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333:
344:, who was not regarded as a serious threat by the British racegoers and started 100/15 fourth choice in the betting despite receiving eight pounds. Parole took the lead at half way and drew clear. Although Isonomy made steady progress he was unable to catch the leader and finished second, beaten one and a half lengths. Gretton then challenged Parole's owners to a £10,000 weight-for-age match race between the horses, but his offer was declined.
517:
402:, in which he was asked to concede thirteen pounds to Parole. An outsider named The Bear set off in front and at one stage opened up a lead of two hundred yards. Isonomy finally caught up with the front-runner in the straight and pulled away in the closing stages to win easily by three lengths, with Parole third A few days later on 6 August he was sent to
395:. Isonomy was held up in the early stages before moving up to contest the lead as the field entered the straight. As Isonomy accelerated only Insulaire attempted to match him, and the two pulled well clear of the rest. In the closing stages Isonomy drew away to beat the French colt easily by two lengths "in a canter".
552:
at the end of the 1880 season, but had little early success, siring only fifteen foals in two years. After
Gretton's death he was sold at auction to William Stirling-Crawfurd, the husband of the Duchess of Montrose, in January 1883 for £10,000. Isonomy was sent to the Duchess's Sefton Stud, and after
490:
carried out a poll of one hundred racing experts to create a ranking of the best
British racehorses of the 19th century. Isonomy was ranked third, having been placed in the top ten by 62 of the contributors. In a related poll, the electors were asked to choose the single greatest horse they had ever
472:
winner Zut. Chippendale made the running and was still leading by a length at the start of the straight, and Cannon was looking uneasy on the favourite. In the closing stages, however, Isonomy took control of the race and finished a "gallant and easy" winner by a length. Shortly after the race it was
406:
for the two-mile
Brighton Cup, in which he carried 136 pounds and started at odds of 1/10 against three opponents. After settling in third place he moved into the lead in the straight and went three lengths clear, before being eased down in the closing stages to record a three-quarter-length win over
319:
at the end of the season at
Newmarket. By autumn, Isonomy's useful two-year-old performances had been largely forgotten, and he was allowed to start at odds of 40/1 for the big handicap on 22 October under a weight of only 99 pounds. He created a "sensation" as he took the lead just inside the final
451:
at
Newmarket on 7 October. In this race, however, he was not expected to win, and seems to have been entered mainly to provide assistance to his owner's other runner Westbourne. He was not even included in the betting for the race. The plan failed, as Westbourne finished second to Chippendale, with
938:
916:
460:
Isonomy ran twice as a five-year-old and won both his races. On 19 May he carried 138 pounds in the
Manchester Cup over one mile five furlongs. He was set to give large amounts of weight to many top-class horses and was not among the favourites for the race, starting at odds of 100/6. In what was
225:. In the following two seasons he was the dominant stayer in Britain, producing a series of performances which led many contemporary observers to regard him as one of the greatest racehorses of the 19th century. He was then retired to stud, where he became a successful stallion.
314:
Isonomy's three-year-old campaign was a highly unorthodox one. While the other leading colts of his generation were contesting the classics, Isonomy's efforts were confined to the training gallops. The reason for this was a plan by
Gretton to land a massive gamble in the
501:
called
Isonomy “one of the most remarkable racehorses of the century”. By the time of his second Gold Cup he was being described as "undoubtedly the best horse of late times" and as "one of the grandest and apparently most invincible Cup horses that ever trod the turf."
31:
439:
when he moved up to challenge for the lead along the rails. The Duke of
Portland said of Isonomy's performance marked him as "one of the best and gamest horses that ever ran". The Gold Cup-Goodwood Cup-Doncaster Cup treble was not completed again until
233:
Isonomy was a late foal, being born in May 1875, and as a result he was, in his early life, smaller and less physically developed than other colts of his generation. Even in full maturity, he was not a large horse, standing just under 15.2
415:
on 27 August, for which he was made 8/11 favourite. Despite the very difficult conditions ("mud and water flying in all directions"), and conceding at least thirty pounds to his opponents, he won impressively by eight lengths.
320:
furlong and won very easily by two lengths from
Touchet and La Merveille. In addition to his winning prize of £2,187, Gretton's gamble earned him a reported £40,000, more than double the combined prize money of the
863:
508:
called him "the best horse ever bred in England." John Porter, who trained the winners of twenty-three classics, including three Triple Crowns, regarded Isonomy as the best horse he ever trained.
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described as "one of the most wonderful performances that has been recorded for many years" he won the race from The Abbot, a top-class three-year-old who had recently finished third in the
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On his four-year-old debut, Isonomy carried 124 pounds in the Newmarket Handicap on 15 April and started 2/1 favourite. Among his opponents was the American horse
98:
554:
302:
for two-year-olds). On his final start he was narrowly beaten in a similar event at the same course, finishing second by a head when conceding eleven
435:
was ruled out of the race by injury. In a rough race he defeated the filly Jannette, despite being badly cut by the spurs of the runner-up's jockey,
804:
532:. The story concerns the kidnapping of a celebrated racehorse and the mysterious death of its trainer. When explaining the horse's value to
371:
race of the year. The field included two of the previous season's leading Classic performers: the French-trained Insulaire, who had won the
246:
visited the stud, he was impressed by the colt's lively and assertive character, and determined to buy him. When Isonomy was sent to the
321:
213:. In a career that lasted from 1877 to 1880 he ran fourteen times and won ten races. As a three-year-old he deliberately bypassed the
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As a two-year-old, Isonomy showed promise, without appearing to be top class. He made his first appearance over five furlongs at
473:
announced that Isonomy would probably not run again in 1880, although there were hopes that he would return as a six-year-old.
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on behalf of Fredrick Gretton, a brewer with a passion for gambling. Isonomy was ridden in most of his races by Tom Cannon.
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in August and finished second in a minor race. In September, he was sent to Newmarket and recorded his first win in a four-
525:
257:
Isonomy's sire, Sterling, was a successful racehorse who became an excellent sire. Apart from Isonomy, he sired the
273:. Isonomy's dam, Isola Bella, was not a success as a racemare but was well-bred, being a half-sister to the
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says that “Silver Blaze... is from Isonomy stock, and holds as brilliant a record as his famous ancestor.”
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and to whom he was conceding 46 pounds. Gretton was reported to have won £25,000 in bets on the race.
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a weight-reduction programme, he resumed his stud career with greater success. Although he was never
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At Royal Ascot his only rivals for the Gold Cup were the Cesarewitch winner Chippendale and the 1879
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In September he attempted to become the first horse to complete the stayers' Triple Crown in the
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and the influential sire Gallinule. Isonomy developed heart trouble and died in April 1891.
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In early 1881, Gretton reportedly turned down an offer of £25,000 for Isonomy.
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Isonomy found his way into contemporary literature in the 1892 short story "
431:, although there was some disappointment that the undefeated Hungarian mare
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he proved to be a successful stallion, siring two Triple Crown winners in
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in order that his owner could land a massive betting coup in the
367:, at that time regarded as the most important and prestigious
491:
seen. In this poll, Isonomy finished second, one vote behind
351:
where, on the first day of the meeting, he defeated the 1877
447:
On his final start of the year he carried top weight in the
250:
sale at Doncaster, Porter was able to acquire him for 320
779:
Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978).
565:. Among his other successes were the outstanding filly
941:. Australian Town and Country Journal. 28 January 1878
391:
and defeated the colts, including Insulaire, in the
363:over two miles. Two days later, he competed in the
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548:Isonomy was retired to Bonehill Paddock stud near
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407:Paul's Cray. Isonomy was then sent north for the
242:by the Graham brothers. When the leading trainer
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781:Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing
1343:The English Illustrated Magazine - Google Books
919:. South Australian Advertiser. 31 January 1878
830:
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578:Pedigree of Isonomy (GB), bay stallion, 1875
8:
205:(May 1875 – April 1891) was a British
238:high. He was bred at the Yardley stud near
99:United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
807:. Horseracinghistory.co.uk. Archived from
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772:
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520:"Silver Blaze... is from Isonomy stock..."
29:
20:
576:
1320:(Third ed.). Guinness Publishing.
1318:Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions
764:
1390:. Grey River Argus. 10 September 1880
265:, Enterprise and Enthusiast, and the
7:
1316:Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1990).
336:Tom Cannon, Isonomy's regular jockey
1297:. Hawke's Bay Herald. 29 April 1881
939:"NEWMARKET SECOND OCTOBER MEETING"
14:
1153:. Otago Witness. 29 November 1879
499:The English Illustrated Magazine
1099:"YORK. August 26th, 27th, 28th"
398:On 29 July, Isonomy ran in the
1275:. Otago Witness. 7 August 1880
1253:. Otago Witness. 7 August 1880
423:John Porter, Isonomy's trainer
16:British Thoroughbred racehorse
1:
1368:. Otago Witness. 19 June 1880
897:. Otago Witness. 21 June 1879
526:The Adventure of Silver Blaze
347:In June, Isonomy was sent to
1412:. Evening Post. 8 April 1891
741:Miss Whinney (Family: 19-a)
375:and finished second in both
359:(the 4/9 favourite) in the
310:1878: three-year-old season
1463:
456:1880: five-year-old season
328:1879: four-year-old season
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286:1877: two-year-old season
277:winner Saint Christophe.
193:
155:
28:
1447:Thoroughbred family 19-a
783:. Macdonald and Jane's.
895:"Sporting Intelligence"
317:Cambridgeshire Handicap
219:Cambridgeshire Handicap
157:Cambridgeshire Handicap
521:
424:
337:
1442:1891 racehorse deaths
1437:1875 racehorse births
917:"SPORTING IN ENGLAND"
519:
422:
335:
35:Isonomy by Harry Hall
512:Contemporary culture
449:Cesarewitch Handicap
1388:"RACING IN ENGLAND"
1251:"RACING IN ENGLAND"
1225:"Sporting Jottings"
1151:"RACING IN ENGLAND"
1073:"RACING IN ENGLAND"
1053:. 27 September 1879
1047:"RACING IN ENGLAND"
990:"RACING IN ENGLAND"
961:"RACING IN ENGLAND"
805:"Thomas Cannon Snr"
579:
470:Prix du Jockey Club
452:Isonomy in fourth.
404:Brighton Racecourse
373:Prix du Jockey Club
275:Grand Prix de Paris
1410:"DEATH OF ISONOMY"
1131:. 24 November 1879
754:List of racehorses
577:
530:Arthur Conan Doyle
522:
487:The Sporting Times
425:
338:
1346:. 31 October 2005
1105:. 18 October 1879
1079:. 11 October 1879
745:
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736:The Prime Warden
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127:Frederick Gretton
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1173:"Sporting Notes"
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864:"MR JOHN PORTER"
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839:. Tbheritage.com
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667:Isola Bella (GB)
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444:did so in 1949.
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1019:"THE ASCOT CUP"
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996:. 9 August 1879
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835:Liz Martiniak.
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811:on 16 June 2012
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621:Plenipotentiary
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538:Sherlock Holmes
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306:to the winner.
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1231:. 29 July 1880
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1205:. 29 June 1880
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1179:. 22 July 1880
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1027:. 12 June 1880
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872:. 12 June 1890
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387:, who had won
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167:Ascot Gold Cup
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1414:. Retrieved
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1370:. Retrieved
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874:. Retrieved
867:
841:. Retrieved
813:. Retrieved
809:the original
799:
780:
637:Flatcatcher
606:Sir Hercules
547:
523:
503:
498:
497:
485:
484:In May 1886
483:
475:
467:
463:2000 Guineas
459:
446:
426:
400:Goodwood Cup
397:
346:
339:
322:Triple Crown
313:
289:
259:2000 Guineas
256:
232:
207:Thoroughbred
202:
201:
195:Prix Isonomy
172:Goodwood Cup
169:(1879, 1880)
118:Graham Bros.
18:
1416:29 November
1394:29 November
1372:29 November
1350:29 November
1301:29 November
1279:29 November
1257:29 November
1235:29 November
1209:29 November
1183:29 November
1177:Thames Star
1157:29 November
1135:29 November
1109:29 November
1083:29 November
1057:29 November
1031:29 November
1000:29 November
971:29 November
945:30 November
923:30 November
901:29 November
876:29 November
843:29 November
815:29 November
685:Birdcatcher
617:Honey Dear
601:Birdcatcher
544:Stud career
437:Fred Archer
353:Epsom Derby
349:Royal Ascot
298:Nursery (a
244:John Porter
137:John Porter
62:Isola Bella
1431:Categories
1295:"untitled"
1199:"Sporting"
1125:"Sporting"
760:References
733:Bassishaw
718:Ethelbert
697:Pocahontas
655:Melbourne
641:Touchstone
612:Guiccioli
534:Dr. Watson
493:Gladiateur
480:Assessment
381:Grand Prix
240:Birmingham
229:Background
151:Major wins
146:14: 10–2–1
1273:"ENGLISH"
837:"Isonomy"
708:Marpessa
680:The Baron
673:Stockwell
567:Seabreeze
559:Isinglass
377:The Derby
361:Gold Vase
271:Harvester
223:Newmarket
162:Gold Vase
71:Stockwell
51:Grandsire
748:See also
691:Echidna
652:Silence
632:Whisper
627:My Dear
586:Sterling
573:Pedigree
550:Tamworth
442:Alycidon
393:St Leger
389:The Oaks
385:Jannette
379:and the
365:Gold Cup
292:Brighton
261:winners
248:yearling
215:Classics
81:Stallion
45:Sterling
1366:"ASCOT"
728:Espoir
713:Isloine
702:Glencoe
660:Secret
433:Kincsem
355:winner
324:races.
296:furlong
269:winner
263:Paradox
252:guineas
203:Isonomy
189:Honours
133:Trainer
115:Breeder
95:Country
67:Damsire
24:Isonomy
1324:
787:
715:1860
676:1849
647:Decoy
594:Oxford
563:Common
383:; and
357:Silvio
342:Parole
304:pounds
184:(1879)
179:(1879)
174:(1879)
164:(1879)
159:(1878)
143:Record
105:Colour
87:Foaled
54:Oxford
669:1868
634:1857
597:1857
590:1868
528:" by
267:Derby
236:hands
123:Owner
1418:2011
1396:2011
1374:2011
1352:2011
1322:ISBN
1303:2011
1281:2011
1259:2011
1237:2011
1211:2011
1185:2011
1159:2011
1137:2011
1111:2011
1085:2011
1059:2011
1033:2011
1002:2011
973:2011
947:2011
925:2011
903:2011
878:2011
845:2011
817:2011
785:ISBN
588:(GB)
583:Sire
561:and
413:York
211:sire
90:1875
41:Sire
665:Dam
411:at
221:at
109:Bay
77:Sex
59:Dam
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