered, he became almost impossible to control. Sold to America, his fiery pugnacity was a hair trigger. At one Meeting, he put on a rodeo-like exhibition, “… turning the saddling enclosure into a Wild West display, and dining on chunks of attendants.” But when the more “amiable” side of his nature emerged, he showed prize ability. It was an ability he transmitted, but, sadly, he died all too young, aged just ten years.
The great champion Ribot, was an amenable enough a character during his years of racing – but his disposition deteriorated at stud. His attendant succinctly described his hazard to the unwary: “Ribot” he said, “would climb a tree.”
If there is an inference that ability and suspect temperament go hand-in-hand, then there is the opposite side of the coin. Mieuxce (1933), Princequillo (1940), Petition (1944), Nijinsky (1967), Dancing Brave (1983) were all notably “decent” and placid individuals, as are the vast majority of the breed who are not of any extreme but fall within the “norm” of behaviour.
