(be patient and absorb details about Ancestors because the information lays a foundation for what follows……..certain ancestors need to be mentioned) Ken McLean – Australian bloodstock writer.
Haplotype L4 or I2a2
family 2
41x Godolphin Arabian #GA/GB
30x Crofts Partner
21x Sister One to Mixbury (founder family 9e, 9f, 9g, 9h)
Harkaway – the Irish Eclipse, King of the Curragh, & “the terror of all Ireland”
It is remarkable where contemporary bloodstock literature does not adequately consider the full impact of Harkaway in comparison to mainstay genetics of Eclipse and Herod, Whalebone, Whisker.
The Irish Eclipse Harkaway was not an ordinary individual. He was truly exceptional, a marvel. It is to consider well, that he may be the pinnacle of any pedigree, transmitting a distinction from the sole inheritable factor of one ancestral mare.
With performances as noted, she will be highly praised alongside those Matriarch notables.
Alice Hawthorn – 3 to 7 year old, a splendid racer, ran 71 times and won 50+ times inclusive of 17 King’s Plates. First foal at 11 years old, and had 7 foals without a break. 3 Splendid foundation mares, Lady Hawthorn and Sweet Hawthorn + dam of Thormanby.
Catherina by Whisker out of Alecto – a splendid racer. Ran 2-11 years old 176 times and won 81 times. 12 times as an 11 year old. First foal at 16 years old, 9 foals of which 6 where good racers. At 22 years foal Young Catherina/Nagara and at 27 years the last foal a winner at 3years.
Maria – dam of Waxy (1793 Derby, Champion Sire 1810, sire of 190 winners, of Wowski (2nd 1800 Oaks); of top class stayer Worthy, winner of 6 King’s Plates between 1799 and 1801; grandam of Mother Shipton (2nd 1797 Oaks); and of Smolensko (1813 2000 Guineas, Derby). Died 1797, about a fortnight after foaling Wowski. Doric Stakes (2-mile heats) carried 9st 7lbs, winning 3 1lbs over her nearest rival.
Guiccioli (Bob Booty) – 2-6 years old a very good racer. Ran as a 6-year-old after foaling and again in foal producing a healthy foal, six times, won twice in the King’s Plates over 4 miles with heats in September in curragh and in Northumberland Handicap in October amongst such good horses as Skylark, a 3-year-old and Napoleon, a 5-year-old. First foal at 6 years old. 13 foals amongst where Birdcatcher and Faugh-a-Ballagh. At 21, living twins, one which was Gramachree, Foundation mare in family 11-d and at 24 years St John, later Carlow, a good race 2-7 years old. (n.b. Guiccioli 9x to **Siberia > Curlin (USA)
🐴🐴🐴 Alice Hawthorn, Catherina, Maria, Guiccioli. Not merely sources to great dams of great sires where these genetics are power house. The ‘discovered’ mare produced a phenotype that evidently goes overlooked and it was only through Harkaway himself as passed to his son King Tom & his descendants, that distinguishes an ultimate contribution.
But firstly, another well-known mare Pocahontas – esteemed breeder of Stockwell & Rataplan & King Tom. Pocahontas never won a race of 9 starts.
Pocahontas: 2-5 year old ran 9 times without winning. First foal at 6 years,13 foals amongst which were Stockwell, Rataplan, King Tom, The Knight of Kars, Ayacanora, Knight of St Patrick, Auricula (dam of Nuncham & Blanford, Araucaria (dam of Wellingtonia, Camelia, Chamont and Rayon d’Or. Lived to 33 years of age. (n.b. 1909 referenced **)
Comprehending Harkaway – his nucleus: The Godolphin Arabian, the sire of Old England, from Amorett, also known as Little Hartley mare, a Royal mare. One of Old England’s grand-daughters is Mother Brown.
*Mother Brown by Trunnion-Old England. At 4-12 years old, ran 39 races and won 20. As 8 year old, and in foal, she won a race over 4 miles. As a 9 year old, after foaling, ran again four times and won four times (amongst which was a King’s Plate). As a 10 year old ran 6 times, winning twice. As a 12 year old, ran once, not placed. Had 6 foals. At 21, Toby a good racer in Ireland, At 25, Jerry Sneak, a splendid racer in Ireland and won as a 13 year old and was sire of many good racehorses. At 26, Mare by Bagot, the grandmother of Nabocklish, family 4. About 30years old, had last foal. Mother Brown, dam of Bacchus, winner of 31 races between 1791 and 1796 including 3 King’s Plates
Nabocklish – 1815, 1816 x 2, 1817 King’s Plate The Curragh. The Nabocklish mare and only recorded daughter Fanny Dawson is the dam of Harkaway.
Bloodstock writer, George Tattersall (1817-1849) impresses Harkaway was exploited and whether from aristocrat jealously towards the roguish character in owner, Mr Ferguson, it does appear Harkaway attracted an unnecessary misfortune. Harkaway received heavy weights to his racing performances and Stewards would adjudicate faulty starts. Under such harsh conditions to his running, Harkaway earned much respect and praise afar after his triumphant races.
The name of Harkaway is sacrificed to the disgusting practices of an unprincipled third ‘party’.
all these successes made the Americans ever on the alert cast a jealous eye upon Harkaway and Messrs Tattersalls having been commissioned to send him to the New World, at a price, wrote to Mr Ferguson what sum was asked for him and whether he was in work “the price of Harkaway is Six Thousand Quineas and I hunt him twice, and thrice times a week”
Harkaway in splendid form won in the merest canter beating the best horses of his year amongst them Deception, The Doctor and Epirus.
Harkaway game as steel, came again, and won a magnificent race amid the most intense excitement by a short half length.
Goodwood Cup – one of the fastest races on record, Harkaway made the running throughout winning easily by two lengths.
Harkaway was certainly one of the most extraordinary ‘cracks’ whose feats has been our task to chronicle. Setting aside the tales about his being ridden as a hack about the farm, to fetch the letters, to do anything and everything; this one thing is certain that if this horse had being fairly dealt by figuring…(?)
Harkaway was the best and most successful racehorse of his day. He was not in the Derby or St Leger (he wasn’t entered) but won 21 races of 28 in which he started up to the end of his 4 year old, including eight King’s Plates, the Goodwood Cup and the Royal Whip beating all the best horses on the Irish and English Turf, carrying the top weights. He also won the Goodwood Cup at 5 years with 130 lbs. (1883 – S.D. Bruce)
At stud in his first year, Harkaway only served 3 mares. He served the following season in Newmarket to later return to Ireland, and he produced a good number of quality winners. King Tom was considered much like Harkaway. Harkaway daughters were considered very good and turf writers greatly admired them. Even so, rapidly his stud career did decline as breeding services preferred The Baron, to sire Stockwell and Rataplan.
In this light – one may appreciate how TB History took the evolutionary path.
Finer breeding models are generally to St Simon the Byerley Turk male line. To his pedigree, it maybe comprehended to Harkaway, a Godolphin Arabian/Barb specimen, was a dynamic cross of its time & further St Simon’s dam, St Angela, tap-root family 11-c where his 5th dam Jerboa reveals 7x Godolphin Arabian & 4x Crofts Partner. However, it is not the only aspect influencing. Among those bred-in strains, *Mother Brown (Trunnion – Old England mare) contributes an exemplary trait.
With this focus, what maybe catalysed to any breeding model may be determinable by understanding exactly whom Harkaway has given influence to, & also to Harkaway’s son King Tom through his few descendants outside of St Simon.
Harkaway influences
St Simon
Hastings, > Fair Play, > Man o War > War Relic, Speed Boat
Display
Discovery
Spearmint
Vaguely Noble – 28 strains St Simon, 5x5x6 Spearmint, Harkaway daughter Chaseaway designated, female family 1-d. The great sire of Gay Mecene, Dahlia, Empery, Nobiliary and more…
Vaguely Noble was European Horse of the Year in 1968, when at three he won the Gr 1 Prix de l’ Arc de Triomphe by 3 lengths from SIR IVOR – one of the bester winners of the ‘Arc’ in modern times.
Lombard (GER), sire of Allegretta – female family 1-d
sire, Toronado (Ire) – female family 1-d
sire, Curlin (US) thru mare Siberia (4×5 Harkaway)
Papyrus – female family 16-f, Harkaway daughter Queen Bee. Influences Great Nephew, Ribot, Princequillo, Star Kingdom, Relance, Brigadier Gerard, Deputy Minister (CAN)
Australian sire Zoustar, female family 8-k Harkaway daughter Austrey and same, Australia’s wonder horse, Chautauqua
Shadea (NZ) dam of Australian Hall of Fame sire Lonhro (dec.) female family 8, through Harkaway’s daughter Austrey, dam of sire Chester, sire of Dreadnought his daughter Miss Rose
Steeplechaser Easter Hero (the first of a new breed…handsome, full of quality, seldom out of the headlines) a pedigree which is influenced to a Harkaway daughter.
Harkaway daughter Irish Queen, thru sire Lozenge (IRE) influences the Black Ray family specifically Mill Reef.
Harkaway grand-son King Lud, influences Alycidon and My Babu, Hotfoot, Turn-To et al, all noted from the Marchetta family 1-W.
Pivotal (GB) – Harkaway @ The Golden Horn, 4th dam of Volodyouski (GB)
The Bard – Idle Boy by Harkaway: The Bard’s 2nd dam sire Chouberski sire of Ksar (#Byerley Turk Tourbillon descendants et al)
family 1-P – mare Hilarity (King Tom) influencing Court Martial, Black Caviar (AUS), sires, All Too Hard (AUS), Ole Kirk (AUS)
Nearctic (CAN) 9x Harkaway.
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@ TBL – Jane Bielski (researcher) – All Rights Reserved, link researcher Credit where due.
references: Horse Breeding in Theory and Practice by B. Von Oettingen
catalogues: https://exploreuk.uky.edu
additional – The Haplotype alternative of two above, are considered 2 possibilities by the author. TBL research of right type and cross to the Godolphin Arabian are deemed I2a: case in point are Sister to Regulus and War Relic, full-sister Speed Boat (Man O’ War) to family 1-O, #Haplotype I2 or I2a1. I understand I2a or I2a1 or I2a2 are sub-variants Iberian.
War Relic and Speed Boat have 5th dam by King Ban by King Tom by Harkaway.
The Haplotype L4 are elements to its line yet appears (imo) upon weight-carrier, classic speed and stamina and Distance phenotype.
Should you discover Harkaway influences or references please contact TBL.